The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-23

from Juneau and Dyea regarding sup
plies and their cost in these places, ana
was satisfied that [ could purchase mere
or at Juneau at as reasonable prices az
I could at Seattle. and outside Of bacon;
cryStaliZed egg, some other condenser
foods and hardware, I was permitted to
Try i nave eAP pur 1ts $500 worth in this
place cheaper than 1 could have done IN
Seattle. Portland, San Francisco OF
Victoria. and l had complete lists from
each of these places, only what ntte
hardware 1 lacked was little mgner.
i left Seattle with six men and about
four tons of goods and machinery pelng
compelIed to leave our dredge on account
of reports which stated that 1t would pc
impossible TO get pieces weighing as
much as 800 or Loo pounds over either
one of the passes: this report 1 found
to be incorrect, as two weeks ago pieces
weighing more than loo pounds were
taken over without much trouble. On
leaving Seattle / was handed letter
by our president containing sealed orders
to be opened at sea. At first thought
perhaps he expected US to meet and
annihilate the Spanish feet, and on open
ing these orders the first line read
avoid the ChilkOot pass if possible. l
knew the presidents motive for this
which was not a. selfish one. but. because
Of the slide which had just occurred. he
wished US to avoid the reported danger
from other slides. We were bound for
Skaguay, where we landed in the morn
ing 1 started for town over one of the
worst roads I have ever seen, up and
down HILL through mud, slush, rocks and
corduroy. We reached Dyea, three miles
distant. about 10 p. m, made q hasty In
vestigation and returning over the same
road reached the ship at midnight.
While in the office of the d. K. T. Co,
on their wharf. young man Informed
me that he represented the above com
pany and would make a contract to take
my stuff from the wharf to Lake Bennett
for 10 cents per pound. and guarantee il.
This was rather a surprise, as / was told
at Skaguay, where the rate was 10 cents;
and subject to raise, that the freight
was higher at Dyea and that they would
guarantee nothing, that other destructive
slides might come ct any moment.
then offered the D. K. I. COM
pound il he would guarantee to lanE-my
freight within ten days. He calico up
Superintendent Hammond at Canyon City,
made known my offer. told him I had
about Il, 600 or Is. 900 pounds, and secured a
contract at that price and guarantee to
land my freight at Bennett within eight
days. barring storm or accident. At
nearly l o'clock in the morning ! had my
stuff landed on the wharf, having saved
to my company between 5000 and 800 in
freight alone. We stayed in Dyea nearly
other things that had been overlooked,
and leaving Canyon City on Sunday morn
ing April "a. with two of our boys. DR..
WilcoXOn and j. Crook. we reached Sheep
Camp about 10 O'Clock in a blizzard and
snowstorm. Leaving the boys in store
in Sheep Camp to follow on foot I rode
fairly good; but owing to the fresh fan
of snow and the turning out for packers
coming back. who warned me that II was
dangerous TO go on, my horse broke
through the soft snow twice and rolled
over with me. his head and mine coming
together once. but aside from a swelling
above my left eye, l arrived at the
Scales o. K. 1t was fearfully cold not a
man could be seen on the pass, and the
men on top, who worked for the tram
companies, had been compelled to stop.
owing to the severity of the storm. Here
learned that all my freight, Except our
personal baggage, was on top OF the sum-
NIT, and 1000 pounds had already started
for Lake Bennett. This worried me not
a little as j knew the duty had not been
paid, and wondered how il could pass the
customs; so. in spite of protests from the
boys and packers, who had returned I'M
able to face the storm, / determined to
climb the summit, and. taking my bed
ding on my back, / started. After about
three-quarters of an hours climb the
hardest ] had ever experienced. / reached
the custom office on top to find il closed
for the first time since the opening not
for Sundas. but because II was the worst
blizzard since the slide. and no one had
tried TO do business. I was fortunate
however. in finding congenial and oblie-
ing gentlemen at the custom house and a
good place 10 warm with wood that cost
3 cents per pound. That night ] slept on
the floor of the custom brokers' office
about y feet in the snow. Some Of the
mounted police. whom ] met before in
Vited me to a roast beef dinner
Next morning ! discovered that Mr.
Mckay. q freignter on the other side had
advanced $50 as part payment of my
Customs. and. as was well known 10 the
aui hOrities. the goods We're allowed to
90 through. About 9 4. n. Judge Irving
IN old friend and former Indian agent
NOW freightinG, brought my personal bag