The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-26
RAILROAD LINE
TO THE KLONDYKE
Engineers at Work Surveying the Rocky
Mountain Passes.
AN ENGLISH SYNDICATE
Evolved The Idea .and Will Build the
Iron Highway.
SHORT TRAIL CUT THROUGH A PASS
Is Crowded With Prospectors impossible For
Many to Reach KIondyke This Year
Tons Of Gold Are Ex-
pected Today.

Skaguay, Alaska, Aug. II. Tia SEATTLE
Wash, Aug. 5.-A civil engineer of Ju-
neau, c. E. Garthside, and six assistants
are now surveying the White Pass in the
interest of an English syndicate, (which
intends to run railroad from Skaguay,
the entrance to the pass, to 'Taku Arm,
a distance of 68 miles, and eventually to
the Holttalinqua river, ITO miles.
E. A. Sellinghurst of Victoria is one of
the principal promoters of the schesne.
This railroad, when completed, will form
the shortest and quickest route to the Yu-
kon country, ard it is the ntzntion q
the company to build wharves and ware
houses at Skaguay Bay. The highest al
titude of the road will be at the summit
of the White Pass, $4,000 feet. The sum-
nit is about twenty miles from Skaguay.
The surveying party has been at work
since July Is and expect to have the
survey completed in two weeks. They
are now twelve miles up the river. AL
though the exact cost can not be estma-
hot xxyi1J acf
more per mile than other railroads. but,
s. the trail is the natural outlet from the
Yukon, the promoters expect to reap
large returns. The present trail over the
pass, used SO much at present by ingoing
miners, was cut by this company with the
idea of divertng the travel from Dyea
and the ChiIcoot trail, and thay made an
attempt to prevent professional packers
from charging more than Is cents a
pound. In this, however. they were un-
successful as the rate is now 80 cents.
Mr.. Garthssde says it will be impos ible
for more than one-quarter of the people
now on the trail to reach the Klondyke
this year Work on the railroad will bs
commenced this spring ard the road to
Taku will probably be completed within
six months from then. Skaguay is das-
tined to be a large town, and should the
railroad bs an assured fact will distancs
Jur,eau as an outfitting and general COM
mercial point. Many of the Juneau dner-
chants have opened branch stores here al
ready. The great majority of people ar
irving here can not possibly get down the
river this year. and those of tham who
realize this are locating at Skaguay and
proceeding to build. The various paths
leading through the forests are being
crowded. The White Pass in it's crude
form. is the practical trail to Lake Ben
nett. and man without a pack can go
over it in "a hours. Pack animals can
traverse 1t with a load of $50 pounds and
it seems to be the better trail for those
who have brought horses with them. For
those without horses the Chilcoot Pass
seer9s preferable for it seems to be inn
possible to hire men to do packing here.
Tflei#rail to Lake Bennett has been cut
only week and but few have passed
over. it, yet many are camped along 1t.
Frank Slavin, the pugilfst, is reported to
nave been the first man to emerge at the
4akeseni. His outfit, however, was badly
broken up by packers and he refused to
, pay for its transportation. ~ r.