The Republican journal., 1898-06-09
we concluded to take the bunk house.
We furnished our blankets and paid Csc.
a night for lodging and the privilege of

piece OF pie tor 2octS. GamDllng houses
are on every hand, and about the time we
landed the gambling element controlled
the city. Murders and robberies were of
frequent occurrence. 1t became SO bad
that the better element formed COM
mittee of 101, held a meeting and finally
voted to notify the gambling element and
the roughs that they must leave the city
at once. One Soapy Smith, by nick
name, who was the leader of the gamblers,
called his fellows together and finally
decided to notify the better element that
they were the people and that they should
not go. But the committee of 1O1 show
ed their colors by coming to the front
Soapy Smith with some half dozen more
of the worst element left town in hurry.
From the time one lands ON the wharf
at Skagway until over the pass and clear
of Lake Bennett it is nothing but one
continual piece of robbery. Every one
you have any dealings with is ready to
take the last cent man has in his pocket.
The moment we landed on the wharf with
our blankets we were taxed 25c. for wharf
age. In fact, Csc. for every piece of
baggage. The next place is the U. S.
Custom House. We called on the officer,
who told us we must employ broker to
make out our papers, which we had to do.
Instead of keeping one copy of our mani
fest they kept two in order to save time.
as they would be obliged to send one to
Washington, the other to Sitka. Our
bill was SIS The customs officer pays the
broker fee for making out the papers
and doing the most of the work and he
pockets a good round sum for his trouble.
Here we supposed our misery ended; but
no, we were then obliged to take a con
voy to the summit at an expense of 800
per day Our convoy told me he had to
pay the custom officer one half of it.
wonder what our friend Kilgore would
say if he could run his post Office in Bel
fast as the post master runs his in Skag-
way. He opens at in the morning and
close at p. m. When the steamer
arrives with the mail he posts the follow
ing notice: "Closed to distribute Heavy
mail on Queen and Centennial VIII be
issued as soon as possible" What do
you think of such a notice? How do YOU
think the people of Belfast would like
such a man to run their office. In order
to get your mail, or even letter. one
must get in line and take his turn. We
sent Mr.. Burrill, one of our party. from
Middle Lake, this side of the summit to
Skagway for our mails, with our order
for the same. He stood in line some three
quarters of an hour and when he reached
the window found to his surprise he could
get no mail except his own, unless he fell
into line each time. 1t would require of
man in this way one whole day to get
mail for six. SO one has to submit to the
inevitable.
March nth we left Skagway and paid
50 ton to get our outfit moved ) miles
Here we pitched our tent and business be-
gan in earnest. The canon is a wild looking
place. 1t is from 30 to 50 feet wide. with
immense boulders and stream of water
flowing below the ice. In great many
places the ice was worn through. and here
rough bridges had to be thrown across.
The trail from the first mile rose gradual
Iy until we reached P0rcupne Hill The
next morning after our arrival we took
pack straps and started in to move our
goods up the trail one mile. Each one
would take the amount of 80 pounds and
start off. You must remember we did
not have a clear trail for it crossed and re-
crossed the canon and wound in and
around over ooulders. There was a stream
of men, horses dogs, cattle, goats, some
hauling sled loads, and men with packs on
their shoulders, all going the same way.
Then you meet hundreds returning. One
is obliged to stop every few minutes on
account of sleds upset, completely block
ing the trail. Here with fifty pounds
strapped to your back and waiting
to move on your patience is sorely
tried. | can assure you there are many
trials one meets with on the trails to dis
courage them. A man with sensitive
nerves, or one religiously inclined, would
be shocked every minute. Language of
the vilest kind is used Dumb beasts are
abused terribly kicked, whipped and
jumped upon. Many died on the trail
from over work and abuse | have seen
some of the pack horses with hoofs cut
one quarter off and still worked, aud oxen
SO sick that they moaned every step they
took, and still the inhuman brutes worked
them. Once in a while one would see
man who had some feeling for his ami
mails. If ever there was place on earth
that needed a Humane Society it is here
and it would require about one hundred
men to enforce the law We remained at
Balsau Camp just one week. Our next
move was to Log Cabin, about ) miles in
the edge of the forest, where we remained
another week. Then our journey on was
to reach Lake Bennett. The trail for
about two miles is something terrible. In