The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-04
Yukon country the advantage to be gained

Yukon country the advantage to be gained
by purchasing their outfits and supplies
in those cities and taking the Stlkeen
River route to the Yukon basin, a, they
can go up that river by steamer some
sixty miles beyond the boundary line. as
claimed by the United States, without
landing, and so get their goods thro ug
without paying any duty. whereas by
purchasing in the United States they must
pay duty by whichever route they go.
Amy one plating this divergence
from the popular and wel-established
routes would do well to examine into the
matter thoroughly before doing so.
The popularity which the Juneau and
Chilcoot route has enjoyed for years past
in which people have baen going to the
upper Yukon was not by accident, but be-
cause it was by far the shortest and most
well-defned, and taken altogether in COM
parison with either OF the other routes to
the south it was the best, even though
for short distance just at the summit it
presented great difficulties in the shape of
steep ascents and sharp declivities.
With this exception its disadvantages
are shared by all the others. After the
and Whites Pass route, which is few
miles longer but not so safe, as it is not so
well defined; then the Moores Pass, with
the same objection. These three, starting
near each other at the head of Chilcoot
Inlet, with the difference of few miles
travel (not over thirty by the longest
land the traveller at the head of Lake
Linderman, below which they become one.
The next route to the south is the Taku
River route, which, while it may be most
practicable for highway or railroad, is
too long as com pared with the other for
foot travel and packing. tits nearly 100
miles from Juneau to the divide which
separates the valley of the Taku from the
headwaters of the stream flowing north
west into Atlin Lake, and not until that
lake is reached is water travel available.
The lowest and last, as we'll as the long
est of all the overland routes, is that By
way of the Stikeen or Suikine River-the
one so strongly urged by the merchants
and traders of the Canadian cities. With
the exception OF the intangible satisfac-
ton which some men may feel at being
able to get to the land of gold without
touching their feet on American soil, it is
difficult to see what this route has to
recommend it.
True, the traveller can go on a light
draught steamer as far up as Telegraph
Creek, some 120 miles from the mouth
and well into British Columbian territory,
but when arrived there and disem barked,
though he may have met no United
States customs officers, he has before him
a land journey of at least 135 miles
through an unbroken wilderness, as il
were and across mountain ranges as high
if not higher than those on the more
northern route.
There is indeed some rolling country,
bearing in season food for cattle, but it
lies not altogether in the direction to be
travelled. Then, even when at Lake At
lin. the distance is greater by nearly two
days travel to the Lewis River, where
the routes Join, than from the head of
Lake Linderman. in urging this route
upon the people the Canadian merch ants
must in their desire for their own gain
lose sight altogether of the outcome for
their customers.
They outfit him and send him for a con-
side ration by Canadian steamer to TeIe-
graph Greek and their concern there ends.
Should the boundary as claimed by the
British be finally conceded they will con-
troll the sea approaches to all the north
ern routes and it is safe to say that the
Stikeen River route will then be seldom
mentioned. Time is money to the Yu-
koner and until railroad takes him from
tidewater to navigable fresh water beyond
the divide the Chilcoot route will be fol.
lowed because it saves time