Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-08-23
SALEM TO SEATTLE,
The Journal Business Manager in the
Puget Sound Country.
Especial Correspondence.)

Special Correspondence
SEATTLE, Aug. 21.-The trip from
Salem is rather an uneveItful one.
The overland leayes Salem at 7;lOa
M, and the first hour is delightful
ride in the cool of the morning
through rich grain, fruit aud hop
region. The golden grain is nearly
all harvested and the unmuslcal steam
thresher is leaving many field strewn
with tiers of we'll filled wheat sacks.
Judging from appearances the French
Prairie country has had one of the
old-tlme crops that the old timer
loves so we'll to tell about. That
means 20 to 40 bushels of wheat to
the acre, and all else in proportion.
The hop fields in the Lablsh and prai-
rie sections down to the Clackamas
line are pleasure to behold, many OF
the yards have been wired up in
modern style, and the overlapping
vines with their draping tendrils pre-
sent novel landscape. This crop
will bring Klondike of prosperity
to the growers. The fruit industry
north of Salem is not as well devel-
oped as to the south but hops better.
There is a heavy passenger tratli c
north from Portland now, largely ow-
ing to the gold fever IN Alaska. The
Northern Pacific trains are said TO be
crowded every day. or course, all are
not bound for the Klondike, but the
majority hope to share in the pros
perity from that source, either at Sc
attic or other Puget sound points.
On our train was VIM. Writ, the
Salem nurseryman, who expected to
sail from Seattle on steamer City OF
Kingston Friday night. After sew
eral days he expects to be transferred
to the Bristol, which steamer is now
returning from Dyea. She will take
the cargo of the Kingston and make
the mouth of the Yukon. The dis
tance from Seattle is about 1000
miles. and Mr.. Writ hopes to make
the trip in 10 days. The fare is $500
from Portland to Dawson, including
800 pounds of freight carried free
From st. Michaels, at the mouth Of
Yukon, to Dawson is about 1900
which will be made on the steamer
Eugene ana MI. YTirU 1Ivp~~
to make 1t In twenty days.
This will land him IN Dawson City by
September 20, and perhaps sooner, but
there's many slip, Passengers will
haye to furnish their own meals on
the Yukon. Mr.. Writ bought his outfit
In Portland, as prices are said to be
very high. He paid out S175, besides
taking some bedding, clothing, ETC.,
from home. His goods consist mostly
of staples, such as bacon, dried meat,
-four. meal, spices, evaporated pota-
toes, cabbage and fruit Of all kinds.
He took 100 pounds Of beans, 400 of
-four, tea, coffee, stove, shovel, pick,
tools, nails, wheel for barrow, gold
scales, compass, also several suits for
outside and underwear, rubber and
leather shoes, moccasins, leggins, etc.
He has much more stuff than he will
need, but thinks he can dispose of all
surplus to advantage. He figures that
all the provision necessary is to have
a supply until navigation opens in
the spring, when there will be an
abundance of freight brought in by
steamers.
When asked what he expected to
do at Dawson City, Mr.. Writ ad-
mitted to an uncertainty, but he
rather expects to stay there and Sc
cure options on mining claims until
spring, and when the rush comes to
unload. In this way he hopes to be
able to secure some valuable claims
for himself,
THE JOURNAL will have a letter
from Mr.. Writ to be sent from st.
Michaels, and it is safe to say that
his many friends will look for it with
great interest. Mr.. Wirt's family ex-
poets to remain in Salem until his re-
turn, which will probably be when he