The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-10-08
NEWSY BUDGET FROM KLONDIKE.
Shelton Party Leaves Lake Bennett.
Sept. 10, And Are Safely at Daw-
son by this time.
LAKE BENNETT, Sept. II, 1897.

letter. Four of our party came TO
Skaguay on the Alki, and arrived
there five days ahead Of us that came
on the Willamette. These four are
Chas. and John Kinney, John Morgan
and Jos. Crockford. The balance OF
Todd, Stanhope, Math-
ews, Vilburn, Spencer, Sheldon and
myself arrived on the thirteenth day
of August. We did not get our sup
plies from the steamer until the 18th,
so tomorrow we shall have been one
month on the trail, and tomorrow our
last load of supplies will be here.
For the benefit of any who think we
have been letting the grass grow und-
er our feet, let me inform them that
not single party who came in on the
same steamer with us has yet reached
the lake, in fact, we have even out
stripped most of those who were here
two and three weeks anead of as. We
have been working every day in sun
shine, rain, hail, sleet and snow from
3 O'Clock in the morning until dark at
night.
While the rest of us have been on
the trail, Chas. Kinney and Jos. Math-
ews, have been here on Lake Bennett
building two large skif-shaped boats
26 feet long, A feet wide on the bot
tom, and 7 feet wide ON top. Each
is capable of holding 5 or 6 tons, but
will be loaded with about one-half
that amount each. The boats are
completed, oars made, and sails rugged
and we are all proud of them for they
are the strongest and best built boats
TO be seen on the lake. One OF our
boats has already been the means OF
saving life. A fellow started down
the Lake this afternoon in a boat built
on the lines of coffin and very little
larger he had his Yukon clothes and
his years supplies tied neatly up in a
handkerchief and when he got about a
mile away he turned over. A few OF
the boys manned a boat in short order
and soon had him aboard. Several
boats started to the rescue, among
them, one manned correspondent SEQ
vel of the N. Y. World, but our boys
headed by VIM. Shorter were too quick
for them.
The Skaguay or White Trail is about
45 or so miles long over mountains,
down gulches, across rivers and
through mud. There are five bad
hills to come over before reaching the
summit, so steep and slippery are the
rocks that nothing but a mountain
goat is sure of his footing. Dozens
of horses are killed every day on the
trail. No horse will last over 80 days
on the trail. Our horses have had the
best care and management of any
horses on the trail, we have lost fewer
horses in proportion to the size of oul
outfit than any outfit on the trail anC
our horses are in better condition. thar
any that have been on the trail the
same length OF time, yet if our horses
had five days more work to do they
would not stand it. They are simply
worn out, all of them.
1t takes three times as long ano
three times the work to get over thu
!, White Trail as it does over the DYES
Trail. Anyone coming into the Yu
kon overland should by all means g
by way OF Dyea. A few boomers O
town lots in Skaguay have made tn,
Skaguay trail bicycle path-in thu
newspapers. AS far as the grass il
concerned there is here and there .
little bunch but not enough to keep {
grasshopper alive. When we LANDED
at Skaguay horses were selling at 500
and now you can buy them for $25
Horses shoes wear out on the trail il
IA days. 1t costs 81 to have hors
, shod in Skaguay, Sc four miles above
and $40 about 16 miles out on tn
trail.
At this point (Lake Bennett) oats
$5O per sack; flour the same. Pitch
: oakum and nails are $3.50 per pound
Beef 90 cents per pound. Boats $500
;; to $500, and lumber so cents per foot
The boys who were building the boat
! had few feet of Gull lumber left an
cleared up $50 on it at 40 cents a foo,
OF course these prices will not prevail
: after this fall an account of the oppc
sition there will be in all lines of bus
: ness.
Before forget it let me state tina
Bert Sheldon and Fent Spencer ar
, going down the river with us. We es
: pect to sail on the 10Th, which i
. Shorter's 18th birthday, and on tina
D account expect to have a christenin
OF the boats although the necessar
/ liquid costs 500 per gallon.
az Including Sheldon and Spence,