The San Francisco call., 1897-07-22
NOTED MEN
AMONG THE
ARGONAUTS
Ex-Governor McGraW of
Washington Off to
the Yukon.
GOES TO RETRIEVE HIS
FORTUNES.
With Him Will Travel Others
Equally Prominent in
the Northwest.
GENERAL EXODUS FROM CITIES
ON THE SOUND.
Additional Steam ships to Be Pu
Upon the Alaska Run With
out Delay.
With Him Will Travel Others
Equally Prominent in
the Northwest.
GENERAL EXODUS FROM CITIES
ON THE SOUND.
Additional Steam ships to Be Pu
Upon the Alaska Run With
out Delay.

| SEATTLE, WASH, July 2l.-One sur
! prising thing about the Klondyke discov-
cries is that not one single ''hard-luck"
story has yet been given out either by the
people who have already come out of the
country or in the numerous letters which
have been received here by the relatives
or friends of the 400 or SEQ Seattle men
who are now in the Klondyke country.
Letters from boys to their mothers, from
married men to their wives and from sim
gle men to their closest chums agree in
the statements as TO the marvellous wealth
which has been found. There is one pecu-
liarity which appears in each OF dozen
| or more of letters which have been seen
by THE CALL correspondent. With some
slight changes in diction the first sentence
in each of these letters is substantially:
81 am frald you will not believe what
am going to tell you"
Whatever 1ncredulity there was at first
as to the ma agnitude of the discovery-and
there were few doubling Thomases-has
com pleteiy passed away, and the excite
ment, instead of dying down, is on The in
crease. From all parts of this State peo-
pie are focking into Seattle 10 take pas
sage for the Klondyke Trading COM
panies are being organized to carry in
| goods, and several new transportation
companies will take the field. Every
steamer which can safely make the trip
to Dyea is being put into commission.
| The steamer Portland, which leaves to-
morrow for ST. Michaels, takes 125 passen-
gers, the full limit allowed by law, and is
loaded almost to the danger limit with
provisions. Among her passengers will
be Ex-Governor John II. McGraw. Gov
ernor McGraw was for many years presi-
dent of the First National Bank OF this
city and was Governor of the State for
four years ending last January. Had the
Republicans succeeded in capturing the
Legislature at the election last November
Governor McGraw would have been
elected United States Senator to succeed
Watson C. Squres. As it is, he goes into
the Klondyke to retrieve the fortune
which he has lost during the last few
years of Gepre ssion. He goes on the
strength of private advices which he has
received fr ON several warm friends who
are in the new gold region.
| General M. E. Carr, formerly brigadier-
general OF the State militia, and whose
| law practice is one of the largest in the
State. is also passenger on the Portland.
| General Carr knows very well what he has
| to meet, for he descended the Yukon
| from its source to its mouth twenty years
ago as one of party of Government ex-
| plorers.
Ca ptain A. J. Ballet, at one time one of
YaIe's greatest oarsmen and football
players, is among the gold-seekers he
also leaving a handsome law practice.
The 400 will lose some of their choicest
ornaments, and the tennis clubs of the
city will also be sadly crippled as an i'm
mediate rush of the craze.
The steamship Queen sails on Friday
for Juneau and Dyea. She will carry about
$50 men. The Mexico sails on Sunday. Al
most all the accom- modations on board
the Mexico have been taken. Accommo-
dations for horses have been oVersold, SO
that there will be some persons sadly dis
appointed. The Topeka sails on July %,
and the Al.Ki on August 2. OF the steam
ers named all except the Portland are for
Dyea Inlet, and they constitute the regu-
lar vessels which have been plying to that
port.
The Sound steamer City of Seattle,
which has accomm dations for $50 first
class pa ssengers. is to be fitted up at
once anu Will Do III COmulSsiOu WlLulu
two weeks. In addition to this the
steamer Islander will leave from Victoria
on the 28th with passengers from that
place and some from the Sound who have
failed to secure passage on the regular line
steamers from this point.
Large mum Der of horses aIe being taken
north. During the past year great deal
of work has been done on the various
passes leading over the Yukon from Dyea,
and horses have taken tke place OF In
dians as PACK animals. The White Pass
route is commended by outcoming
Yukoners as especially easy for pack
animals. although the trail crosses creeks
which are so deep that it is not possible
to drive sheep over that route.
The river will, if the winter is an ordi-
nary one Keep open until about the mid
die of Septem Der, after which time it 10
not likely the boats Will be able 10 make
the trip down 10 Dawson City. From that
time on what provisions are carried down
| the river will be taken by the dog teams
or on land sleds, and dog teams are scarce.
AS far as travel over the passes Is con-
cerned. il is better in winter than in sum-
mer TN TO the present time the majority
| of the men who have gone into the Yukon
1 have made 1t q point to go up in The earlv
| snrino while the snow is on the ground.
| They are thus enabled to haul their OUTFIT
over the passes On sleds, with an oc-
casioual doub bling OF the trail where it 10
| very steep. In two or three trips across