The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-02
IS N EVERY RIVER
by the First Party Over
the Edmonton Route.
FORT LAIRD TRAIL EASY
Tho Canadian Government Win Proba-
= bly, Put q Railroad Through Over
y the Edmonton Route-Plenty
y Of Game and Feed.

Great Falls, April III. Q. A. Walker,
who Is experimenting the Fresno par
ty en- route from Edmonton TO the Yu-
kon and the first party to attempt the
trip. is in the city to-day. In the
: course of an interview this afternoon
had with him the Standard reporter
learned Ina it was one of the divisions
of his party which under the guidance
Of Jack Graham discovered gold on the
Peace river at q spot about half way
between the Pelly and Edmonton. So
far as gold il concerned he says that
the party has discovered il in every
river from the Saskatchewan to the
Nelson, neal which the advance divi-
sion of his party now is. The whole
ne explained, was divided
into four crowds, which travel about a
days journey apart, in order that feed
may be better and the country covered
more thoroughly, so far as prospecting
il concerned. Mr.. Walker says he has
no doubt as to the feasibility of a di-
rect passage to h Yukon and an easy
one IL that is all that Is required. He
was recently talking with big Bear"
McLain, formerly factor for the Hud-
son Bay company in the Northwest
Territory, but now acting as guide for
q Chicago party bound for the Klon-
dixie, and McLain told him that the
Fort Laird trail was a very easy one
and we'll defined by travel.
1t is this latter route which the road
IL built will probably follow. 1t is
good the entire distance, save perhaps
in one or two places where tun-
nels will hav to be made for a short
distance. In speaking of the defeat
Wednesday of the bill for the promotion
Of the Stickeen river railway, Mr..
Walker aid he believed the Canadian
government would now turn its atten-
ton to the Edmonton route, and If it
did a railway would be put through
without any doubt.
The trade in supplies for Klondikers
at Edmonton is something enormous.
One outfit alone purchased $4,000 worth
of supplies at that town and another
spent $13 900 at Calgary. At the latter
place he saw a carload of ~toboggans
Just being unloaded. although the sea
son for them was past a month ago;
The merchant who received them will
either himself be loaded up on them oil
he will unload them onto u~nsuspectins
tenderfeet. The weather at Edmonton
and north of there is much warmer
tina il is here. and much of the snow
is gone from the ranges. chinooks hav'
ing prevailed for several weeks. Rec
river carts. packhorses and travels viii
be the only things that can be USED
in transportation from this on.
At Sturgeon lake the party came upor
a 2O-mile stretch of as fine UPLAND
grass as one could ask. and every In
dication is that the country Is n oi
the best in the world for stock raising
This statement Is confirmed by w. q
Conrad, who has had experience there
There is plenty of timber also. and tn
country being rolling in surface. pre-
sents all the more advantage to stock
The lakes and rivers TEEN with the fin
est whitefish in the world, n moos'
and caribou abound in immense herds
while the wild geese which end thei
northward migration there are seen b!
the million.
Mr.. Walker selected the guides 70
the government party, which was sup
posed to be for path-finding purposes
but ended up in the Stickeen country
He said this afternoon that he shout
rejoin his party. He a means o
communication with them, and shout
anything turn up he was prepared I
start after them. He mentioned tina
at Mcleod he ran across Major Gee
Il. Mclaughlin, who had come in over
land with a band of packhorses, an
was intending to leave over the Ed
monitor trail with a party I'm a fey
days.
Mr.. Walker has had a broad expert
ence in Western matters. and his be
lief that his party will ultimately at
tain success has more than usua
weight. 1t is well organized, and
proceeding in a systematic manner !
its search.