The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1898-04-09
An Alaska LErrrR.
H. 5. Back Relates His Kzpsrisnes On tbs
Trail,

II. ;. Back Relates His ExDerisnee % shs
Trail
SHEEP CAMP, ALASKA, Mar. Q, s9s.
EDITOR Pass: Here 10 the letter /
promised yon and many other friends.
! found Tacoma q sleepy town. about
twice the size Of Spokane. We boarded
the steamer City Of SEATTLE with mob
Of other people and left port overloaded.
We called at seattle and took on few
hundred more passengers and tons OF
freight. The total shiplOad was 800
tons Of freight and 75O passengers-
about $50 more people than allowed By
Law. About fifty dogs in cages were
on the upper forward deck, and directly
under this dog deck were fed 400 steer
age passengers, and the deck leaked.
Seattle Is q very lively town and does
more business than any other town in
the state. The coast IL apparently all
rocky bluffs. and there are miles and
miles OF waters like Lake Ceur d Alene,
but more abrupt and rocky shores.
Victoria 10 the most attractive town.
The parliament building Is Of granite,
and Is probably the finest public build
ing west Of the Mississippi river. Ju-
neau ID small town chucked up under
an immense bluff of rock. Skaguay
Dyea are about five miles apart and
there are about 10000 people in each
town. besides several thousand dogs.
The trails from each town are black
with people and teams, 10000 persons
having gone In at this date over each
pass.
Sheep Camp has about 5000 tents and
5000 people. The snow is about seven
feet deep. Storms and billiards hatch
out here In about six hours, but it is
seldom very cold. The road to this
town from Dyea is as good in winter rs
your roads in Idaho. A single team
hanls 900 pounds easy at one cent per
pound, making trip day. There are
about fifty teams here averaging SO
per day each clear Of expenses. Packers
make $40 per day and stop at home
every night. A large per cent Of the
pilgrims" here are second growth Scan
dinayi&ns. Flour Is IS per sack, hay
IS per hundred, lumber 500 per thous-
and. Everybody is in a rush; nine out
OF ten have a bad cold, and some cases
OF spinal meningitis. Most goods can
be bought cheaper at juneau or Dyea
than at Tacoma or Seattle, and cheaper
at Victoria or Vancouver than any
other town, with duty added. There
are no mountains here 70 compare with
those Of Idaho and the canyons are
TRIES. but for miserable climate this
beats the world.
or all the mob going in but few know
where they are going. Where the two
trails meet. at Lake Bennett, there will
be about 10000 people by April LIST. The
streets OF this town are about thirty
feet wide and two miles long, and are
crowded all day with men and women,
horses, dogs and oxen drawing sleds to-
wards the summit. l saw two little
girls with dog sleds picking their way
through the jam. The noted tramwaY
over the pass will not be done for ninety
days and poor thing then. Have just
received word Of a big strike on the
Big Salmon river. The coast routes are
very costly end dangerous. The Spo-
kane route Is cheaper and safer. Let
ters cost Eve cents out and twenty-five
cents In for each two cent stamp. lam
well and fat. Yours, II. S. BACK.
S. saw J. NJ. Daggett in Seattle.
He Is now on his way to Alaska with
four horses via Ashcroft.