The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-08-12

morning putAistfcS Il oisidtAh AtoasA q sNsiii
correspondent, ,datedJuneau, Alaska, August
3; by steamship Islander to Victoria, b. c.
The writer says:
The situation at Dyea and Skarua, about
five miles apart, at the head OF Lynn Canal
100 miles northwest Of here, has become
most serious, owing Go the immense rush oI
gcld-hunters. These are the last salt
water ports ana the points of debarkation
for the mountain trails and passes.
The number of Indian and white pao kers
and horses is Totally inadequate TO move
the vast quantities OF freight over the
mopntaiES, and blockade that is oaiiy
assuming more formidable proportions has
resulted.
Tons OF supplies are piled high on the
beach, and they wili likely remain there
for an iacefinite length OF time.
Every incoming steamer dumps scores
pf excited gold seekers and tons of freight
on the beach. Much of the freight is
dumped ON a long sand-spit at Dyea al
low tide. as there arc no wharfs al that
place BEFORE the supplies can be ela'nel
and removed the tide has risen and ruined
or carried entirely away a large part OF
them
An nlusratson OF the confusion i'm dis
charging. ccrgoes and getting goods ashore
II found in the statement that luniceT,
.ut and Kiln dried, for making boats AZ
Lake Bennett. has been pitched INTO TIE
angry ses ana washed ashore, to he picked
M hv the lHGians. So many tents are
pitched around the head Of Lynn Canal That
he scene is like that of an army encanped
Rv FAR the larger portion of the supplies
must be hacked over the passes by TIER
owners, if they are packed at all Ohly
about $50 Indians. fifty white men and ten
aoreees are now packing over the Dyea
rail
II tfsucod TO he an Indian row at Dyea-
He is maling at least $40 day. He lets
lts l,alrfaces in search OF golo lid against
each other for his services as Iacker,
and calmly takes up the burden OF tue
highest bidder.
Ills souaw and his children also carry
heavy packs up the steep mountain tran
The minersin the last week have lid agalnsi
each other with such determination that
the urice Ter pound has risen from 10
to 20 cents.
White men are abandoning less profit
able enulovnent in Juneau and going in
small numbers 10 Dvea, where they can
make from S5 to SO per day, according
40 Their strength and endurance. None
but the hardest can pack supplies over the
trails.
The white man with his ten horses is
making 500 Per day. 1t is estimated
mat there will he fifty additional white
1es.rs .f,ra no
in o week or ten days. but on the other
hand the rush still Keeps up and the end
ls not in sight.
the end is 100 far away TO see. III Is
back in New York. Chicago, and san
francisco, and has not started yet.
Every man who ssetfoOtin juneau Dyea'
Dr. Skagua has friends back East who are
coming. The situation involves a DELAY
most critical for those going into the frozen
territory beyond the mountains
Spring rs fclle thing there. She Is
hkelv to leave her admirers IN the luTca
tny day The rivers viii then freeze and
overland travel TO Dawson must STOP
,xcept at the greatest peril, Til spring
smiles again.
Unless an unexpectedly large number OF
Aorses and packers arrive soon many a
man will camp on the route TO Yukon and
,s,t his supplies in idleness Through the
ong winter.
Prospeotors in the valley of the Yukon
have returned here from Dyea and VIII
wait tiu spring before attempting TO
make the Klondike.
Rut not SO rhetenderfoot. Heis swarming
lor the summit-in many instances VIII
An OUTFIT un suitable in kind and IN quantity
Re Is leaving here every day with pretiE.
red. fratl two wheeled carts and wheslhaf
rows, Piled high with much superfluous
suff. expecting 10 push them over the
maintain trails His vehicle VIII smash
ana his supplies lie scattered and hroken
heforc he is cut three hours from DYca.
Rut vou can't make him believe ii. lie is
SO excited lac can I or won listen TO lea
son. His one idea is gold, and be is 60 NJ
sr,er 81 with sacks and carts TO bring ii
bacl, in.
As these ortfits pass through the streets
from wharf 10 wharf old prospectors
lsuch. The several photographers here are
making a little KlOudike for them selves
nho,ographing this kind of prospecior ih
his new Yukon costume. Morris Orton was
a Montana miner ten years and Yukon
pr.Spector fortwU years. He rs now one ol
The proprietors of a hotel here. He re
turaea from Dyea today, and was asked
what he thaught of the situation. He has
beeu totlle Yukon many times toy that route.
He said:
81 ordered lot OF supplies some weeks
eco end intended to send them TO Dawsbh
a. seon as they came. I shall not try TO
move them TN next spring. Some or
these people are crazy. That is what
think Of tine situation"
.Of the hundreds of men going into the
Kiond,ke. how many win return with as
much as $4,000" he was asked.
About one in forty. The rest viii come
back broke" he said.
The new Skagua trail is open at this
time only to White Pass Many ignorant
of this fact are going in that way, the tran
being more gentle in its slope both ways
from the summit than the Dyea Pass, but
twice as long as to Lake Bennett.
The result viii be that the gold-seekers
will he compelled 10 cut the trail through
to the lake. greatly 10 the profit OF its
skacua protector, "old Bill Moore" q
veteran OF the Cessiar, or remain on the
trail indefinitely
The reports brought down by the last
steamship. the Queen, that White Pass
trail is open and being used, are entirely
untrue The Queen landed her 25O klon-
dixie Messengers at Skagua. and 80 OF
them have since hired small boats and
gone TO Dyea t. take that tran.
The general prospect, as viewed from
she bordpr OF the land of gold at this time,
is that the route to the Yukon will be