The Dickinson press., 1898-04-16
THE KLoNDIKE TRAILS.
"A Comparison of the Various
Passes.
THE sKAGUAY ROUTE PREFERRED.

Our Correspondent Gives His Personal tx
perience Of the Various Trails and Con-
tradicts Certain Stories About Lawloss-
ness ut skaguay.
tFrom Our Special Correspondence
SHEEP CAMP, March 10.
just a few words about conditions
along the coast and the various trails
before we get any farther into the in
terror.
At the outset let me say that the
spirit Of Ananias is rampant every.
where. 1t broods over Dyea and Skag-
nay and lixeeers in the little hamlet Of
Fort Wrangell. It Turks along the Chill
kat and will soon strike the Taku river.
Seattle, Portland and Tacoma can boast
of some famous Alaskan pr~evarioators,
but their glory fades into insignifcance
when compared to those that exist in
Fort Wrangell, Skaguay and Dyea.
There must be something peculiar in
the icy winds that whirl down the
frozen gStiokeen and cavort through
White and Chilkoot passes. When they
strike the ambitious wayfarer or CO.
journer, they ruthlessly drive all the
instincts Of truth from them, though
they may resist never SO hard, and the
poor fellows are compelled to make
statements that would fill a Baron
M%unchausen with envy. Much of this
finds its way into print. l Am sorry to
say. And thus the public marvels-
For instance, at Fort Wrangell you
will be solemnly told that it is abso-
lutely impossible to get to Dawson City
with any degree Of comfort and safety
by any other route than that Of the
Stiokeen river. At Skaguay they will
assure you that a man must b. insane
to &c. to Dyea or Fort Wrangell, while
the good people Of Dyea are justly in
dignant at the ISLANDERS that come from
the wicked towns farther down the
coast.
The stickeen Route.
At some outlay Of muscle, money,
shoe leather, patience and time I have
made rather an exhaustive investigation
Of the various routes into the interior.
I have taken no man g word, for that
would be as through 8 glass darkly. :
While at Fort Wrangell about ten
days ago I went up the Stickeen river
in q boat about two miles. or as far as
it was open. The ice above, which in
places was piled so feet high, was oov-
cred by about two feet of mow, and
some who had attempted to make the
trip were giving il up d~isheartened.
The ice in the river usually breaks up
about the LIST Of May, and for q time, or
until swollen by spring rains OF melt
ing SHOWS. the water is too low for nayi-
CATION. Where the water is rapid the
ice has already worn away or is too
thin to bear much weight. In summer
it is 1s0'miles OF about as difficult river
navigation az can we'll be, imagined.
The 100 miles across country from
Glenora to Lake Teslin I know nothing
about, but allowing it to be as favora-
BILE as the Canadian officials assert the
Yukoner has about 220 miles before
reaching Lewis river. Operations are
practically begun for a railroad contigu'
ous to this route. but cars will not b
summing upon it this year, all reports K
the contrary Notwithstanding.
The little hamlet Of Fort Wrangell Il
thriving. I counted 1876 buildings tina
must have been constructed within thu
past year, and the town has a rather
more healthful site than either Skaguay
or Dyea. It has q full quota of saloons
hotels and restaurants, but 1t is neve
destined to be great.
Dalton, Whit Pass and Chilkoot.
The Dalton trail is good only in sum
mer. While its, grades are not sever
after the first 20 or so miles, it is ia
longer than the Dyea route, and tn
nov at this season lies anywhere from
2 to 30 feet upon it.
just at the present time and until tn
mow begins to melt the Skagusy trai
is the most favorable Of all for reaohin,
the Yukon. Miners are going over th
White pass with their outfits every day
hut before this reaches your readers tn
anow may be worn away and its diff
culties increased several fold The pas
10 some 700 or 800 feet lower than tn
! Ohiikoot; but the route is several mile