The San Francisco call., 1897-08-26

get boats at the lake much cheaper. The
sawmill is crowded with orders but a
dicker can always be made for boat if
one has money.
Needham states that White Pass has not
been closed by the miners. They are
working on Porcupine Hill and hope to
improve the pass. They tried to close the
pass while the work was in progress, but
saw the thing was not the right thing
Consequently, those who want to go over
the pass at present are not interfered
with.
II am better acquainted with the condi.
ton OF White Pass said Needham to
THE CALL correspondent this afternoon,
because | personally investigated it 1
went over with forty pounds on my back
and returned. | am alive 10 tell the story
and in my Judgment White Pass, for an
ordinary mountain pass, is in good condi-
tion, and if man has horses there is abso-
luteIy no reason why he should not get
over there before winter sets in. Those
men who are there. now and who have
horses should be over. know that thev
must make many trips to get their pro-
visions ana outfits over, but they have
horses, have bean there for several weeks
and should be on the move all the time.
II Jeff Skaguay the day following my
arrival from the summit. The first four
miles out of Skaguay are all right and
consist of wagon road over which no
one would have any difficulty in maxim @
progress with horses and wagons. At the
end of the road one encounters the first
hill. When you get to the top of it you
are 500 feet above the level. The hill, is
very rocky, but l was careful to make
notes of Its condition, and there is no rea-
son why a mountain clim Der should not
put his horses over there with compare
tive ease. Notwithstanding that fact
found a dead horse on the pass. l ex-
amined it and found that it had broken
one OF its legs. The owner. suppose. had
no more use for the animal and killed it,
After descending the first hill you enter a
canyon. Another hill Is encoun ed. 1t
is 500 ieet high and in about the same con-
dition as hill No l. Once over that hill
and the canyon is entered, and then you
encounter the much-talked-of Porcupin
Hill, the summit of which is HOO feet
above the level.
"Whlle going up Porcupine Hill one does
no. meet SO many obstacles, al; hough it is
difficult Gin bing. On the farther side of
Porcupine is where one must watch him
self. Bowlders from four to ten feet square
are TO be found. One must work around
the corners of these powders in order to
get down in safety. 1t took me about one
hour and half. | went slowly, picked
my way as one accustomed to mountain
clim bing will do, and had no difficulty in
reaching the foo. of the hill. was careful
to note the dangers that a horse would en-
counter and saw that a horse can 60 over
Porcupine Hill all right if the person
handling the animal knows his business.
Inquiry satisfied me that the death of
many horses was due solely to the mex
perience of those in charge. The packs
are put on the backs OF the horses with
gross carelessness, and what is the result7
Porcupine Hill, as | have said, has many
big powders, around which the horses
must work. 1t is uphill and downhiII: it
is this way and that way, and before the
journey is accomplished the packs begin
to slide (the horses burden is thus i'll
creased threefold), a slip Is made, the
pack yes way and the animal goes down
to its death or breaks leg and meets
death at the hands of the owner, who
curses his luck and starts back for another
horse. Get over Porcupine Hill In safety.
and the next hill is what is known as the
big hill. 1t is 100 feet high. 1t is two
miles to the summit and two miles down.
The hill is not bad, the greatest difficulty
being in the shape OF boggy places from
ten to twenty feet long, which are caused
by springs. One must go up and down
the hill slowly. The boggy places are not
in such bad condition as to make them
mpassable.
AFTER that you reach the summit
proper. 1t is $500 feet high. but is not
fraughI with any dangers. 1t is much
easier than the elevation known as Biz
Hill. l reached the summit ana went
four mil S over it to a place known as
SHALLOW Lake. did not get to the lake
until the morning OF the 18th, because the
river was high at night. and l had to wait
until the following day to cross. started
back from Shallow Lake the day tha. T
arrived, and was back at Skaguay the same
day. 1t was a hard trip, but it was not
one that an ordinary man of determine.
tion could not accomplish. made it in two
days with forty or fifty pounds of luggage
and suffered no hardshps. In nv iude.
ment man should use White Pass if he
has horses; if he has no horses then the
chances are he will take Chilcoot.
"Sksguay is hot towl-six saloons, in