The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-19
I1lk PRICES nuCIuA1E.
-.rarxTY OF NARkETs IN TINE
ruAsr TOWNS OF alaska.
INV Returns From skagway-
R>wsneers Working On the Rail-
-.aa Route 80 Lake Besnets-se-
-..,. w~n and New water Works.

~ lily. formerly assistant counsel
:. die Oregon Improvement Company. re-
,urned yesterday on tne steamer Queen
80, ekagway. ana il the guest Of his
,.osher. c. H. Lily. Mr. Lily expects TO
r,,uru to Alaska In about ten days. ara
-, rstde al skagway permanently. He
- been prominently identified with all
Elements which tended toward the adj
..r~cuaent OF the town. To Post-Inte.-
nr~ucer reporter yesterday Dir. Lilly
..,ssd In an interesting manner OF various
..fters pertaining TO Skagway. Among
ssArr things ne said:
.fus Of the most peculiar things about
ake~vay IL the manner In which prices
= almost every article imaginable fuc-
,usf.. For instance. IL was not possible.
x.,tnx lat fall. TO make contract TO
k.1 outfits and provisions packed over
sne trail for Jess than 80 cents per pound,
shae 10 November the prevailing rate
vss = cents per pound. The mounted
sfY ms 10 Lake Bennett at that figure.
a January and February one man and
bsss vsrs able to take 100 pounds from
Gse0w through TO Lake Bennett and
~ ~ In FIVE days. A, that time the
rnf6 vas on.y 10 cents per pound. and
IN mn was able TO earn 90 each trip
fsr himself and horse. The present rate
4 ffom to . cents.
al ons time last fall -four could be
beurht for 81 per sack. while q short time
sf,ervArd the supply or the entire town
vas completely exhausted. and l wasn't
able to buy q single pound. AT present
the prize Ia lower than II Is in Seattle. and
tsst before left I bought sorty-five bar
reIs q s per barrel. or Sis per sack. The
same brand OF -four sells In Seattle at
~ per barrel
Tho price OF horses fiuctuates even
more. In October os last year . first-class
span Of horses, a wagon ana a harness
could be bought for figure varying from
tiN 70 Siss. while In January and Febru-
AIRY such an outfit. firstsc,ass In every
particular. could not be bought for less
than ao0o.
When I left Skagway I would have
been able to buy the best pair of horses.
three weeks ago fourteen pack horses
we're sold In Skagway for 500.
Il stopped At Wrangel on my way 10
Seattle. ana BY making o;.igent inquiry
! learned that would not be able TO find
4 man who would make a contract to
transport goods TO Lake Teslin over the
e,ickeeI route for less than 80 cents per
pound.
X certainly have faith In the future OF
Stairway. II did not l certainly would
remain In Seattle. Two crowds OF engIn-
GERS are now working between Lake Ben
nett and skaEway making a survey for
the railroad line which Is TO be construct
sd. Every Indication points toward the
railroad being built. and the engineers
who made the survey last fall Informed
me fhst the proposed route was perfectly
sssaibls and that the line could be built
wifAouf any difficulty whatever was
tso informed by the same engineers that
aac hsavier grade than : per cent. would
b necessary. and under such favorable
circumstances there IL NO reason to pre-
vert the project being carried 10 q sue
ssssful end.
7 recently made a trip over the trail
taa beyond the summit. and when I was
tasre the ice on the lakes was unsafe and
decidedly rotten. Men were then engaged
Old summer trail. and by this time that
path IL probably being used Most OF the
people, however. are at the lakes and
ready to leave just as soon as the ice
hsaks.
Business in Skagway Is naturally very
quiet. but such condition Il TO be ex-
psestd and l am In no way disappointed.
he business transacted In January and
February was extraordinarily large. and
W expected the falling or which has
taken place. The market In glutted with
Foods and merchandise Of all descriptions.
and We expect that business viii eventual
y sest.e down 10 a normal condition and
vii not be overdone. There ara many
ase stores. and nearly all of them carry
stocks which range from $1,000 To SO, cs1
IA value
seattle men are prominently connected
wiz the construction OF the new water
seks and among them are Andrew Jack
sen, +. X. Whitworth and John r. Hart
nan. The water supply. as ycu know.
w - obtained from a mountain stream.
ana necessary a pressure OF 1000 feet
sa - Afforded. Pipes have been laid In
tessses,s, a large stock OF hydrants are
% Hand and II IL expected that the sys-
go VII be in operation In about three
ws<ka
Law and order 10 being strictly OBJ
ssrves. and think that IL would be dir
neas matter 10 find @ more orderly town
'aAa eaaxway. Court II now In session
~ s,tkA. ard believe that every lawyer
"a Alaska Ii present and engaged In one
: more cases Much interest In mani
sesed everywhere In these cases. ana the
ease0uas OF The trials VIII be- looked for
"sN 70 with eager expectation"
A. Csvsnaugh, another Seattle man.
sse ntarned from Skasway. Mr.. cava-
sssuea was also engaged In business at
.Aaswas. and expects 10 leave shortly for
ne klohd!ke with large stock OF mer-
sasn9iss