The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-13
Special Correspondence OF the Associated
Press, via 5. 5. Seattle. care Of
PoSf-lnteiligencer.

SKAGUAY. Alaska, Sept. s-'T said
II ny wrath. all mea are liars" said d.
vid. the Psalmist.
He must have been In a stampede 10
some golden Eldorado and had been in
duced 70 try some new trail ITO the prom
ised land" as some 100 people have Ia
this case.
Not being able to satisfy myself as to
the relative merit and condition of the
two trails from the contradictory reports
brought In, | determined TO make a per-
sonal examination of both trails and in
order 10 be able 10 make an intelligent re-
port. induced Charles King. OF Tacoma.
a railroad contractor. 10 accompany me
TO secure accurate elevations and slopes
on the respective trails. \ student or
Stanford university also went along with
a kodak and his appetite-the latter being
the most noticeable feature about him.
/ had been over the Skaguay trail 10
the foot OF the third hill while the tran
was closed for repairs. and was assured
that il was much the worst hill on the
trail-as ii is But when the miners voted
to throw the trail open last Monday with
out making the proposed cut-on along the
river TO save the climb over that HILL /
realized that there was bound 10 be =
blockade there in twenty-four hours thai
would practically stop travel over that
route until / could make the trip over the
Dyea trail and return, and concluded 10
so by that trail and return BY Skaguay.
Dyea inlet is a low. shelving, sandy
beach. too shallow at low tide TO allow
ocean going vessels TO land near the
shore. making il necessary 10 unload on
scows or lighters take them in some two
miles at high tide. and beach them. re-
moving the freight during low tide. A.
Dyea there IS no townsiting or hurry
burly boom" as there is at Skaguav-
Near the beach there are \ few tents
ho3H -erfr 20 a
got their goods ashore, and a little fur
ther up about 100 tents occupied by In
dian families who do packing. There Is
only one store Heely & Wilson's, an old
trading post and two saloons.
There was no evidence Of any blockade
there. Every one was either packing or
getting ready 70 start the next morning.
The price that day was g cents 10 Lake
Llnderman-a raise Of cents in one week,
and Is now 70 cents. Any one able 10 pay
the price can get his entire OUTFIT picked
up there in the morning and set.down at
Lake Linderman the next evening. Uheth-
er II is l. 600 or s 90 pounds as Heaiy & VIII
son control about all the Indians packing
there. Or you can do the packing your
self. either by horse 10 the base OF the
summit. or by your own back.
From Dvsa for one and one-haf miles
there Is a good wagon road 10 the ferry
over Chilkoot river. about 700 teet WIDE
with the current very swift ard al
charge of one-quar.er q a cent per pound
for goods and 50 cents each for passengers.
or goods can be load q on caroes and tow
Cd ana poled from Dyea for six miles Up
the river. taking a fun day TO tow loaded
boat that distance. From the ferry W is a
heavily tirnbe-ed bottom. which should be
cordu~oved, bat which Is not bad now
The timber IS spruce. cottonwood A4aShA
cedar and stunted fir One-halt mile Iur-
ther on you cross a shallow arm OF tne
river and the trail takes 70 the river oed,
gravel ard easy travelling. 70 finnegan
roint. again crossing 90 higher ground on
,ba eos. side. six miles from Dyea- Here
wa found about 80 miners camqed IL
beautiful camping place. with plenty OF
MOOD and water Parties move their outfits
from this point four miles 20 The read or
the canyon and cache il before breaking
camp. and then move on. doing the same
thing over again
Iess than &, 900 would make a good vag-
an road from pyea 20 the head of the can
Won. But one bridge would have 70 oe
buflt AT an additional cost Al the canyon
tha first nerceptihle climb begins ana the
first mud Is encountered. For distancs
~ ahClt a quarter Of 4 mile the slope i =
degrees until you reach an elevation OF -
feet. when & descen5s slightly for mile
and half "a Camp Pleasant, where the
4
b-5srpd by Heally & Wilson when rhey
controlled about all the packing going ovtT
fhe trail Lately. since travel has n
| creased 50. they have stationed A man
there 70 collect g cents head fcr the
| horses Of miners going !n 5nd 81 per head
| from professional packers. and they See Z
/ eight men az work co-duroy'ing the wcrs'
I places. 81 thar the rraH Is kept IL fairy
| eoos ro7dltson. Al Camp Pleasant 'hers
/ g. ~
| Mood and water all through the caryo
| 20 sheen camp for Al purposes. The trai
| from Camp Pleasant 70 Sheep camp :
/ saf-fw good and avera gss about 80 feef e3e-
/ walton. with 10 sharp pt1ches- sHeep
! canp * afteen miles from Dyes and ths
] character of the coIutry s5d3enlF cnanse-
| ard becomes more roagn and rocky Mot3n-
| tain torrents keep up continued n
/ There Is scarcely any SOL o. timber rom
/ ,ha-a - The summit, There were about
! 90 t-aoula camr,ed there. 0De-hs1f being
/ Y~sfen hackers and oae-saf % he rs-nal =
! 9a- professional white packer There are
/ tyvo s7-called sores ard reStaIrasls-
/ co-,Nf- ions of both-st this place They
/ ~rs-ra r cants a meal four bits for y his
kv and everything else n proportion. a1l
/ s,,~h r-azfzy We tried bo,h of them. and
/ pasa = cents for tha privilege % spread
{ frE our blankets on t1e muddy CoEF y
we're routed ouuats A. n and had 20 y a.
1 and then almost agat % get A. ire tae4'
/ ars-0 We s-arteG CT the second si&@e =
/ o. y7g4-nsy about o'cig-K. L is a s. ads
[ assent from Saeep camp 20 tae s1FafS1@t
/ over rocxs bar a fairly coed tr4lls via q
| Ga-eef We Stopped a. TIE scalea." 81
/ tha base q ths steep part q ne SUMMIT
J haa = NEh. lzzca. ard found a. aad o-l5
/ made = nile an hogr. TIE slope IRON
( sheep camp 20 Sroue House T4nEes from :
J 70 j. degrees. from stone House 20 ~
/ Scales - degrees. from me Scales ID -
/ summit y degrees. bslg Tor shor- cis-asss-
/ ABOUT Is degrees. TIE elevAt.ou az ~
Sc&las VAS - feet. and ". gained l-1s 4
sAs asxs a.-1e. beng 40 fe@- a. TIE pas