Arizona republican., 1898-03-22

there are many unreliable and disrep- utable ones. A man will be safe at least in the hands of the Rapid Out fitting company, Touch Augustine & Co.,, McDougall & Southwick, Wash ington Woolen Mills, J. F. Adams, or Seattle Woollen Mills. There is great competition and each man should sat isfy himself that each article he buys is fully up to the standard. His life may depend on it.
 Another matter of importance is this: A great number of vessels are plying between this port and Alaskan points. 1 would not venture on some of them in the Arizona canal From the advertisements they are all beau ties. But more than a few are unsea- worthy. If prospectors will take my advice they will engage passage on the steamers of some line of established reputation, or wait till they get here and see for themselves. All kinds of craft have been pressed into service and some of them are veritable death traps.
 AS to the conditions prevailing at Dyea and Skagway I can give some definite information, obtained from the officers of the steamer Australia and others. The wire ropeway on the Chilkoot pass is not yet completed, nor will it be for several weeks. Conse- quently the pass is blocked There are several thousand people there, and some thousands of tons of freight at a standstill. Some few, of course, get over. At Skagway the pass is open and freight is moving through very slowly. This favorable condition can only last, however, until a thaw. The mud holes and the three miles of bog are now frozen solid. When warmer weather comes this route will be inn passable, as it was last year, and from the same causes. Then the tide of travel will set towards Dyea. Three more ropeways are building at the Chilkoot pass. They should be able to take care of the traffic. At both places, however, an epidemic of ce- rebro spinal menengitis, with a nor tality of about 75 per cent has been playing havoc. This has been ffirmed and denied a dozen times. Dyea has said that the epidemic was raging at Skagway. Skagway has returned the compliment with interest. But I have it on unassailable authority that it prevails at both places and that it is strictly impartial. Another route the Stickeen River route-will be good a little later, when the snow gets off the ground. It is by steamer to Fort Wrangel thence up the Stickeen river by river steamer to Telegraph creek, and then across country 120 miles by an easy trail to Teslin lake, the head of navigation. A saw mill is going up there to supply boats or material for them. There is good feed for animals all the way. It is longer than the other routes but presents no natural obstacles And a pack of 120 miles is not much for an AriZonian. But he must, of course, take his own animals.
 A great many people are going to Copper river. Why, they don't seem to know I have been unable to ob- tain any reliable information in regard to that country. No one even knows, apparently, that gold has been found there. Indians have brought gold down from somewhere in that coun- try and traded it for rifles, whiskey, etc. But where they got it is prob lem that seems to charm the imagina- tion of the poor fellows who are pre- pairing to go there. Indians find the gold. Why shouldn't white men?' If you say How many years may it not have taken the Indians to find this i gold?" you are put in the same list with wet blanket.
 I can see no reason to modify my advice of last week, and that is. wait till next year. But to those who must go, I again say, and from a nearer point of view, wait till the middle of April. You will pass those who are now there on the trail. You will go in fresh; they will be more or less exhausted by the awful hardships they are now enduring"
 ARNOLD BECKER. LOSSES CHARGED TO BARNATO.