The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
IMPROVING TIE sKAGWAY TRAIL.
A Pole m Through the White Pass fer
Klondike Travellers.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30.-A man from Skag-
way says that tho work now being done
on the White Pass road to Dawson will make
the Skagway route the quickest and easiest to
the klondike region. A pole tramway is being
built from Skagway to Lake Bennett which will
be ready for use by June. Five miles of the
tramway are already completed, and the COM
pany building it expects to have it in operation
as far as the summit by the middle of March.
That will cover thirteen and one-half miles
of the distance to Lake Bennett. and by far the
worst part OF tho road. The track Is being
foored with rough ~planking In order to keep tho
horses out of the mire of the thawing trail.
The rails are spruce logs, cut down along tho
route and fastened to the ties with spikes. Tho
pnny proposes to carry two tons of freight in
each car from the SkagWay Pass TO Lake Ben,
n nett IN n n ,w@,ye h9urs 81 Ihe G = G VIII be 10
which will be covered by three relays OF horses.
The company will be able TO handle 200 tons of
4 macndamized wagon road is also being
built along tho skagway trail TO Lake Bennett:
this road is cCmplcued and in use, including an
$4,000 steel bridge at the Canon; The entire
be free for ali travel. but tolls will be collected
for the bridges. II Is expected that loaded
Lake Bennett, without rushing, the next day.
the White Horse Rapids. This line win be
n Vi . Wy AtNs ult WI vi IClKh loE
] cent n pound, and boats of two tons capacity
for $40 each. Transportation companies have
been organized and arc building barges and
boats Tor carrying, passengers and freight from
Lake Bennett to White Horse Rapids and from
there to Dawson and Circle City. By way of
these tramways and boats travellers should DO
able TO go from Skagway to Dawson, In COM
%paTatiye comfort, in eight or ten days.
The SkaRway man Is enthusiastic over these
enterprises, which he says will BIO sure to bring
to skagwaX a big portion Of the Klondike travel.
and prospects of his town.
II WAS among tho first gold seekers, bound for
Dawson who reached S~kagway last August,
city OF tents sprang up almost as IL by q mira
Gle, SO suddenly were the beach and valley COW
cred with them. On the last OF August there
were only three wooden buildings in Skagway.
ton of 5000 souls. The town is properly laid
out, with good. wide streets and alleys. We
have sidewalks. electric lights in the streets
and houses, "A telephone system, large, COM
Portable, steam,heated hotels, a church, and q
schoOlhouse. Skagway Is the baby city OF tho
Union, but ] reckon we're the biggest, most
bouncing baby tho country has ever had. And
NC propose to keep right on growing that way. =.
w have hardly "a yestige OF government OF
any sort IN SkaRway, but our town Il as moral
A United States deputy marshal Is there. and q
United States Commissioner divides his timo
between Skagway and Dyea. They arc the only
officials who have any legal authority. We
owing TO the fact that Congress has never
granted local self-government to Alaskan towns
they have not much power. Last fall when tho
rush was at its height we elected = Safety
Committee of One Hundred and One. but they
Seven is not likely ohave anything TO do. either.
mischief" ~