The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-03
FRED PAYNE ON The TRAIr-
An Enfertnintng Letter On His Ex
pesIeAees (sefttn9 10 the Lakes.

A. E0tcRt01ubn& LehteE O 1ho Exc
pesi@Aees Getting 10 the Lakes.
The fo.1xinx Letter from Fred W.
payr4 VII ts read with interest By all
who have friends on the trail:
II haze just returned from the summit
20 Skagway in order 20 get few articles
we need, and 50 take occasion TO write
again. / have received your two letters.
which were written early IN February, anu
have no doubt that they have been lying
ia the postofisce all the time. The poor
fellows in tns office are fairy iswamped
with mali. and are unable TO cope with
the tons upon tons Of mall received.
nave seen sixty sacks Of letters piled on
the floor at one time. that could not be
attended to for several days. II IL
big job 10 sc: ray letters. as people often
siand In line for six TO eight hours be-
fore reaching the windows.
All of our outfits ars at Lake Ben
nett. and tomorrow or next day we viii
&c over there and start for Lake Lee
barge q day or two later. A trip across
the lakes TO that point Is most enjoyable
now. as the weather Il fine. and there are
30 many thousands Of people c1mped ali
along the route that we always have
plenty OF company. 1t will only take
US eight or nine days. to reach LeharEe. -
the sliding on the lakes In like = bouie-
ward. and We can move the whole outfas
a. one trip.
Il have just been reading some OF the
late issues OF the Post-Inteiiigencer, but
tho lies told by some OF those who have
returned 20 Seattle in regard to the num-
Der OF people frozen TO death on the trait
are prepos.eruus. One man reports eight
people brought to Skagway in ons day.
This is falsehood. as only one man has
been brought In during the Whole win
ter and he was frozen by his own fault
n L.. Il =
tains any day In his shirt slee.es, and
actually did so on the worst day he could
find. but IN coming back In the night
he probably tired out and lay down TO
rest. He was known as half-crazy fell
low here, and / guess ne was There in
no more danger In going 10 Lsbarsa as
we are going than there would be to
drive between NiilIsca and Nodaway. in
Iowa The Canadian police have estab-
usnss stations and camps along the uae
SO that We could spend every night In one
OF Their campo. providing we wanted TO
do 80. BY doing as we are going 10. We
get below the awful 90 White Horse
rapids and Miles canyon, az you will see
by the map. and from that point IL raft
Ia as good as boat 10 eoat down the
river on.
IN surely seems like spring here now
40 the river on this SIDE OF the summit
Ii thawiDg rapidly and the snow is rap
Idly disappearing from tho lower hills.
Il do no. know. whether l can receive
any more letters from you fer some time,
but will try to get my mall brought to
Iebarge by some friend II l possibly can.
] will write you every chance / have to
send fl back on the traIl. so don't worry
IL there Is some delay in getting my let
ters. You might also send me letter
addressed 10 Dawson along about the fss
of May, as / Will, reach there probably be-
fore June i.
I'VE have two fina oxen 10 do our hau:-
ing down the lakes. 20 You see We viii
have plenty OF good beef when Lebargs
Is reached.
Tell Mr.. Pratt ! have started down
the lakes 10 &c. a barrel or two or gold.
Coat oil cars are becoming too common,
50 nothing less than 4 barrel Will satisfy
me.
II believe tran life agrees with me. as
today bought some new clothes and had
10 get them two nchss larger than usual
In order 10 get them on az all.
II suppose after I send this letter !
will think OF dozen things ought 10
have mentioned. hut | am writing this
in ,ha hotel. and there are about 200 men
about me loudly talking 'trAn.' horses.
dogs. exc. 80 IL Is rather confusing 10
a fellow VITO IL trying 10 write
Under the circumstances w. havs
20 ask your forgiveness If l have over
looked anything"