The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-13

Amid General Dfscouragemens He
RemaIns Firm and Hopeful.


Among the letters received by the steam
er Cleveland from St Michael were sew
eraI from ". A Harrington. OF this city.
70 MS ~tte and children Having just ar
rived az St Michael. August =. he writes:
Il have succeeded wei thus far and ar
rived here all right The PorIlands pas
sengers left ias1 night for Dawson City.
They were detained here twelve days on
account Of the river boats not making
connection, and we are likely 10 remain
here for some time ourselves. There are
three steamers here from San Francisco.
viz: the Excelsior, the Bertha and the
Bay City. In AL there are 80 passengers
waiting for transportation We are first
on the docket 10 get away. The san
Francisco passengers are billed through by
the Alaska Trading Company. ana We are
billed through by the North American
Transportation and Trading Company.
Some Of our passengers are already plan
ming TO go back You may be sure that I
am not
This is a desoiats and God-forsaken
place, nothing here but Indians. and a
dirty tribe at tkat. II one had the gold
dust here think some profitable bargains
could be made in furs. have in mind one
White polar bear skin which / could get
for 80, and which / think nicely mounted
would bring $50 in the East on account OF
its immense size. 1t Is a beauty.
Another steamer has just arrived from
San Francisco, the South Coast. bringing
g. passengers. They are well fixed. They
have their own river steamer and scow
and can get ready in few days and go
right along
Ten days later he Is still a.. 81. Michael.
and writes as follows:
''our trip up from Seattle occupied thir-
teen days. We made Just one stop. at
Unaiaska. place of 400 people. This is
a dreary place, although things are lively
here at present. The Cleveland the Ber-
tina. the National City, the South Coast
and the Excelsior are all loaded with
freight and passengers. They cannot all
get through. A great many are turning
back.
Most OF the coin apparently is going by
way OF San Francisco. owing to the &C.
commodations offered by the Alaska Trad
ing Company. They seem 20 spare no ex-
pense to accommodate the people and hold
the trade. The amount Of goods here to
go up TO Dawson City is something Won
derful. 1t Will be impossible to get them
through this winter and there is liable 10
be trouble and starvation. About $50 peo-
pie will have TO camp out here or go back
1t will be simply impossible for them to
live here. II is too cold Even the sea
freezes over here in the winter We may
be frozen in going up the Yukon. but we
are we'll fixed with a load OF grub. We
leave this evening"
To his children he writes one of those
chatty. gossipy letters which grown people
as we'll as children enjoy He SAYS:
You are now sound asleep in bed while
l am taking my dinner at 6 O'clock The
second day out from Seattle the sea was
very rough. Nearly every one on board
was sick except me. / have not missed
a meal yet. Take II all in ALL we have
had very pleasant trip and remarkably
good weather. Whales have been In sight
every day. We passed one immense dead
whale, with thousands of sea birds feed
ing on his backbone. A little white sea
bird came aboard our steamer, and you
may be sure IL had the best Of care. In
fact, we took too good care OF 1t: overfed
IL and IL died from overlooking. We called
1t Billy klondike.
AT Unalaska, where we stopped to take
on coal and water, we found quite little
village. with two stores where you can
get almost anything you wish at Seattle
prices. with freight added. The best -four
sells for $3.50 per sack of fifty pounds. 1t
is q beautiful harbor, surrounded by
mountains, with lots of green grass 1t
is 1900 miles from Seattle We have aver
aged 20 miles per day since leaving Sc
attle." On board the steamer Healy at
St Michael he adds under date of August
.: Il leave today for the Kiondike in
good spirits and health. Remember that
there are no little boys or girls In this
part of the world. There was but one
white boy at st. Michael, little Willie
Ling, years old. and he went down on
the steamer Excelsior. Goodbye Our
steamer is leaving"