The record-union., 1897-11-30
The Aerial Tramway Over the Chllcoot Pass
Will Soon be Completed.
There Will Then be No Great D1f-
eo,1+v in Getting a Sufficient
Supply of Provisions Into Daw-
son City to Meet All Immediate
Wants Until the River ana
Lakes Become Navigable.

TACOMA (Wash.), Nov. De G.
Chamberlin of this city has just re-
turned from Lake Linderman, Where
he went to meet James Mckay, WIZ
now owns and runs the largest ldHu
TRANSPORTATION business in the 1uhoh
Basin. He was the first man 10 hldhe
a winter trip from Circle CITY 10 'u
neau. January, 1886. The people ol
Circle City thought him crazy anu
talked of preventing him from at
tempting it, but he not only trled 1t III
spite of them, but succeeded, and maoe
st pay handsomely.
Last winter he hauled provisions
with dog teams from Circle to DAWSON
with equal profit, sometimes getung as
high as $40 for a fifty-pound sack Vi
flour. His teams now run all winter
between Circle, Dawson and the moulh
of Pelly River. His last trip 10 'u-
neau was by boat as far as Lake ben
net He had eleven men employed III
the expedition.
One purpose OF it was to cache dog
food enough along the route as laI
as Linderman to feed his teams LOT
this winters business. Another was 10
take back merchandise on his own ac-
count. He took with him on the re-
turn trip north 104. 900 pounds, con-
sisting of articles of food and clothing.
The food was made up mostly of daint-
les and articles that the trading COM
panfes do not supply, in which there
was certain to be a large proflt-
Cbamberlin says that Mckay said
nothing to him about possible fam
III
for the reason that it was not known
when he left that the boats would not
get up. He is sure that if he had known
it he would have taken back more
supplies than he did take. If there is
danger Of famine now he believes Nc
Kay has teams and facilities enough
to haul all the supplies stored at Fort
Yukon to Dawson as fast as they will
be needed.
The most alarming Of the reports sent
out about the prospective famine say
there is food enough on hand for all
for four months, and that if 2,O0O Of
those now at Dawson go to Fort Yu-
kon, $50 miles away, all will have
plenty. These reports are dated about
October Mckay would, therefore,
have three months in which to get up
supplies from the fort before there
would be any actual want.
Chamberlin does not think there is
more than two or at least three boat
loads of provisions at the fort. All the
other boats We're stopped further down
the river at Minook Creek and below.
But even this need alarm nobody, as
1t Will be only a little longer haul from
Lake Linderman, where after February
list, and probably as early as January
18th, plenty of provisions can be de-
livered by the Chilcoot aerial tram
way, now building. All the machinery
and supplies for this line were for
warded from here last week BY the
contract it is to be finished February
list, but in view of the alarming re-
ports from Dawson. President Wallace
to-day completed arrangements with
Nelson Bennett, the Oldest and at one
time the largest railroad contractor on
the Northwest Coast, TO go forward and
take charge Of the work. and if possi-
Bile complete it two weeks earlier than
heretofore intended
When finished the line Will deliver
120 tons a day over the mountains.
This makes the head-waters Of the
Yukon only five days from Tacoma,
From there Mr.. Mckay can deliver
into Dawson in five days more as fast
as it will probably be needed until the
river and lakes become navigable.
which Will be in April or May at the
latest. If not, there viii be enough
gold seekers going north by sledges
or on foot, all of whom viii carry with
them supplies enough to last them till
September, to make a considerable ad-
dition to what the dog trains win sup
ply.
Altogether. the prospects that any
body win actually suffer from want OF
food in Dawson this year is not very
great. 1t must be taken into account
that the circulators of these alarming
reports emanating from Dawson knew
nothing about the cable tramway over
the Dyea Passes or the immediate relief
IL would certainly afford them They
still supposed they must depend on the
lower Yukon. As soon as they know
all the facts, they doubtless do know
them, now that Mckay has returned and
others have brought the news from the
south as to the present possibilities OF
transportation, the fear of starvation
will entirely disappear
EGGS FOR THE MINERS.
SKAGUTAY (Alaska). Nov. 22 Cvia
Seattle. Nov. 29).-James McGregor, one
of the Canadian inspectors Of mines for
the klondike country, who has been
stationed here for the past month, will
leave tomorrow for Dawson City via
the Skaguay tran. He will be accom-
panied by seven men, and viii have in
his train twenty-four dogs and fourteen
horses. He viii take in ten tons of pro-
visions. he expects to reach Fort Sell
kirk by Christmas
Colonel Abergon Of San Francisco. the
engineer in charge Of a railroad survey
ing party, had severe experience last
week He got lost on the Chilcoot River,
and was out thirty-eight hours. When
q relief party reached him he was al
most exhausted.
w. Barker of Stockton, Cal. who is
taking in LOO dozen eggs to Dawson,
has reached Sheep Camp. He expects
TO reach Dawson with his eggs in good
condition. They are frozen in tin cans
Fred Vest of Portland. who also