The record-union., 1897-10-05
Sacramentans Now Near
ing Dawson City.
Jackson and BulIard Write From
Lake Linderman.
Both in Good Health and SplritS-A
Sunday Dinner on the Other
Side of the Summit.


d. s. jackson Of this city by his son.
Frank P. jackson, a well-known young
man Of Sacramento, and brother OF
Professor W. f. Jackson. Omlttlng
such parts Of the letter as are purely
personal. the Record Union is priv
ilegad TO give the following, as received
by the writer's father yesterday Inc
letter is dated, "On the Trail TO Lake
Linderman, Aug. 24th,' and says:
I've are hung up here waiting Tor
storm to pass. I will write now, there
fore. and finish the letter when we
reacn Lake Linderman. We have now
lost two weeks trying to get transpor-
tation from Skaguay, and had to give
up in the end. We expected Mr. Was
son to join us with eight horses by the
steamer Willamette, and so built hopes
of getting out of our dilemma But
when the steamer-which was week
late in tarting-showed up there was
no Wasson, no horses.
Freight rates over the mountains
were then 50 or 40 cents a pound.
Even had we felt able to pay these
rates. the few pack trains running
were contracted for thirty days deep.
1t was therefore simply impossible to
and half as many horses were arrlV-
ing almost daily, but the animals for
the most part belonged to those going
over the trails To buy them was out
of the question, for they sold at from
S175 TO $500 a head.
''One outfit requires six horses to
carry it over the mountains, so that
the expense to US was altogether too
great to be contemplated. Besides, ow-
ing 10 the large number of horses be-
ing crowded onto the trail, it seemed
a little too risky to buy less number
and thus be compelled to make more
than one trip. We saw that it was
only a question of a few days before
there would be a complete blockade
closing the pass. Hundreds of men
were moving their outfits a few miles
each day. and now it is all confusion
on account of so many horses travel
ing in different directions, on a narrow
trail.
Mr. Wasson finally arrived on the
steamer Rosalie with ten horses. But,
thinking we had gone on without him,
he had taken two others into his par
~, and so we were left again. Messrs.
Falkenberg and White are endeavoring
by helping another party with four
horses and two tons of freight. They
are to have the horses as payment, and
thus hope to get their own outfits over
when they come into possession of the
animals. But as it viii undoubtedly
take until the 10th of next month to
get through with their contracts, and
three weeks longer to get their own
rl,F iva
through this year looks slim.
'sWm. Ahern made arrangements to
get into the Wasson party, 50 Mr.. Bull
lard and myself found ourselves stran-
ed, and as the time was rapidly pass
ing when we should attempt the trip
through, we decided to adopt heroic
measures. and as we could not take
provisions with us, to go in with
out AT first this would seem to be an
extremely reckless undertaking. but
we thought that provisions could be
purchased at Dawson cheaper than the
cost Of taking them in over this route
at present. Unhampered we could
make the trip in a smaller boat and
in much quicker time, and pass the
crowd now headed that way.
IF, on our arrival at Dawson, we
find we cannot get a proper supply or
suficieney of needed things, we viii
take the first steamer out. We hope
to be there by the time the Excelsior
party Of prospectors arrives. and can
get passage on the same boats back.
If. rs we think probable, we can pur-
chase our supplies and remain-in that
case all will be well. This was the
only plan we could adopt and get there
this year, and we think that it is a
safe one
The crowd increases each day, and
matters viii continue to grow worse
as time rolls on. Next spring it will
be even worse than it now is. So Bull
lard and I decided to come to Dyea and
hire Indians to take our baggage over
along with a thirty days supply of
provisions. and go via. the Chilcoot
Pass. Our luggage weighs 500 pounds
and we pay % cents a pound to have
it packed to the summit. From there
we thought we could take it to the
lakes ourselves. or hire other Indians
at tnat point to take it the remaining
nine miles down TO Linderman.
TT has been raining continuously for
the last two days. and so we have been
compelled to remain in camp with only
coffee. hardtack and bacon for food.
until the Indians elect to move on
again. Had the weather been clear
We could have been landed at sum-
NIT in one and a half days. The In
dams at present rates earn from $50
to S25 a day It is really wonderful
what weights they can throw over
their backs and climb these mountains
with.
Over at Skaguay. on the White Pass.
they load their horses with only 100
pounds. Here the Indians carry the
same weight, and frequently more. One
Of our men, who apparently weighs
40 pounds. has taken a pack of 176
pounds. The children and the dogs
do their share, also. All along the trail
you can see ordinary ours waddling
along with packs OF from twenty to
fifty pounds each. Small boys. Of. saw
u years, with almost or quite as heavy
packs, are met frequently with packs
as heavy as they are themselves. There
is quite a large Indian village at Dyea.
and the scene there is doubtless much
the same as scenes you often looked
upon when crossing the plains.
These Indians resemble the Japs in
build and features. and in all probabi-
ity are an ofTshoot of some tribe that
drifted over here centuries ago. The
get up" of some of the squaws is often
times very striking. One woman just
now passed our camp rigged out in
derby, cutaway coat, an ordinary skirt
and gum boots. Our Indians have de-