The record-union., 1897-08-17

the Gold Regions-The Majority
of the People Now En- Route
Will Not Reach the Fields Be-
fore Spring.
SAN FRANCISCO. Aug. 16.-Thomas
Magee, well known as a conservative
business man and a careful observer,
who accompanied his son to Dyea,
writes 10 the Associated Press from
that point to the effect that the igno-
rance displayed by the crowds who are
nocking to the Klondike fields is la
mentable. OF the 400 passengers who
sailed with him on board the steamer
George W. Elder, half of whom We're
from San Francisco, not one in twenty
had any definite information as TO how
to reach his destination While the
routes We're well known, the details and
conditions to be met with were not con-
sidered; most of the searchers for
wealth hoping to settle all doubts and
uncertainties when they reached Ju-
neau. Instead, however. further con-
fusion was created by the appalling
statements that there We're only two
routes. each Of which necessitated the
encounter Of apparently insurmounta-
BILE difficulties. There were plenty OF
advocates for both routes at Juenau
but most of them were found to be in
terested parties. The two starting
points, Dyea and Skaguay, are separat-
ed by four miles Of salt water
The Dyea trail goes over the Chill
kat Pass, which involves a climb OF
$500 feet, while the other, which is not
yet completed. has a 300 foot clint
over the White Pass, and besides being
six miles longer, is boggy in places. The
Indians. who are the sole packers, al
pack over the Chilkat Pass from Dyea
Nearly 800 pack animals are now en-
route, and on arrival viii be organized
into regular pack trains. which will re-
move the chief obstacle for the trans
port of supplies over the thirty-five
miles Of land is much more formidable
than that over the go miles OF water
on the other side of the pass.
On August 7th a miner was drowned
while packing his goods over a foot log
about q mile and a half from Skaguay
A teamster charged ten dollars for
bringing the corpse into town, and this
so enraged the people that he was or
dered to leave town at once. He was
offered $1,000 for his wagon and team
before he left for Juneau.
STAY AWAY.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug left you
want to do a service to humanity, for
Gods sake advise men and women tc
stay away frols Dyea and Skaguay
The day 1 left Dyea there We're three
funerals. Two were those of young
men who had attempted to cross the
Dyea River. The last funeral was that
OF a young man who had reached the
summit of Chilkoot Pass. He was en-
tirely out of provisions and, goaded Il
desperation by the pangs of starvation
ne stole a side of bacon He was de-
tected by two of the party from whose
outfit he stole and was shot to death
by them An inquest was held and g
verdict of justifable homicide was rem
dered by the prospectors.
AT least 5000 people are camped
at Dyea and Skaguay, and the ma
jOrity Will remain there through the
winter. Starvation and death vii
stalk among them. There are many
lawless adventures in the two little
tented towns on the bleak coast-meT
and women of the worst stripe, who
viii not hesitate at the commission o.
any crime when money and food be
comes scarce"
This is the manner in which George
I. Fish. the wholesale grocer of Oak
land, sums up the situation of the un-
fortunate prospectOrs who have under
taken to go to the Klondke gold fields
by the overland route. Mr. Fish re
turned from Dyea by way of Portland
this morning. and registered at the Pal
ace Hotel Accompanied by his wife
he went to Dyea to see for himself what
the chances were for establishing {
branch house and getting groceries int
Dawson over the ChilkOot or Whites
pass. He returns fully satisfied at tbs
impractieabHity of sending provision:
into the Klondika country this winter
I left for Alaska on July 2Sth." SAID
Mr. Fish. and sailed from Astoria OF
the steamer George W. Elder. We pro
ceeded TO Juneau, and from there Il
Dyea and Skaguay The two so-calleC
towns are about four miles apart, will
a big mountain, which runs down t
the ocean dividing them. The bounda.
ries Of both places are two other large
mountains At the foot of one the Dyes
River goes rushing down to the ocean
and at the base of the other the Ska
quay River runs in a mad flight W,
anchored about d mile and a half ava!
from the shore. We could get no near
er. The captain. purser and 1 went on
In q small boat TO ascertain whether
landing place could be made and /
was decided that the only available 10
cation was on a big cluster of harrel
rocks more than a mile out from tn
shore
There were 400 passengers and 60i
tons of freight for the Klondike. :
lighter was lowered. and 500 men wer
Put aboard and towed to the rocks by
rowboat. Then the freight followed. :
line was formed by the 300 passenger
ieading from the bottom of the rocks L
the top. and it took day and a half t
land the freight ON the rocks. From
here the freight had to be taken by boa
TO the shore line. This cost 50 ton
and another 50 ton had To be paid L
get the freight over the muddy beach L
the mainland. The rocks were abou
midway between Dyea and SlSaguay
and the charges to either place were tn
same.
Some of the passengers who lande'
on the rocks slept in tents, while other
only had blankets, and they had bleal
lodgings.
Il was ashore for nearly three days
during which time I made close obsery
ations. People who had arrived at Dyes
two weeks before had been unable {