The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-10-22
.s|5O,0OO FOOD EXPEDITION.
Will Leave on the Bark Col
orado for Dawson City.
TO REACH THERE lNTHE SPRING
From Pyramid Harbor the Journey Will
Begin Overland-Expect to Sell Food
to the Starving Miners.

DeSlh oVerlanu-EXpecb TO Seu oOu
to the Starving Miners.
Seattle, Oct. 21.-An expedition left
here today for Alaska which far sur
passes in magnitude and daring any of
the numerous Klondike expeditions
that have gone out of this city and
Sound ports since the rush North be-
gan.
The expedition is composed of so
men and 500 pack animals. They ex-
pect to reach Dawson City on or about
January l, with 200 tons of provisions,
which will be sold to the reported half
starved miners at prices that will make
it worth the while of the promoters to
send in such an expensive expedition.
Colonel Nathan Smith, of British
Columbia, is backing the enterprise,
having interested Eastern capital in
his daring scheme of bringing in food
to the miners, who will, if accounts
are true, be very much in need of some
thing to eat. John E. Cameron, also
of British Columbia, will go with the
party and superintend the work.
The main expedition will leave on
the old bark Colorado, the recent ad-
dition to the II oet of the Washington &
Alaska Steamship Company. The
vessel has been chartered for the trip
to Pyramid harbor, where the overland
journey begins The Colorado will be
towed north by the tug Pioneer.
The steamer City of Seattle took
about 80 men, who are to go into Daw-
son with the expedition. They will be
landed at Pyramid harbor with their
personal baggage and will there await
the arrival of the Colorado.
The Colorado's cargo will consist of
500 cattle and horses and about 200
tons of provisions. 1t is on the latter
that the profits of the expedition, if
there are any, will be made. An es-
pecially large quantity of smoked meats
is being taken in, as we'll as other
things of which there is known
shortage at Dawson.
From Pyramid harbor the expedition
will follow the old Jack Dalton trail to
the Yukon river, which will be reached
several hundred miles above Dawson.
They expect to complete the journey on
the ice, and if all goes we'll to arrive at
Dawson about January l. They go
prepared to spend the winter on the
snow fields if they find they cannot get
to the river, and in case they have to
do SO will push on as early as possible
in the spring. Several hundred sleds
are now being made for the horses and
oxen. Special dog sleds have been or
'dered from ST. Paul. The expedition
will start out with so large dogs, 800
horses and $50 work oxen. Several
members of the expedition, including
Seattle horsemen, have been engaged
for the past few weeks rounding up the
large number of range horses necessary
on Eastern Washington ranges. Small
and hardened cayuses, which are well
adapted to the extreme cold of the
North, are being purchased. A mum
ber have already been corraled and the
remainder will arrive in time to go up
on the Colorado. The work oxen are
being purchased in the logging camps
on the Sound. Fully $4,000 will be
the cost of the expedition complete and
laid down at Dawson City.
There has been great deal of diff
Guilty in finding men with nerve enough
to undertake the trip, which will pos
sibly cost them their lives. Smith will
only permit men of experience to go on
the expedition, and has at last secured
so miners, cowboys, horse herders and
mountaineers who are willing to take
the greatest possible risks.
The men are not being offered for
tunes to cast their lot with the rest.
They are guaranteed $50 month for
their time between here and Dawson
City, and their provisions while ON the
road. Their outfit is furnished by
Smith.
The risks taken by this party are
certainly very great, and there are
many old Yukoners who say there is
no possibility of their getting near
Dawson. 1t is considered dangerous to
drive cattle across the Dalton trail in
midsummer, when there is plenty of
grass and an open river at the end of
the journey, instead of an impossible
sheet of ice. The animals will have to
carry their own feed as we'll as the
stock of provisions that are to pay for
all this if they can be transported to
Dawson. 1t is something that has
never been attempted before. and the
tate of the expedition win be watched
with great interest.
The Colorado was built in Boston in
1864. She has since been rebuilt, and
is 9S3 tons burden. The vessel will be
in charge of Captain E. S. Morine on
the northern trip.
Purchasers Must Pay the Tax.
Laramie, Wyo., Oct 21.-C. T.
Wopflapl lonJ ooonf nf tho Tpiop Do