Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1898-03-26
ALASKAN SITUATION
A CONSERVATIVE OPINION OF
PRESENT CONDITIONS.
The Early Rush of Eager Goldseekers
Having Congested the Passes. Other
Kcutes viii Have to BE Opened.

said TO have only just begun, a con.;i-
ton Of affairs has already developed in
Dyea and Skagway which promises to
disappoint the expectations of thou
sands OF eager gold seekers. The trails
across the Chilkoot and White passes
are practically impossible because OF
the frequent and severe storms, and
will not be in good condition until
about the first Of. April. The result is
that thousands of men and thousands
Of tons of supplies and mining outfits
are crowded together on this side of
the summit and have already reached
such mum Der and quantity as to create
blockade.
1t has been generally understood
that it was foolish to go up to that
country earlier than March with the
expectation OF crossing the passes, and
that one who did so would simply sub
ject himself to a long wait, to needless
hardships and possible sickness while
consuming supplies which should he
kept for service in the gold fields. Not
wi!hstanding this fact, travel begun in
January and has continued through
February, an average OF Il steamer Il
day having landed men and freight at
Dyea and Skagway. Those who took
this early start did SO because they
feared blockade and were anxious to
get over the summit, expecting to wait
at the lakes for the opening of the river
to navigation. The blockade they
hoped to escape has come upon them
and they are not over the summit.
Many have spent q month of hardship
aud toll and are worse off because of
it than are the newest arrivals
There are not less than 20, 900 people
in Dyea and Skagway encamped along
the trails as far as the weather condi-
tiuns have permitted them to advance.
only a few miles at the most The
quantity OF supplies, outfits, boats. ll4a-
chlnerv, etc, averages not less thah Il
ton to each man. This average viii
be kept up during the month of March,
and by the first OF April, when the
work of getting over the summit will
begin in earnest, a moderate estimate
of the number of men and quantity oi
freight that will he assembled there il,
1000 persons and 0.00o tons oi
freight.
The only thing that has been accom-
plished on the Skasway trail TO make
it more passable than it was last sum
u,er has been the building oi some
small bridges. and some Improvements
on the road leading out from Skaeway.
There has been traniWay project there
but no progress has been made with it,
The Indications are that the Skagway
trail will not he materially better than
it Was last Summer, when it was block
AIDED and rendered practically impas
sable lv ). 600 or 600 people and their
outfits. OF course, as long as the snow
lasts in the spring the trail will be Il
better one than when the traveller has
encounter mud and boulJers, which
were such IN obstacle year ago.
As ior the trail from Dyea, which is
the one experience has proved to be
the best, two lramways are are under
construction iur the transportation ot
goods. One OF these has IL tram rail-
road from Dyea to the base OF the SUM-
/ Al,
TEN across the summit to Lake Ljnde-
mana. The other has two tramw;;y
cables leading from the first and see
ona divides and ending at Lake Linde-
mann. Connection between the last ui
these and Dv.a will be made with
wagons and pack animals. Neither
oi these enterprise is ready for opera
ton. and the possibilities are that they
will not be before the first OF April
When in complete operation, their COM
per day. Assuming that by the use
OF pack animals lG0 tons per day could
be taken over the White pass fr0nl
Ska2way, this leaves the total capacity
OF all facilities provided for both passes
at 500 tons per day. This means 100
DAYS iur transporting $4,000 tons that
will be accumulated there BY the first
oi April. IL, other words, acc,lmula-
tions could not be cleared away before
the middle OF June. The probabilities
are, however, that during the months
of April and May an equal quantity of
new freight would demand attention..
In this calculation no allowance is
made for the freight which could he
taken on sleds by individuals and ly
the aid of dogs. This would be in
considerable. In fact, with such Il
mass of humanity and of goods, it
would be almost impossible for freight
10 lie moved at all on those narrow
portions OF the trail where the right ol
way would be the subject Of dispute
aud contention If people interfered
with each other last fall so as to create
"A blockade on 10th trails with less than
1000 people attempting to 90 over, it
does not require a great flight Of inn
agination to see the utter blockade that
would be created by 80, 600 people.
One who intends 70 go TO Alaska may
we'll stop and consider what his chances
are likely to he in such mob. and
whether he would not do better to seek
some other route or some other objec-
tive point than the Klonlke region.
Oi course, transportation facilities from
the coast ports to Alaska have been
provided for Dyea and skagway, but
doubtless as soon as this blockade so
develops that intending gold hunters
demand to be taken somewhere else,
steamers will leave the Dyea and Skag
way routes and seek other ports, such
as Copper river and Cooks inlet. AT
the se places there is room for all. No
narrow canyon trai confines the gold
hunter to particular route, but there
is opportunity to spread out over a
wide expanse OF country, now practic-
ally unknown. but reported to be rich
in gold. There are said to be low
passes through the mountains from
both Copper river and Cooks inlet,
leading over to the Tanana and to the
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