The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-04-14

ooys' Inc ooyS are now in Alaska and
write me quite often. One went there in
August, 1897, and the other in December
last. L enclose copy of their last letter
giving an account of that country and sur
roundings as they see it, L. Goopw1N
Geneseo, Kansas, March 30. 1898
SkAGwAY, March 5, 1903. We are now
on the Skagway trail and you will send
letters in future to Skagway. We are in
good health although there has been con-
siderable sickness here. Several have died
from spinal meningitis | presume YOU
have read great deal in the papers about
this place. There is great rush here at
present. l think it is time people in the
east were getting over this excitement.
They little know what they are running up
against. There are thousands of men com.
ing here with just money enough to get
them here and buy small outfit. Then
they have to go to work to get money to
pay their duties. In few DAYS the road
through the canon on the ice of the river
will break up and then they will have to
patronize wagon road which will Charge
two cents per pound toll. At present
goods from Skagway are laid down at Lake
Bennett for 10 cents per pound, and when
the snow is gone the rate is likely to ad-
vance to p or 80 cents per pound 1t is
aS mai tod tbat bar ill g.
every dollar that is dug out this year.
The Pacific coast papers keep booming
away, and | see advertisements in the
Sound papers of tramways, and not one of
them is completed or likely to be for the
! next two months. They take contracts
| and haul the goods to Skagway on bob
sleds, then hire it packed over the sum
nit when the weather will admit. As a
result thousands of tons of stuff are now
at Sheep Camp, with the owners waiting
there at big expense.
We are getting along finely. We have
horse, which with harness, sled and
feed for the job stands us 5000 We have
got all our stuff to the summit except our
clothes and cooking utensils, which is
practically the battle fought. The snow
is four feet deep on level in the valley,
and ne one knows how deep it is on the
mountains. The trail is crowded with
people, as it was last fall when we tried to
get over and were held back by heavy
rains and floods. The roads are much
better now. We haul 500 pounds from
Skagway to our cabin, II miles, and
make one trip day; and from there to
the summit, 5 miles, we haul 500 pounds
and make two trips per day. From the
summit to Shallow Lake, where we shall
make our next camp, we can haul 1,500
pounds. From there to Lake Bennett, 10
miles, the way is rough and we can haul
only 500 pounds.
Since we got our stuff to the summit we
have been hauling stuff for other parties,
making s12 per day. Hay is $50 per ton,
and OATS s.. 80 per hundred pounds. Broth
/ er Charlie and have l.300 pounds of pro
visions, and shah get them over to Lake
4 Bennett without any expenditure of
money, and weshall, perhaps, make lit
tie on the outside. Then we shall sell our
I, horse. Our goods are all on the summit
and ten days will put us at Lake Bennett
| where we will build our boats, and the
last of May or first of June go down the
river.
II. f. Martin and p A. Goddard, who
were with me when we tried to go over
the mountains in September and October.
will be with us, but every one has his
own outfit, and our paths are likely to be
in different directions after we get to
j Dawson City.
We have had at last some real Arctic
weather, such as supposed prevailed here
most Of the time. We had fifteen DAYS
with the mercury lowering about zero on
this side of the summit, while on the
other side it was from 40 to so below. A
distance of five miles, and often of one
mile, will make a great difference in the
temperature. But despite the cold, cases
| VI iloOLiuS nave DteL very rare, ANU peO-
pie have been coming out and going in all
winter and are still coming and going.
Since March came in we have had inc
weather. 1t scarcely freezes at night and
the sun is very warm and bright. We
shall have photograph taken of our
cabin and perhaps of some other places to
to send home. The summit of the noun
tain ard its approaches would make a
beautiful picture. On a fine day you may
see 500 horses and sleds going up, making
black line three miles long on the snow.
Men are murdered here every few days.
The roughs of the Pacific coast are here
running saloons and gambling houses,
and those who bet on the games are sure
to be robbed. There are three companys
of troops here, and there is talk of pro-
claiming martial law, which would be a
good thing for the people.
There is an old lady next door who is
very kind to us. She bakes us light bread,
for which we furnish her wood and wa
ter. | took her to town with me yester-