The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-27
It L. Pronounced Utterly Imprac-
ticable by Old Miners.
Ceorxe =. Hunter. an Experienced
Miner and Prospeetor, Describes
HIS Adventures In the Wilde oil
Britain Column bia-stx Miles m
Axernxe Days travel Through
tho Forests-Hundred Will FAN.

None OF the hard luck stories tos1 "
disappointed gold seekers wao sought 70
seaca the Yukon gold fields by the coast
zsasses last spring ard failed can compare
with the narrative tod OF the Edmonton
youts By George J. Hunter. Mr.. Hunter -
In no sense !. '+tenaeFfooi" Win Harry
Mcdonald. a veteran Of the camp fire ana
god PAT. ha made brave attempt 10
penetrate the wilderness lying narth Of Ed
rncason, and stretching away in countless
SnlsA OF uninhahited territory toward the
peily river ard the Yukon valley. lie "aa
sead 70 believe. Isl tie advertisements Ia
sersed In various Western papers By IN
eeressed corporations and communities.
that there was feasible pack train from
Edmonton 10 tho god ne.dS. he aud LIS
companion found the experience III trying
10 locate that tralI a very costly one DuE-
tag two months hard travelling they mar
aged to go about 10 Elles ia a straight
tine or 80 miles following the tran and
then they real ,zed the utter hope.essnsss
Of their task and lie coupiste failure OF
the alleged route.
Hunter ard Mcdonald wintered on the
banks OF the LATHE smoky river. "a trioa-
heart Of "a dense wilderness The much
Wanted "trair' had ''peiered OUT into a
narrow bride or foot path used al liz
frequent intervals by nomad.c tribes OF
Indians. Tasy could not go forward
neither. cnuii they 20 back. and cooped up
In a cabin all winter. they saw their TWEEN
fy-two head Of pack horses die one by one
Of the cold. which was terrible. and the
lack of food
FtlIes with "Tenderfeet."
Mr.. Hunaer has just arrived from Ed
monitor. He made his way painfully ard
;aboriousiy this spring TO the point from
wi!oh he had started six months before.
baa.oysng that he could follow a trail into
the gold fields. He reports tina, Edmonton
u fiied with "tsGderfeet" who are ignor-
Hnt OF the hardships ia store for them
ana who are almost positively certain 10
Hsii 81 utterly he did IN trying 10 get
within sight OF the gold fields OF the Yu-
koh.
'It r. time that the people Of this coun-
try who are thinking OF making the trip
into tho Yukon. country should be in
formed OF tho utterly false and mislead-
inE statements that have been scattered
sbreadeass over the West concerning tina
,ao-caIied route into the mines by way Of
Edmouton. Il. e. / am not new in The
and eysr thinig settled districts. There
Ia TO purpose OF revenge and nn srudse
20 satisfy when / say THAI hundreds OF
good msn have been lured by false
promfsss1to undertake ar impossible jour
nsy from Edmonton 20 the klondike gold
nehs. nearly l.4oo miles away. The
oGsd Edmanten route Is no route at all.
TIE alleged roads are nero Indian trails,
winding In a xiszag course over mountain
ana through canyon walls. through dense
foeests whera the trees have been burned
Oft and broken down by winds until they
make travelling through the country well
nigh impossible Oh foot ard out OF the
question by paak train, II il a wonder
that the word has rot reached tho outside
hefore Concerning the absolute usesessness
OF tsls route 20 the mines IN the yukon
di :.,5 .,,.n,,o,, .,,. So, .,..,.., >. 49,
claims OF this route by reading various
articles and advertisements in the papers
Of Utah. These were glowing accounts OF
tie ccuatry. and contained statements TIA.
there existed an open way into the coun-
try around the ktendike. by which miners
and pros peetots could make their way with
pack trains from Edmonton. carving
enough supplies with them 10 last them
through n season.
Descriptions OF the Route
The British Columbia papers printed
descriptions or TIE route ard the Canadian
Faosic advertised 70. Folders ard mans
were aiso distributed giving an account Of
aha trails, which We found existed on
the maps alone. and not on the solid earth.
Vast fail, LETT my home In Cedar City.
Ttsh. and want 90 Edmonton with Tho
blssross or securing an outfit and .raxe--
tHS fnfosthe SAID feds Of the Sorthv.s,
seyeiieyv. VITA mo was Harry Mcdonald
q hlAa wee. has lived on tha Western from
ter for many years and Who I. a practical
pre1eecter ana miner Injured 20 hardsht,
and exposure OF every kind Wa sn~n, a
week OF maze az Edmonton, where we
wera told BY the residents tina, Il was mar
sectis feasible 70 mako the tourney =,
Dawson overland with pack train "a
Observation-Disclosures