Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-04-15
IN ALASKA'S WILDS.
A FAMILIAR VOICE IS HEARD IN
THE WILDERNESS.

Mr.. T.. McRvynOldS Writes from
Sheep Camp-Some Account of
Ills Trip and Impressions of
Skagw&y and Dyca-IIc Meets
Some of the "'Boys''-A Brief
All,Ision to the Destructive Av-
alanchc. which had just Oc-
Cured when the Letter Closed.
SHEEP CANT, Alaska, March 30, 1898.
ED. STANDARD:
DEAR SIR: On the 9TH day of
March, upon the steamer Queen, our
party left Seattle for Alaska. There |
were listed 559 passengers, some 80
head of horses, few mules and oxen !
and dogs innumcrablc. The Queen is
fine vessel Of some one thousand |
tons burden and can carry six hundred |
passengers. Her firSt-class passengers
fare is well, | suppose, as upon any
boat that Plies between Seattle and
Alaska. Her steerage passage, like
most Of the other boats, is only suit
able for those who have not been used
to better fare. | would advise every
one that is contemplating a trip north
by all means to get first-class ticket
We reached Port Townsend Monday.
This was my first visit there. What Il
slightly location she has, and what a
fine harbor, and the scenery, especi-
ally the view of the Olympic noun
tains, which appear to be but few
miles away, is the grandcst and most
beautiful that | saw upon my trip to
Alaska. We stopped some two hours
to take on some more freight, few
passengers and some more dogs. We
reached Victoria about noon and
did not leave until GIN. About $50
passengers went up to the city and got
free mining licenses for the Northwest
Territory at $40 apiece. Victoria has
been hcraldcd abroad as quite an out
fitting point, but really saw nothing
to verify it. Instead | found it to be
a dull place with but little signs of
business activity. The parliament
building is quite an imposing struc-
ture and is nearing completion. 1t is
built entirely of stone. Its beauty
will be enhanced by the well-laid
grounds surrounding it. Six o'clock
arrived and the gang-plank was drawn
in, the signal gun doomed, and away
we sailed. Soon we entered the Geor-
gian straits, as lovely and tranquil
body of water as any one would wish
to see. 1t was a beautiful moonlight
night, without a cloud to be seen; rs l
leaned over the railing and gazed ut
the dim shore line, what beautiful
sight it presented, the shimmering,
glistcning moonlight upon the water,
while the great volume Of dense black
smoke ascending from the stack cast
a long dark shadow in our wake.
There were several narrows and many
broad and beautiful bays in the Geor-
gian straits. Tuesday morning we
reached Queen Charlotte's Sound
The weather had changed and it was
raining. Our vessel began to pitch
with each swell. The passengers,
many of them, had gathered along the
railing, and to most of them it was
their first experience of old oceans
dip. Occasionally face paled, then
the eyes closed, a woe-begone look
came over the countenance and then
N-e-W York! which called forth only
a laugh from the bystanders and the
victim stole away to some secluded
spot, with an intensely disgusted look
upon his face. escaped the prosaic
malady.
At about 2 P. NJ. we reached Maury's
Island, where the U. S. Custom-housr
is located. We made stop of some
two hours and then started north, the
captain having decided not to go via
Wrangel Narrows, as his ship came
near being stranded there upon a
former trip. We took what is called
the outside channel, via Frederick
Sound. The Alaskan coast is vast
archipelago. One can gain but little
idea by maps or charts of the vastness
of the bays, inlets and islands OF this
country. We reached Juneau at $50
Pm. We passed a portion of Douglass
Island upon our left and the great
Treadwell mine. 1t has SO many en-
ployes that quite little town has
sprung up. Juneau is located about
one mile farther up and upon the OPP
pOsite side of the canal. Juneau
must have some two or three thou
sand people. The town is very irregu-
larry laid out and has poor site, new
ertheless she does quite business
in Quitting and furnishing supplies
to miners and Indians. l called upon
the kaufman Brothers, and found
them busy, with large and well-filled
store. also met Charles Garfielde at
Mr.. Frank Young's store. Charlie
seems to be doing we'll and has the
confidence of his employer. At 2
O'Clock A. NJ. we left Juneau for Skag-
way, at which place we arrived at IL 80
A. M. Friday.
Skaguay is quite town. All of her
houses are new, and some of them are
quite pretentious, il they are bnilt of
hewn logs. She has good wharves,
and the landing is good for large boats.
The old charred hull Of the Whitehall
lay upon the beach, a total wreck, and
another large vessel Il do not know her
nancy had been blown upon the beach
and lay upon her side. Very few of
the Queens passengers stopped at
Skaguay. The citizens of that town
try to make passengers believe that
the White pass is just lovely and once
in while they find a victim, but gen.
orally speaking travellers avoid it.
From the best information l can gath
er it is almost impossible to get over
the White pass now. Saturday after
noon we reached Dyea, which is built
upon sandy tract or plane that is al
most inundated during high water.
The town is strung out up the Dyea
river for more than mile, and has
hotels and restaurants ut nearly every
turn, except where there are saloons.
| s., l. 20