Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-08-15

Twenty Dollars for Team 10
Make a Four Mile Trip-Prospec-
tors Meet Many Discourage
ments.
Seattle, Wash, August 1.-THE re-
ports now coming from the north are
of a discouraging nature, Letters re-
ceived here show that men. disheart-
ened and discouraged by the conditions
that confronted them on reaching the
trails, are coming back. Ten Of them
returned on the steamer Islander, and
no doubt they will be followed by
many more. These men, while they
are about the steamship companies Of
fees, say but little. In a few instances
so apparent have been the ditnculties
of transporting freight across the
passes that W0uld-be miners have aban-
doned the trip without having even
made an effort to get across the divide.
Letters from Dyea and Skaguay are,
as rule, of the same tenor. 1t is that
the pathway Of the Klondike region
going in by way of either the White
Pass or the Chilkoot Pass, at this sea-
son of the year, is douDiy difficult.
Snow and ice would be preferable, cer-
tainly, as regards the trip from salt
water TO the lakes. A man can easily
haul 1000 pounds of provisions loaded
on a sled across the Chilkoot Pass
when there is snow enough, whereas
now but few can take more than 100
pounds over the divide.
There are now on the two passes, or
enroute, from 700 to 500 horses, and it
is believed they will soon relieve the
situation. Passengers returning on the
Islander and Topeka report that some
Of the miners on the White and Dyea
passes in their desperation to hurry to
the gold fields are abandoning all their
outfits save enough food to last them
on the trip. Others have abandoned all
their property and turned back, and
the result is one can buy outfits cheap
er on the White or Chilkoot passes
than in Seattle.
Among the number who decided to go
in light was Charles Boughay, a drug
gist, Of this city. For $40 cash Boug-
hay purchased at Dyea an outfit that
originally the owner had paid 5000 for,
besides the freight charges from Seat
tie and his fare and loss of time. MANY
such instances are being reported and
/ several letters have been written back
1 by those on the trail to friends con-
! templating a trip to the Yukon. telling
them not to buy outfits here; that they
are now to be had between Dyea and
/ the summit OF the mountains for a tri-
lie, and that in time they can be pro-
cured for the asking.
j. E. Fletcher, Of Seattle, writing
to his wife under the date of July 2S,
( from Skaguay, says: "This trail is
open only to within eight miles of the
lake. 1t will take us a month to pack
our stuff through on our backs, and I
hope we will get through before it
freezes up. I would not advise any
one to come unless they can hire their
| packing done at the rate of $17 per
: hundred from here to the lake. My
partner and I have hired team for
$40 to haul us four miles" Fletcher
finally abandoned the Skaguay route
and is now trying the Chilkoot Pass.
August he writes from Dyea as fol-
lows: eve are now two miles above
Dyea and have got some of our stuff
five miles further up. We expect to
be at the foot of the summit about
the Sth We have to wade in the River
Dyea up to our waists pulling boat.
The current is too swift to row. We
all got fooled at Skaguay, for the pass
is not opened yet, so we had to come
this way. We had a hard road to
travel to get into the Yukon before it
freezes up. l tell you it is no picnic.
There are about 1000 people strug-
Cling along the line and most Of them
are played out and are turning bach" "
William Mckinney, writing to Law
yer DUNCAN G. Invernaty, Of Seattle,
says: "It is the greatest jam you
ever saw. I got my goods all right,
only losing one sack of beans. Some
lost their entire outfit, grub and all.
A great many have left here and gone
to Dyea to try that pass. This trail
is not nearly completed yet. and there
| are no pack animals here Of any con-
! sequence. l am waiting to hear from
the men we sent out before making q
move Of any kind. 1t is about AZ miles
to Lake Bennett from here.
went up the trail three miles this
morning and a pitiful sight it was to
see men tired out and foot-sore, with
( their backs raw from packing. Some
are giving it UP in despair. 1t is toe
bad. Boys, clerks. lawyers and doctors
/ all in the common horde. And now
| comes another rush on the Mexico.
\ I hope there will be plenty Of horses
on her or we are doomed to winter
here and wait till we get over snow
! They are charging II cents per pound
/ 10 the summit. 10 miles, and when a
man gets there they charge him II
cents a pound to the lake. Some have
gone out part of the way and then
come back again and gone around to
/ Dyea. Every move costs money, so
I let them all worry and just set in camp
and wait developments. We can live
for about 10 cents a day. Some are
paving 20 cents a pound to have their
| goods hauled three miles. That would
/ mean $40. Then they turn around and
paw $40 to get back, then they pay SIC
a thousand to be taken around tC
Dyea."
The steamers Rosalie and City oi
Topeka sailed for Juneau and Dyea
last night, carrying $50 and 24O Klon-
dikers respectively.
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