The record-union., 1897-08-26

fur cap was reported stolen on the way
to Skaguay, but both articles were
found afterward. A set of false teeth
was also swept out by the men who were
cleaning up on the return trip.
The damage done to the goods by the
horses amounted TO $50, which amount
the purser paid to the committee" be-
fore leaving Skaguay. The horses were
unloaded on the wharf at Skaguay, with
only the loss of one animal. This horse
was accidentally pushed into the sea
1t had just been brought out of the
steamers deck. where it was very
warm. The cold water at once chilled
It through. and it soon sank in the icy
water.
Another accident occurred while the
unloading was in progress. Fred Laf-
ferty, one of the crew. was knocked in
the water by the bungling work of one
of the sailors who was handling the
tackle. There was great excitement for
a minute, and the icy water almost
paralyzed Lafferty. A rope was thrown
him, however, as quickly as it could be
procured. and he was hauled out. \
small amount of supplies belonging to
the miners was also lost overheard.
The city of Skaguay is described as a
place Of 5000 people. For five miles
up the trail there are tents all along
on both sides, but a greater share Of the
people have never been any distance
at all up the trail. Rain and mud and
discomfort and confusion prevail every
where. The men have a severe respect
for the Vigilance Committee, but they
oIO
comes to working on the trail. Build
ings are going up rapidly, and stores
and saloons are opening every day
The first dancehouse and saloon was
opened while the Willamette was in
port 1t is run by Billy Chapman, form
erly of Juneau He took up a piano,
and the opening was celebrated with
a grand free dance. Chapman took in
81. $40 the first hour that the dance
house was open for drinks, and the
venture had not been very well adver-
tised, either. On the outside of the
dance hall is a tree upon which several
significant notices are posted, and from
a. limb of which bangles a new One-inch
rore with a moose. This was out there
by the Vigilance Committee, and it is
more effective than a hundred volumes
of statutes against crime. The notices
read: Free dance tonight Packers
wanted on the trail-applv to Mack &
Co.. Saddle horses wanted-no cheap
hat racks
There are many restaurants at Skag-
uay, but the fare is poor.
While the unloading Of the william
cite was in progress an exciting incident
Of
the Willamette were fed fresh beef
every day on their trip up, and at
Skaguay about thirty men from ashore
We're employed to help unload They
took the places of the men who had
quit, and they heard that the fare
aboard the Willamette was fresh beef.
About that time the steward ordered a
change OF diet on the boat to pork and
beans This was a change for the
crew, but it was decidedly distasteful
to the new men, who had been living
on those succulent dishes for several
weeks. They thought that they had
been deliberately abused, and they
grumbied among themselves. Finding
sympathy in talking over the trouble,
one bold fellow after dinner, when the
crew had just eaten, and before they
had resumed work. mounted the hurri-
cane deck of the steamer, and drawing
his revolver and f1ourishing it in the
air. announced that the next meal
would contain a liberal supply of fresh
meat, or there would be a. young grave
yard started. No one seemed to take
this announcement very seriously, and
at the next meal the bold bad man
scrambled into the mess of pork and
beans as nee1ly as the others.
According to some accounts the ter
rors of the Skaguay trail seem to have
been only half related Thomas STAN
ton. who came on the boat, was sur
rounded by throng of eager listeners
as soon as she touched the wharf He
says one of his friends had stopped
at Sl1aguay and was packing. An ac-
quaintance in the crowd asked what
the man left up north was doing. "Oh,
playing horse" replied the disappoint-
ed passengers. and then went on:
The Skaguay trail is the worst
place you ever saw. There is one place
that the greenhorns don't seem to know
about. They pile a pack on a horse,
and when the horse gets to this bad
place the pack hits against the rocks,
and, of course, makes the horse step
out ID keep his balance. Down goes
his feet and over goes the horse I
saw one mule turn three complete
somersaults, and the owner never went
after his pack or anything
Purser H w. Skinner of the william
cite says that only one-tenth of the
miners now at Skaguay and Dyea will
get over the passes, but that if they do
not it Will not be because the two
passes are not in condition for travel.
Men of skill. who are accustomed to
mountain climbing, have not made a
failure of sending horses over the d.
vide
SURVEYING FOR A RAILROAD
SKAGUAY (Alaska), Aug II, via Sc
attic. Wash, Aug. 25.-Civn engineers
of Juneau-C. E. Garthside and six as
sistants-are now surveying the White
Pass in the interest of an English syn
dicate which intends to build a rail-
road from Skaguay, the entrance of
the pass, to Taku Arm, a distance of
sixty eight miles, and eventually to the
Hootalinqua River, 10 miles. E A.
Rellinghurst of Victoria is one of the
principal promoters of the scheme.
This road when completed will form
the shortest and quickest route to the
Yukon country, and it is the intention
of the company to build wharves and
warehouses at Skaguay. The highest
altitude of the road will be at the sum-
nit of the White Pass, 26, 600 feet. The
summit is about twenty miles from
Skaguay. The surveying party has
been at work since July 2Sth, and ex-
poets to have the survey completed in
two weeks. They are now twelve miles
up the river.