The record-union., 1897-07-30

pany's steamers (Pacific Coast Steam
ship Company, sailing from San Fran
cisco every firth day and transferring
TO the Alaska steamers at Puget Sound
ports. These steamers run as often as
every fifth day, and since the recent
mining excitement the company has
been dispatching steamers still more
frequently. In addition to the steamers
leaving San Francisco and Puget Sound
ports for Alaska, the company also op-
crates the steamer George w. Elder
from Portland Or, running directly
from there to Alaskan ports mot calling
at either Puget Sound ports or ports in
British Columbia). This steamer sails
from Portland July Both, and it is eX-
pected she will sail again about the
18th or 10Th of August and probably
about every fourteen days thereafter
until further notice.
All of these steamers stop at Juneau;
some of them go up as far as Dyea,
which is the head of ocean navigation.
The passage from Puget Sound north is
exceedingly smooth, as it is all inland
navigation.
From Dyea the route is over Chilkoot
Pass, a distance of twenty-five miles to
Lake Lindermann, the same being the
headwaters Of the Yukon watershed.
From Lake Lindermann by a system CT
connecting rivers and lakes, doWA
stream to the Clondyke gold fields, dis
tant between 800 and 600 miles. Total
distance by the route from San Fran
cisco about 1900 miles, from Seattle
about / 600 miles.
There is no wharf at Dyea. The tide
rises and falls about twentythree feet,
the beach is long and fiat, so that at
high tide it is covered for distance of
probably a mile inland from where the
steamer anchors. Hence the landing Of
passengers and freight is slow and
tedious, as it has to be done in the
ships boats. The steamship company'S 5
responsibility ends at anchorage, but il
nevertheless uses its boats and crew
helping passengers and their outfits
and freight ashore. Horses and cat
tie have to swim ashore.
The present rush to the mines is SO
great that some difficulty may be expe-
rienced in getting packers to take goods
over the pass. However, parties are
taking up lots of horses, mules and
JULIUS, anu IL Is lIlOIt lIldII likely ludl
where there is such a demand that it
will be promptly met. When the writer
was at the summit last spring, Archie
Burns was rigging a wire cable to con-
vey goods over the very steep grade of
the summit, about /, 100 feet. The
charge al that time for packing from
Dyea over the summit to Lake Linder-
mann was to cents per pound, but
at that time it was easy shedding over
snow. Now that the snow has disap
peared, goods must be packed either on
animals or mems backs. Hence the
charge will doubtless be higher, as the
work is slower and more difficult
The present rates of fare (Which are
not guaranteed for any particular
length of time, as the fare from San
Francisco to Puget Sound is at pres
ent "cut" from $15 and 81 30 to $S and
sd are as follows, including berth and
meals:
From San Francisco to Juneau first
class, $40; second class, sol From San
Francisco to Dyea, first class, S4S; sec
ond class, 500.
The time occupied in making the run
is ordinarily, from San Francisco to Ju-
neau, eight to nine days; from Puget
Sound or Portland, five or six days.
There is no trouble in purchasing
supplies at the lowest figure and under
the most favorable conditions. in Ju-
neau, in case parties conclude after
reaching there to take a supply across
| the Divide. The best time to take
stores into the Yukon via of Juneau
and Dyea is in the spring, about
March or April. There is no trouble,
| however, in parties making the trip
| in the summer time but we advise
| against undertaking it from October
to February.
The recent news published in the dali
ly press regarding the wonderful rich
ness of the diggings at the Clondyke
is substantially correct Doubtless
there has been more or less exaggera-
ton, but it is safe to say that the
mines are among the richest ever dis
covered
Ordinary wages paid to miners range
from so to So per day, according to
latest accounts.
We are Of the opinion that there will
be sufficient food supplies to last over
the winter, and hence there will be no
serious danger from suffering on that
account. OF course, this will not be the
! case if people rush in there in unlim-
tied numbers.