The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-26

One of tho Returning Passengers Left
a Friend at Dawson who Has Sew
ernl Buckets OF Gold, But Has n Very
Meager Food supply.
Seattle Wash, Aug. 26.-The steamer
Willamette pulled into the Ocean dock
from Alaska yesterday. carrying as
passengers J. W. Virgin, J. II. Wcbber
W. H. Hockaday, c. II. J. Wiseman
A. Bell and Arthur Needham. The Will
lamette left Skaguay Thursday Aug
10, Juneau Friday. and Sitka Satur-
day morning She brought down nc
gold, although $4,000 was offered by a
party of four men who had eyossed
overland from Dawson city, leaving
there Sunday, July 4. These men,
however, only wanted to come as far
as Juneau, where they expected to
winter, and as the purser was not sure
at the time the gold was offered that
the boat would stop at Juneau he de-
clined to take 1t on board. They re-
ported that provisions at Dawson are
growing very short. One of them said
that he had a friend who had several
buckets of gold, but was living on two
spoonfuls of beans and a piece of
bacon as large as his hand per day.
The officers Of the Willamette en-
phatically deny the story that anyone
was put in irons on the up trip. The
story originated, they say, from the
fact that a refractory stowaway from
Tacoma was put in irons between Seat
tie and Tacoma before the boat left
for Skaguay.
Thomas Stanton, of Seattle, was one
of the returning passengers of the
steamer. He went north to Join a
Seattle party that left on the Mexico.
The others had taken his outfit with
them, and he proposed to meet them
on the trail The steamer was so much
delayed in starting that Stanton ar
rived too late, and decided to wait
until spring before going to the Yukon
He says
1T is a shame the way the Skaguay
trail has been advertised, as every day
proves 1t to be more and more imprac-
ticable.. 1 went over the trail as far as
Porcupine river, and that was all ]
wanted, although did not have a pack
to speak of. Dead horses can be seen
all along the trail, while many others
are so badly skinned up and bruised
that they are fit for nothing. Foot
sore men and others with strained
backs are common, especially among
the men who went up with the inten-
ton of packing for wages. The biggest
crowd of prospective Klondikers is to
be found camped along the trail all the
way from the bay to the summit l
think very few men will get through
this year.
tO.rar Torro,, t1,,,S .o.,....- - ....-.-
little trouble. The trail is much sleeper.
but horses do not get up to their necks
in mud and slush. Many men are go
ing over to go the other way. Things
are very lively at the town and on the
bay just now. At first it was all tents,
but frame buildings are rapidly going
up. Next week a sawmill will be in
operation. Men are already at worl;
getting out lumber for the new mill
at good wages Six stores carrying
stocks of mixed goods have started up
and are doing very we'll"
A letter brought by the Willamette
from Skaguay, Alaska, says: A civil
engineer of Juneau, c. q. Garthside,
and six assistants are now surveying
the White pass in the interest of an
English syndicate, which intends to
run a railroad from Skaguay, the en-
trance to the pass to Taku Arm, dis
tance of 68 miles, and eventually to the
HOotalinqua river ITO miles. This
road, when completed, will form the
shortest and quickest route to the Yu-
kon country, and it is the intention Of
the company to build wharves and
warehouses at SHaguay. The highest
altitude of the road will be at the sum
NIT of the White pass, 10000 feet The
summit is about 20 miles from Skaguay.
Work on the railroad will be commence
ed in the spring, and the road to Talu
will probably be completed in six
months from then.
The great majority of people arrv-
ing cannot possib4S get down the river
this year, and those of them who al
ready realize this fact are locating lots
In Skaguay and starting to build. In a
year the town win undoubtedly con-
tain $500 to 5000 inhabitants. The va
Tious paths and trails. leading through
the forest have been christened and
the infant town has Broadway and
several avenues. The White pass, in
It's present crude condition, is practi-
cable for the entire distance to Lake
Bennett, and a man without a pack
can go over 1t in "a hours. Pack ami
mails can traverse It with load of $50
pounds, and It seems to be the better
trail for those who have brought horses
with them. For the miners who have
no horses the Chilkoot pass seems pref
cradle, as it is impossible to hire men
bars fo