The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-13
HE'S MAKING GOOD TINE
Thirty Days From Missoula to
Chilcoot Pass.
FRANK HANRATTY'S TRIP
He Expresses Regret That He Didn't
Take Horses Instead of Dogs, Which
He Declares Are a Nuisance.
An Intereresting Letter.

Nissoula. April 1.-THE following
letter has been received from Frank
Hanratty. formerly of Frenchtown.
who is on his way to the interior of
Alaska. The letter Is dated at Sheep
Camp. March Z. and indicates that Mr..
Hanratty is not having the best time
in the world. He has made compare
lively quick time. however. in getting
over the summit, as he did not leave
here till Feb. s. The postscript To MS
letter, written March s. states that all
of his outfit would be on OPP of the
summit the next day. There are not
many outfits that have made as good
a record as that Less thar 30 days
from Missoula to the top of the chill
coot pass Is good travelling, and II Mr..
Hanratty keeps up his lick. he ought
To be successful. He expresses regret
several times i'm the letter that he did
not take a few horses instead OF the
dogs. The latter, he says. have been a
nuisance. The following extracts from
the letter will prove OF interest TO the
Standards readers:
II will write you a few lines before
go over the HILL mean the Chilcoot
pass. We nave nearly all our sup
plies on the summit now. We have
$500 pounds of solid grub. We cannot
pass the custom office with less than
LOO pounds. This has been the great
est hardship that l have ever gone
through. 1 did not have enough money
to get my stun over the summit. so !
have to be pack horse myself. There
are many others in the same boat, so IL
is not so bad. ] will get there all right,
] think. l have a very bad cold to-
day. Last night l packed 100 pounds
over the summit. As / could not stop
an -@s 80 hA ton Nnf 1hn
warm and to-day | am laid up.
This is a terrible hill. We have
been here two weeks and have gone
only three miles. The wind Is fearful.
Some days "A man cannot go To the
summit at all. / started up to-day, u
had to come back. If ! had only
brought a couple of horses. j could
make a barrel of money hauling
freight from Sheep Camp to the foot
of the summit. They charge 3 cents
per pound for hauling to that place.
and 2 cents a pound for packing up
the summit. | made $3.50 i'm about an
hour to-day. Hay sells for I cents per
pound: fiour so per hundred; meals.
so cents. Nearly half the people be-
tween Dyea and and AXE Lindmann
have set up tents and sell meals. coffee.
provisions or something else. Many of
them are selling u their supplies n
are going back. | have seen big, stout,
robust men sit down on their sleighs
and cry-entirely discouraged n
played out.
II must say that this is a very hard
trail-a person is Xposed 50 much.
Two men died here to-day and one got
killed. The sleigh behind him got away
going down n hill to Lake Bennett and
the pole that they steer with ran
through him. There are all kinds of
people here, and / a safely say that
there are 5000 people on the trail be-
tween Dyea and Lake Lindmann. /
could make So or 50 a day packing here.
but my partner wants To go on to
Lake Tagish this month. We expect to
40 down there and build two or three
boats and sell hem We are kicking
ourselves that we didn't bring horses.
The dog team is a perfect nuisance. I
have not seen Luc since ] left Seat
tie.
We'll. I will not say much more this
time and, IL I don't ave my old bones
up here In this frozen country to
bleach. | will come back to see you. |
have walked over snow that was 100
feet deep. | am told there are some
women going into Dawson city. One
crossed the summit to-day. She is "A
woman so years Did. The summit is
very bad, as the steps are all filled up.
The oma slipped and lost her rope.
She vent down about 10 feet and
caught the ope again. Then IA packer
helped her tn the top. Her husband
was with her. and they are going on
to Avs City. our beds are made OF
brush. laid on top of the snow"
A postscript Is added To the letter un-
der date of March :. which reads
This IL another day. | have packed
all day and made five trips to the sum
NIT. This has been the finest day l
ever saw. l would like To have "A pic
ture of the sights ON the trail to-day.
There was not room. from bottom Ia
top, Tor more a our stun will
all be on top tomorrow"