The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-27

skagway has heard rumors that she 10
reaAy going 20 have railroad, and Skag-
way cilzens are very mitch excited and
s'a'eo over the fact. They have as yet
only heard runors and do no. know that
contracts have been let for tho building
OF the road and the materials that win be
used IN ITS construction That is. they did
not Know il up to the time Attorney Will
lam IL. Lewis. of this city. left there, last
Saturday. BY this time several OF the
gangs OF workTnen have arrived and they
know all the details Of the new read.
As result OF the news wa.er front
property at Skagway went I'd at a re-
markaaie rate. There was a strong de-
mand, and the supply began to shorten up
immediately. From $50 to 81, so q 10, was
pad. and it Is believed that the purchases
were made by people representing the
raliroad company. This belief WAS
strengthened by the fact that wherever
possible entire blocks were purchased.
MT. Lewis has been in Alaska for the
past thrse weeks on business connected
win the Skagway Light and Water Com
pany. OF which organization ne is secre-
tary. tie left Skagway last Saturday, on
lne steamer Islander. and came over from
victoria yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Lewis
was seen by Post-Inteiiigencer reporter
and said:
The people of Skagway heard very en-
couraging news during the last week Of
my stay IN that prosperous town They
got wind Of the railroad that is to be built
into the interior. and were very much
elated. some one was on the ground to
purchase water front property, and prices
went up With bound. 1t is presumed
mat the purchases were being made for
tne rairoad company, as wherever posi-
Ole entire blocks were secured. An old
indian woman reasoned this out, and may
make stake out of Ii in the end. She
owned twenty-five-foot lot IN block of
valuable tide land property. The buyer
had secured everything else in the block,
and at last went 10 the cid Indian woman.
She demanded s.. 500 for her lot. although
lots twice the size had sold for 500. she
was stiii IN possession of the property
when l left.
''On June 10. at the latest. water will be
turned into the pipes OF the Skagway
Lagnt and Water Company, and the new
est town on earth will have as fine wat
er system as there is north OF the Sound.
The laying of pipes in the streets of the
city has about been completed. The water
is taken from a stream that comes over
a bluff about 1900 feet from the heart OF
the city. There is a 50o-foot fail. and an
enormous power can be developed at little
cost. We put in a dam at the edge of the
blum and erected reservoir. so that the
pressure on the pipes in the city would
not be so great. This gives a fail Of l25
feet for the city water. The power plant
will be erected above the intermediate res
ervoir.
I'VE expect to have an electric light
plant in operation by fall. Tho city Is
putting in fire plugs, and We Will furnish
fire protection for $25 per month, which
is the same as Juneau pays. There was
considerable discussion over The point
The Skagway city council got a promise
out of one OF our former managers to fur
nish this water for nothing. He had no
authority to make such proposition, ana
Of course We refused to abide by II. An
drew Jackson. ex-ch.ef of police OF this
city. is IN charge Of our construction
work.
THE feeling at Skagway is much better
than 1t was a few weeks ago. Business is
very dull there now, but the citizens ex-
pected it. They believe that when the
gold boats arrive, in July, the rush will
begin over again, and that the trails will
be as black with people as they We're last
year. They are cleaning up the city and
show an excellent spirit. The citizens
raised $1,000 the day before l came away
TO build q wagon road from the summit
TO Lake Bennett.
According to the count made by the
British custom house officials at ihe sum-
nit OF the Ch.lkoot and White pass trails,
2i.Ooo people went over the two routes this
year. This is by actual count, and the
figures have just been given out. 1t is es-
timated that 5oeo OF this number are now
encamped at Lake Lindeman and Lake
Bennett"