The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-16
THE PASSING THRONG.

APT T. W. JOHNSTON, well known
tlS In Seattle shipping circles, has re-
" turned from Dyea ard Skagway.
where ne operated line OF lighters
and steam tugs during the past season
Capt Johnston handled the bulk OF the
freight OF the Pacific q Arctic Railway
Company fron The steamers 10 the COM
| panys slip at Skagway, amounting n ali
70 upwards o; l5.aao tons At the seattle ne
said last night:
The railroad over the White pass IL be-
! Ing rapidly pushed into the interior. oper-
| at.ons had no; ceased when / LEI; Skagway,
IN fact the company has extended the grade
| Of the line beyond the summit and was
preparing TO lay the rails.
1T is really marvellous how that section
OF Alaska has advanced In the past year.
The building Of the railroad across the
pass TO the lakes has simp!ified travel great
ly. The result is that people can get IN and
out Of the country much easier than be-
fore. ] believe that business Will grow
steadily every year by way Of the skasway
route.
There are plenty of conservative and
well posted mining men in Alaska who be-
lieye that the Atiin district Will yet turn
otst TO be great a gold producer as the
KIondke. For myself / am satisfied that
there IL a marvellous future before the
country. Personally l know of one man
WIZ @QThtU DS!a-u Gsdskll Oh IIech.
30 feet from the creek. carrying his dirt
to the waters edge in sacks. In this way
and with all the Disadvantages under which
he worked. he earned siZJo per day. Here
Is the proof" said Capt. Johnston, showing
vial flied with fine gold. "Unquestiona-
bly, the ground along the creeks Of the
Attn district is very rich in gold and the
next season will see some great develop
ments in that section.
S. r. Burling, special agent for the Seat
tie-Honoluiu Steamship Company in the
Hawaiian Islands returned last evening on
the Centennial Mr.. Burlng's observations
as 70 The trade conditions IN the islands as
relating to Seattle are interesting Said he:
THE cargo We took down with US found
a good market, particularly at Hiio, Homo
lulu did net receive us very cordially. After
one has been there two months, as was, it
Is easy 10 see the workings Of the CONNER
cal clique. Each firm possesses an inter
est in the business OF his neighbor, either
BY holding stock or by relationship, and an
offense 10 one is an injury 10 all. The cir
Gle is a large one, and contains many small
rings.
We first gave offense to Honolulu by
stopping AT Hilo, the only other harbor IN
the group, and the city OF Honolulu greatly
fears; The Honolulu papers spoke OF Us as
the 'fiiio line
prosperous business between Seattle and
The islands? l certainly do. IL only re-
qnires capital and energy. They need our
sentiaily steamer shi bments.' But Without
strong financial hacking it's hard 10 inn
press them with our permanence. Even
line that has no certain evidence of per
manence. They have had experience with
| two such lines to San Francisco. which
were failures. Spreckels. under the name
| Of the Madison line is about 10 put on a
| San Francisco steamer to run TO Hilo.
AS TO return cargo, the principal
aiIyEs tfagl frTs
which N present Is not a profitable haul
| Sugar is the natural return cargo from the
| islands. and the port for that product tlilo.
| but the Honolulu merchants control at
present the sugar shipments. and owning
| the steamer lines running from island
| points 70 Honolulu. Insist that all cargo
| absorb the freight charges from the plan
| tations to Honolulu. The net earnings 10
| Us would have been 81 cents per ton in this
| stuff for haul OF 200 miles Therefore
| on this "trip We did not touch sugar. | I'M
| derstand. however the sugar crop has been
contracted for by the eastern buyers for a
term of years II this is so they will prob
ably not have. any interest in local steam
| ship lines. and will permit Seattle steamers
| to load direct from Hiio, which would be
profitable.
Il have every confidence that profitable
| trade win he built up between Seattle and
| the islands. But in our competition with
San Francisco 10 he Immediately effective,
| We should have ships their equal, which
! are floating palaces.
| Among the visitors now in Seattle who
| have been at work in the Yukon valley is
| Capt. j. $. Williams. of Paris. Tex, who
| has just returned from the north ami Is
stopping al the Hotel Seattle Capt. Will
| Jams took with him party Of men. They
Went north from Seattle nearly year ago.
| taking the route via St. NJ chael Prospect
| ing briefly at Rampant and a Circle city
they left representatives a both those points
! and pushed on 10 Dawson. Here Mr.. VIII
| Jams spent month. locating some claims
/ AZ point near The mouth Of the klondke
! river where every Indication points to rich
digsings. He came out over the trail, cross
! ing the mountains by the Chilkcot pass
! and returning 10 Seattle via Dyaa
Il % not think the riches OF the Yukon
valley have been in the least exaggerated"
/ said Capt Williams. yesterday. II have
seen too much of the output myself. and
my observations have extended through
| eral months, The receipts at the Seattle
say office alone should be a sufficient an
| swer to any skepiic | was up there day
! or TWO ago with a little dust which l
| brought out With me. and aSsayer Wing in
| formed me thar the total receipts this SEA
| son Were more than $a,e1,e'a. know Of 4
! good deal Of dust that mas come 10 Seat
| tie this season taat has not been near the
| assay office. Take into consideration aso
| the amount retained for USE In the north
The long strike At Dawson. the fact that
! the heuch claims. now among the most
promising. have been barely scrat he'd and
/ you nave something 20 think about. / look
! Tor treasure 70 pour into Seattle next sea-
! son thSt Will astonjsh the world. even by
/ comparison with What has already been
! accomplished in the Yukon valley
Mr.. Williams Is Inclined 10 think very
| highly Of the Atlin country. from what he
| has heard az Il. He has formed a company
! 10 pat three steamers On the upper lakes
| next spring. 10 run between the h. al OF
| navigation. where the White Pass railroad
! touches Lake Bennett Lake Attn and
/ White Horse rapids. He believes taat min
/ ina operations on the Yukon viii hereafter
! i'e conducted on larger scale. including
! dredg TX ard sIgicing. lie thinks Gov. Me
/ Graws claims at Manook are valuable
J properly.
| \. y. Gray. general traffic manager fer
! the North American Transportation ana
! Ira ling Company. has returned from an
/ examination o. tSe upper yukon route 20
! Da~sou ana the Yukon gold fields Mi
/ GRAY spent nearly ave weeks In Alaska.
| crossing The passes between the coast and
| tae lahss several times ani making a
| thorough t1Fts5jgaison Of TIE transport a
| io0 features af he cCuutry with the idea