St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-09-03
HOW TO REACH KLONDIKE.
The Routes and Cost OF Each Of Them. Outfit
Necessary for the Perous Journey.

The Routes and Cost OF Each of Them. Outfit I
Necessary for the Perious Journey. ,
Especial Correspondence of the CALEDoNIAN) 3
Letters still keep coming in from all s
parts OF the United States, Canada and
Europe, all asking about Klondike.
People want to know when to 60 to
Klondike.
They want to know how to get there.
They want to know what it will cost.
Nobody wants to know how to get
back from Klondke or how mucn money
will be made there. They all expect to
get rich and they will not begin to think
about getting back until the shoepinches.
In the first place, no matter how much
gold comes out of Klondike this season,
don't go there until spring. Simply
make up your mind to play waiting
game. Don't go till spring. And don't
90 at all unless you can stand hard
mountain tramp. OF course if you have
plenty of money and can afford to pay |
your way regardless of expense, you can
go anywhere, any time. with more or
less comfort. But the ordinary man who |
expects to get his share of the Klondike
nuggets and who does not propose to
spend one fortune making another should
begin calculating right now and keep 1t
up, without changing his base of opera
tions, for about four months.
When four months rolls around it will
be about New Years and the Klondikers
should then begin to get into marching
trim. February 18th is early enough to
start over the mountain passes back OF
Dyea and Skagway, in Alaska. 1t will
be good Shedding then and half ton out
FIT can be hauled over the mountains
without much trouble. To go to klon-
dixie via the Yukon river would bring
the gold seekers to the diggings pretty
late in the season. Those who cut ex-
. penses will 20 over the mountain passes.
, Those who have plenty Of time and wish
, to see the country can go aboard
r steamer here and ride in ease and com
e fort to St. Michaels and then go up the
river to Dawson City and the Klondike
s district.
S BY the way how far is it from Tacoma
e to St. Michaes?
S How far is it from Tacoma to Dawson
d To either point is much longer jour
l. ney than to Europe. ST. Michaelis 2,ooC
= miles from Tacoma and klondlkeis l, fol
IS miles from St. Michaels. Before this sea
e son there has been but three or lou
)i steamers that reached St. Michaels eacl
It summer. Now the Klondike excitemen
d is bringing many new lines into servic
is and last week six steamers were headed
L. for St. Michaels at one time. Thes
ocean steamers have barges and rive
s. steamers in tow, which will be used OF
G. the Yukon river next summer. lhey WI
a. bring down from Klondike the luck
" miners Who wish to return home to civil
ization il by that time some enterprisln
Yankee has not built an electric rallwa
10 or tramway of some kind over the mour
Ii. tain route which is much less than ha
it. the distance from Tacoma, being 1,55
i'll miles over the Dyea, Chi'coot and WHIT
O. masses and so miles longer over tn
L. Ck.ol,aa,, =, yer rnute
Is. Today hundreds of hardy men wit
an blistered feet and aching bodies are toi
We ing over these passes. A few OF them WI
ms reach Dawson City this fall but most
,ss them will not make much progress unit
tv. the snow comes. And yet, with the'
ms conditions known to people now on tt
hit. mountain passes and trails, many go
ore seekers are still going north. They ma
be- made all their arrangements to go ar
te- they are going With them it is klo
she dixie right away, quick, or bust MO
it's of them will bust so far as getting I'M
its the new diggings this year is concerne
lie. Those who wait until the beginning
TO 1898 and start with fresh stock
his provisions and supplies will get to Da'
ian son City as quick as many who are on
md Just starting now.
one AT present the mountain passes are
in most impossible. Heretofore only
and comparative lew people went over the
yes. They went during February and Mar
the and on top of the snow. They MADE
re- trail worthy of the name and now, all
a sudden, three or tour thousand peo1
trv to wedge through the mount'
ave passes at once and, Of course they
lure elogged and damned. That would be
not case even though the trails were IN 20
,ou condition. BY next spring, however,
.,ce masses will be in fair shape and those W
har wait until next spring will have 9the