The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-09

Faith N the vast poSSlp4llIcs luz so0-
cessful business ventures opening up IN
the Alaska field has led Deputy Customs
Collector r. A Mcdonald for four years
al the head OF the local Office. 10 prepare
has resignation from government serv-
ice and upon its acceptance ne Will give
his undivided attention 70 the affairs or
the SeattIe-Alaskan Transportation and
Trading Company. Of which Mr.. McDon-
aid is president
The organization OF this company has
been quietly consummated within the last
two weeks IL proposes 10 build hat
bottomed steamboat for operation on the
Yukon river. and 10 charter or build a
steamship adapted to the passenger serV-
ice between Seattle and ST. Michael The
river steamer. for which plans are being
drawn, VIII be of 80 tons burden, and
will be constructed according TO the ideas
Of T. II. Beaumont. for nine years a
trader at Fort Yukon, on the Yukon river.
Beaumont was a passenger from Alaska
on the steamer Cleveland. and his long
experience on the Yukon caused his &C
QUESTION as a member OF the company
then forming 10 be highly valued.
The company has incorporated with the
following officers: President. F. A. Nc
Donald; vice president c. ]. Smith, the
wooden merchant; general manager. T. II.
Beaumont, of Fort Yukon. Alaska; secre-
tary, Frank W. Mitchell, manager OF the
Mitchell Lewis & Staver Company; treas
urer, Corwin 5. Shank.
I'VE do not expect to startle the
world" said Judge Mcdonald yesterday,
but We shall be in this business to stay,
and will try TO give a satisfaction which
Will insure our permanency. After leav-
sra-k- l..
business connected with the company.
For steamer suitable for the transporta-
ton of passengers between Seattle and ST.
Michael We Will have 10 look on the At
lantic seaboard. as nothing available on
the Pacific coast would serve the pur-
pose"
Channel of the Yukon.
The information possessed by T. H.
Beaumont in regard 10 the Yukon river
with its ever-shifting bars and uncertain
channels is the more thorough since his
introduction TO the country in 1889 was as
member of coast and geodetic sur
vey party. sent north by the government
TO survey the boundary line between
Alaska and the Northwest territory At
that time the Yukon was sounded for a
distance of 1000 miles down the river from
the mouth of Forty-Mile creek.
we went down the river with two
terday. and our frequent soundinns DEM
onstrated that the channel OF the Yukon
is clear sand. The soil Is so light that IL
! is hoated by the current TO the immense
delta at the mouth of the river. That
delta Is worse than the one at the Missis-
sippfs mouth. and it will be impossible by
the expenditure of any amount of money
to improve It. The Upper Yukon could
he dredged at great expense and a chan
M -
changing nature Of the sand banks and
the uncertainty of the depth of water are
the terrors OF Yukon river navigation
The river VIII rise at times several feet in
a few days and as suddenly Il will drop
creating new sand bars and DESTROYING
old ones. This makes 1t impossible for a
plot to read the river with certainty.
An Objective Point.
by reason of its location Fort Yukon
is an objective point with steamers on the
river. Last winter several steamers were
caught there for the winter. When thew
cannot reach Dawson City by reason OF
low water they can generally get as far
up as Fort Yukon, and from there sup
plies can be distributed I'm winter TO the
miners II supplies were plentiful at Fort
Yukon there would be no danger OF star
walton In the Klondike, as several times
the journey has been made in winter be-
tween Fort Yukon and Dawson CITY. a
distance OF $50 miles. with dog teams.
while the journey between Fort Yukon
and Circle City Is often made, requiring
but two days and one-half. The dogs
make an avera ge Of thirty miles a day on
these journeys. They could go much
faster If not hampered with freight.
AS for the reindeer proposition do not
put much faith In II. In the first place
the dogs Of the country would have to be
killed of or they would exterTnfnafe the
deer In no time. l have known the brutes
TO follow on a RENDERS trail for days at
q time. Again the reindeer moss, on
which these animals feed. grows only in
the bald spots on the mountains. miles
back from the river bank. On the bank
grows river moss, but It is not eaten by
the deer. which seek for sustenance far
back OF the timber line.
The boats now on the Yukon are with
out exception too large and Of too deep
draft TO be easily handled In such A
stream. In the future steamers win lie
made shorter and narrower and win draw
not more than two feet Of water. The
present steamers. while built TO carry 30
and 300 tons OF freight. cannot take. at a
time Of low water, more than rs tons"
First White Child.
Mr.. Beaumont Is the father Of the first
white child born or the Yukon. The rela
ton Of his personal experience as a trader
brought out a peculiar circumstance His
hair is streaked freely with white. though
he is a comparatively young man. There
is something in the climate. he said,
which so affected men with black hair.
Many instances ne cited Of young men
who went into the Yukon with hair iet
black, coming out in two years with the
black turned TO an iron gray.
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