Evening journal., 1897-08-26
EXT ROAD TO MINES.
lrvey Us Being Made For a Short
Foute to Yukon Country.
I'LL BE VERY EXPENSIVE VENTURE.
,rge Trafhe Is, However, Expected,
which WIN Undoubtedly Pay a
Handsome Income to
the Promoters.

+ Skaguay, Alaska, Aug. II, via Seattle, |
1ash., Aug Pa civil engineer Of
insau, C. Z. Garthside, and six assist
hts are now surveying the White pass
the interest Of an English syndicate,
hich intends TO run railroad from
kaguay. the entrance to the pass, to
aku arm, a distance of 6S miles, and
'ventually to the Hootalinqua river, ITO
'hiles. Il. A. Rollinghurst OF Victoria is
ne Of the principal promoters Of the
eheme. This road when completed VIII
|brm the shortest and quickest route to
ne Yukon country. and it is the inten-
ion of the company to build wharfs
nd warehouses at Skaguay. The high
st altitude of the road will be at the
ummit of the White pass, $500 feet.
he summit is about 20 miles from Ska
;uay.
The surveying party has been at work
ince July 2s and expects to have the
urvev completed in two weeks They
ire now u miles up the river. Although
he exact cost cannot yet be estimated,
t is known that the road viii cost more
Der mile than other railroads, but as the
rail is the natural outlet from the Yu
Son promoters expect to reap large re-
much at present by ingolng miners was
cut by this company with the idea Of
iiverting the travel from Dyea and the
|Chilkat trail. and they made an attempt
TO prevent professional packers from
charging more than IS cents pound.
In this, however, they We're unsuccess-
full as the rate is now 30 cents. Mr.
Garthside states that It viii be impos-
sible for more than a quarter OF the
people now on the trail TO reach the
Klondike this year.
Work to Commence In Spring.
Work on the railroad will be COM
menced> in the spring and the road to
Tahu will probably be completed in six
months from then. Skaguay Is destined
to be a large town. and should the rail-
road become an assured fact will dis
tance Juneau as an Quitting and gen
eral commercial point. Many of the
Juneau merchants have opened branch
stores here already.
The great majority of people arriving
cannot possibly get down the river this
year. and those of them who already
realize this fact are locating lots In
Skaguay and starting to build. In o
year the town will undoubtedly contain
$500 to 5000 inhabitants. The various
paths and trails leading through the
forest have been christened, and the IN
fant town has Broadway and severa
avenues. The White pass. IN its pres
ent crude condition, is practicable fol
the entire distance to Lake Bennett
and a man without a pack can go owe
it in "a hours. Pack animals can ira
verse it with a load of $50 pounds, AM
It seems to be the better trail for thos
who have brought horses with them.
For the miners who have no horse
the Chilbat pass seems preferable, as
Is impossible to hire men here to pac
outfits. The White trail has been Gu
through to Lake Bennett only about
week. and so far only very few hav
passed out Of the lower end, althoug
hundreds Of miners are camped alon
it. Frank Slavin, the pugilist, is re
ported to have been the first man [
emerge at the lake. His outfit, how
ever, was badly broken up by the pack
ers, and he refused to pay for its trans
portatlOn.