The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-10-28

SIMMONS GAINS 3 DAYS ON THE LAKE
By Joining a New Party-They Fin.
ished Packing I'm a Foot of snow
win the Thermometer at Zero.
Some Goods stolen.
LAKE BENNKT, NORTHWEST TER. I
October 10th, 1897

1 ~
October 10th, 1879
Mr.. Phil Otter, North Yakima, Wn.
FRIEND PHIL: l suppose all of you
have come to the conclusion that l am
forgetful oil my duties. But this is not
the case. intended to write to you
when l got to Skaguay Bay, but really
had not much to write at that time so |
thought would wait couple of weeks
and write to you from Lake Bennett and
give you the whole history in one volume
But those two weeks have been drawn
out to nearly two months now and at last
we are at Lake Bennett, little the worse
for wear and tear. But we got here with
our goods healthy and hopdful as ever.
| To say the least Of the trip it has been a
terror from start to finish. We left Sc.
attic the 4th Of August and reached Skag-
nav Bay Aug. 18th. After getting to
Skaguay 1t took us several days to get our
goods, horses and feed from the boat so
we did not get started on the trail till
| about the 20 OF August. Since the Goth
of August We have gone through great
experience. To say the least of the trail,
it 10 the worst ever saw and have been
| in the mountoins a great deal.
The country is practically standing on
end, nothing level anywhere excepting
the bay and lakes. and even the lake is
not level just now by any means. There
Is no soil here at all; little decayed
vegetable matter in the crevices of the
rocks is about all one can find along the
Skaguay trail or Whites Pass as it is
called. There we're perhaps $50 or 300
horses working on the trail when we first
came. But when the "Willamette" and
our boat, the Geo. E. Starr" and few
other boats came in there were at one
time 1000 horses put on the trail.
To make things worse it started in
raining about the time we got on the trail
and has been raining and showing ever
since which made things very bad.
Most all of those horses vonld pass
over the same trail twice day, as every
body seemed to favor packing on short
hauls, that is go far enough so they could
get back to camp the same day. OF
course all those horses put the trail in
a terrible condition.
All the rock is granite and is very
sharp. An ordinary pair OF rubber boots
without leather sole and nails would only
last three or four days until the sole
| would be worn through. So we did not
bother with rubber boots very much.
But put on ordinary shoes and tied sacks
or canvas around our legs and went it
taking chances drying out again when
We got to camp. Our wet socks We gen.
orally kept on over night 80 as to be sure
to have them dry in the morning But
for all that we feel well. and if anything
are getting heshy.
went in with Jungst and Norby and
the three of us are working together. We
came on the same boat and If possible
will stay together all winter.
In Skaguay Mcdaniel and Miller came
in with US, 80 there are FIVE Of ns now.
We will stay together until we get to
Stewart river and there we will most like
ly stop for the winter and prospect. The
five OF US have now had in all % horses
and killed Is out of the %. That will
give you some idea of how hard the trail
is. The carrying of horse feed was one
OF the hardest things We had to do. We
have carried more than two tons OF feed
over this trail without what we fed at
Skaguay. We bought some oats at this
end OF the line and paid % cents pound
for them and that was cheap.
Packers have been charging rs cents a
pound for some time for freighting from
Sksguay to the lake but | don't think
person could get any freighting done for
that now. There was over a foot OF snow
for quite q while and the thermometer
registered zero for several days, but it
thawed up again and was nice for nearly
a week. Since yesterday it has been
raining again and very stormy. Our
boat is ready today and If everything is
favorable We will sail tomorrow. We
have fine and very strong boat. Char
ley Thompson may 90 with us if the boat
can easily carry him and his outfit. 1t
will carry four ton.
/ bad to stop writing last night on &C.
count Of company. Milroy came in and
some Of the Ellensburg boys. Cameron
and Milroy will have their goods at the
lake in two more days If everything is
favorable. Then they will have to build
boat and that will take them over
week. The Ellensburg outfit will have
their goods here soon. but they have no
boats yet. Simmons sailed a few days
ago. He left bis party and went with
Jimmie Nsgsn. ex-sheriff Of Snohomish
county. The Ellensburg boys don't seem
to feel very good over his leaving the
party the way he did. But know moth
ing OF the matter.
Today is nice again. We are already
to sail and have every prospect Of getting