Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-04-08

Perkins Experiences

Perkins Experiences
Harvey Harris has an interesting let
ter from w. T. Perkins, who is now at
Fort Wrangel, awaiting favorable oppor-
tunity to get into the interior of the
country. He says:
"Am writing on a board on a carpen-
ter's bench with a horse for a seat and
paying 81 to sleep on the floor with my
blankets. Mail is very uncertain and
sent generally by passengers on the
down boats as the present regular mail
service is carried by two steamers only
and running time is not as sure as the
N. P. Have written Edick and SO you
and the rest know my movements.
Wrangel is a boom town-if you had
gotten here in December aud put in q
thousand you could have cleared up
twenty-fve-the boom has been slow
but the last week it has assumed the
cyclone form and building is going on
right and left, a new hotel has been
built, where l am stopping, but is an
empty building-furniture expected on
every boat. I got a couple of good pic
lures here-sent in the film of a dozen
today to a Seattle photographer by a
passenger, and if they are good when
developed he willforward a set to Edick
for the benefit of you all, and also of
subsequent scenes which I may be able
to snap. No. IL of the first dozen will
interest you. 1t was a chance shot at
an Indian dispute over the lease or sale
of a lot and was hot at the moment.
1 hope it was good, but am not an ex-
pert. Wrangel has no town or other or
ganization and all titles are simply the
Indian title of undis'urbed possession
approved by big chief and other digni.
%taries, but surveyors are now at work
and last night they had a meeting Of
citizens and have already taken action
toward municipal organization. At
present the United States is represented
by a deputy collector, U. s. commits
sioner and deputy U. S. marshal. Whis-
key or any liquor is not allowed in
Alaska and all baggage is inspected for
c%ontraband goods, even when coming
from the states, but still the saloon is
the most prominent landmark, and
Wrangel has it's little brewery and a
new one building land beer only 10
cents and the water not fit to drink
and I understand Juneau has two and
the new towns others under construc-
ton. The law I believe permits the
sale of beer brewed in the territory.
But I came here to investigate the
feasibility of going in via the "All Can.
adian route" Stickeen river, and shall
get away north by the first boat as it al
present is not practicable. The Nc.
Kenzie and Mann r. R. outfit has been
blocked for over a month some twenty
miles up the river and I talked with sew.
eral lone in particular who has been
since January 10Th, and only made forty
miles and has now gone into camp and
left outfit with rest of party, while he
came down to make arrangements tt
have the first boat-sometime in May
pick him and outfit up. Notwith
standing all this, $50 men with horses
and dogs came in from Victoria today
and off they go on the ice up the river
The Victoria and Vancouver papers
say the ice is good, the Seattle papers
that it is open in many places and i'm
passable-the last is correct, and thit
route is only practicable when the river
opens. The Canadian Pacific is un
doubtedly back of the R. r. to LAX.
Teslin, but will not be completed unit
January l, if then. One of the c.
officials in Seattle told me in a persona
conversation that they had booked %,
600 people in Europe via. the Lake Tes
lin route and had deposit paid on tina
number of tickets and / know he is in
vesting in several Wrangel enterprises
If it approaches anywhere near tina
number you can imagine the crush a
Wrangel. It has been a rather opel
winter they claim all along the coas
and late reports from Dyea are that th,
trail is breaking there with we 25,
600 scattered along both trails-th,
next day you hear that the trail is goot
and all moving right along. I shall
know in a few days. I have two Colo
RADIO friends going in and one has gone t,
Juneau and the other to Dyea, and ar
going Owe the pass light and then owe
the Skaguay trail and decide which il
the best before we tackle either. An
trying to get track OF Green and hi
outfit. Saw Jefferies of Dickinson a
Seattle the day I sailed and he sal.
Green and outfit with a saw mill ha,
gone into Disenchantment Bay an,
!, are coming I'M on the boat. ran. ONT