The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-12
THE PASSING 1HRONG.


100 HE Yukon 4 White Pass railroad
viii be completed TO the summit OF
White pass. according 20 present
calculations OF the company's en-
gineers. before Christmas. Engineer e. H.
Warner. who returned recently from Skag-
way. said yesterday tina; work on the road
was progressing in a most satisfactory
manner when he left
We are having no trouble with our
workmen on account OF the cold as report
ed he said. About / Do men are now
laooring on the road six miles from the
summit. Many OF these have not lost
day since last June. We have been pay
ing - cents an hour for a ten-hour day
and now that darkness sets in so early we
are doing even better, IS cents an hour for
he number OF men At present employed.
There are jobs for all who wish 10 take
them. The company feeds and lodges the
men at 81 a day and many are saving their
time checks and viii return to Seattle with
enough money TO keep them in td.eness
many days. There YET remain about 80
miles of road to be built.
Two trains are now making two round
trips each over the road daily. They have
capacity of about seventy-fiye tons each
and considerable freight is being handled
10 point within four miles of the sum-
nit. whence ii is taken on by packers.
The rush OF travel Is not now as great
as It VIII De after January |. There Is
room In the Atlin district for thousands of
men, Yes, and in the great interior Of
Alaska $4,000 men could lose themselves
and no one would know they we're there.
The confines of the Atiin district are being
rapidly extended as new discoveries are
made in heretofore unprospected creeks.
SO far as knor a good showing has been
found wherever the prospector has worked
within forty miles of the original discov-
cry"
He entered the Office with an air that
stamped MIN as foreign About his -wais;
was cloth band d.rnly suggestive Of con-
ceaied weapons; many c0lored mulfler
hung picturesquely about his neck, and a
bread sombrero sat fiaringly on his head.
Do you know me?" he asked, doffins
his hat and smiling benignly.
The lone occupant Of the office confessed
ne had not the pleasure.
The visitor began slowly unwinding the
muffier. and seating himself on the edge
Of chair, said briskly:
Il am Brouard, the French traveller
Charles A. F; Brouard." Having partially
drew large package Of papers from mis-
breast pocket and ran them over hastily.
muttering to himself the while. ia q strange
tongue, what were evidently words Of pro-
iane meaning. Just as the incarnation was
being delivered with spirit that augured
violent outbreak the stranger caYae uson
paper for which he had been searching.
Here it is." he said. triumphantly.
The document was stamped in one corner
with q circle. in which were the words.
ArtistiQue ct Musical Francois Club" and
went on to say that Mr.. Brouard. the bear
er, had started penniess from Paris Nav
.. on wager Of $500 francs. 10 reach the
Yukon. The paper was dated in New York
and was unsigned.
BTouard next produced some newspaper
clippings referring TO himself and his at
tempted journey.
Il am here" said the traveller. "after
very many days of journeying. 1 have had
Tvlri,a NO., r
bed-stolen. But / persevere, for while |
was fool tC start out on such journey.
l would BE a bigger fool to go back with
o sNi,, ~in l my bet; ! am not crazy. Never
Is too much. Never again"
M Brouard acknowledged that he vas
oroken In this city and knew not how
he said. he would be all right for there he
would meet one 'Godefroyot Hurtrec a.
HaTbeval." who would assist him further.
"a. VIII reach the Yukon" he declared.
he said he was an artist. and had made
his way so far by painting pictures.
:.
The merchants of Victoria are planning
TO capture large share of next years
SON, prominent wholesale merchant and
outiitter of Victoria. says the merchants
OF his city have laid In heavy stocks for
n m;1i seasons trade and feel confident they
year. Admitting, as he does. that Seat,
tie handled the bulk Of the Klondike
trade last season, Mr.. Wilson says he be-
lieves the trade of the season of 1899 viii
be more equally divided between Seattle
and the cities OF British Columbia than in
1895 '' IA
There is no dispute as to what propar-
ton Of last seasons business was done in
Seattle" Mr.. Wilson said last night at the
Butler. But assure you the merchants
o. eafte VIII :, know sS that We Of British
trade with the gold fields of the north.
Victoria merchants have not been inactive
during the past year. They have made
their arrangements for heavy business in
1899. In other words, we will give the
Seattle merchant good race for their
money
Lester ": David. mayor of the thriving
city OF Blaine. Is In Seattle on a business
mission. He Is registered at the Butler
A Post-intelligencer reporter yesterday
asked him how it happened that he, a
after the recent Republican victory in the
state election. Il was elected by Repub-
lican votes he said. The only people
who opposed me were Editor Thompson,
of the Northwest Republican and his
father. who is a Wilson appointee, being
postmaster of Blaine 1t was the anti
Wilson Republicans who elected me-" Mr..
people OF his city Is In favor of the cleo
ton OF a Western Washington man for
United States senator
Peter Birrell. of New Westminster. one
of the best known salmon cannerymen Of
the Northwest, is at the Butler on his
way 10 California, where he will spend
the winter. Forty odd years ago he 10.
Gated in British Columbia and for the pas,
twenty years he has been actively engaged
in the business OF salmon packing Last
season with us on the Fraser was no bet
ter than it was with the packers on the
sound he said last night I'VE did no,
expect large business, but the run OF
Ash was smaller than we looked FOR With
us. you know, traps are not tolerated so
we had to depend entirely upon the gill
net fishermen. The season IN Alaskan
waters was better and We all hope for a
good run next year"