The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-01
NOTES FROM KLOyDu>E.
a Texan Tells of the Land Bcyou
SkaEuuy.


Skaguay.
Mr.. Kit Baker of Mexia sends The Post
for publication the following letter from his
brother who has just returned from the
Alaska gold fields:
Fremont, Wash. October 10. Dear
Kit: ] have just come here from Alaska,
and will tell you as much about the coun-
try as ] can. AS you can have my letter
published l will try to inform the public
as correctly as possible all about the eoun-
try. or course different men see the same
place with very different view; but as
you know l am man who has had lots OF
experience in the mountains of the West,
as well as the North and Northwest. /
have travelled overland pretty much
through the northwestern portion OF Cali
iornia- all over western Oregon, and all
over the State of Washington, also the
northern Portion OF Idaho and Montana, and
pelrg raised IN Texas, gives Inc a chance
to know what Il man will experience in
travelling through the far Northwest A
Texan who has never seen high noun
tairs and heavy forests can lot begin to
imagine anything about it.
left Seattle on the 25th of August on
small schooner tow ed by Jug boat, and
on account of the tugs engines being out
OF order, was delayed on the way up to
Skasuay. We were two weeks going, when
at that time most boats were making it
IN four and five days. ] had a good chance
TO see all the country, as we did not travel
at night, and ! must say the country /,
fine. Nest all the way the water passages
between the Islands and main land is very
narrow and makes one think himself in a
nice sized river or long, slim lake, than
in the same tide that comes and goes with
the Pacific ocean. The mountains rise al
MI oct IA L..
10 the height of several thousand feet and
although the water is pouring down every
httle canyon, over places where 1t hardly
has channel to run through, and pouring
over the precpices and looks as white as
milk. The higher peaks are covered with
snow, and occasionally deep gulch ex-
tends back for several miles and reaches
right to the waters edge and is flled with
snow and ice. This is what is called
glacier, and around near Juneau was a
very large one During summer seasons
when the ice begins to thaw it breaks Off
and slides into the water and this Is the
source of many icebergs. These gradually
melt and are no more. The Juneau peo-
pie get their ice by tying on to these float
ing icehergs and towing 1t into the city,
and saw, cut or break 1t up in chunks they
can handle.
There Is only one place that is exposed
TO the ocean. and that Is Queen Charlotte's
sound, which is forty miles across As l
went up 1t was very nice, though little
swelly, but not enough to speak Of AS
l came back 1t Was as smooth as glass.
This is the only place exposed TO the ocean;
the rest Of the way consists OF narrow
passes between high mountains.
After landing in Skaguay and getting
goods on shore, the next thing Is to strike
the Skaguay trail. which leads out across
the mountain pass for the lakes the head
waters OF the Yukon river. The first three
miles OF the trail Is a wagon read over a
small valley, which is about two miles
wide at the mouth of the river and narrows
up at the end CT the wagon road to nothing,
for the river comes all the way from the
summit through n very ueep CANYON TO
the head OF this little valley. where the
city OF Skaguay is being built, and beyond
a doubt will be such a city soon that will
cover every lot in this valley. At the head
OF the valley the horse trail sets III. This
place is called the First Hill. Then for
o distance OF fourteen miles is very
rough traii-not that it is so steep-but
rocky and muddy. The mad is no. a stiff
mud but it is very disagreeable TO travel
through There is four miles of this mud
t. the summit, and more Of 1t across the
summit.
After reaching the fourteen mile bridge
on the river, which is known as the Third
Bridge, you are at the end OF the horse
packed over by men--a distance OF one and
one half miles along the river banks. while
the horses are taken around over the ton
OF the mountain. some four miles. that
part being so steep and rough that a horse
can not carry ANYTHING but himself, aad
does vel 10 do that. After crossing the
eut-of things are easier The other ,nd
OF this trail will tell about at some other
time.
The Dyea Pass is considered much easier
10 cross than the Skaguay ;rail was NOT
on that trail, but saw lots of men who had
teen over the pyea trail, Dyea is four
miles from Skaguay. but has very noor
harbor, Ships can not get nearer than
Two miles Of the shore on account OF a
long tide fiat This makes that place very
objectionable, There Is talk of a good
wagon road from Skaguay running up tho
iiver' which IL an easy grade. or course
they all talk railroads. wagon roads and
tramwayS and every ofher Nav ara 49,