The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-31
FROM WINDY SKAGUAy
Ten Thousand Dead Horses Line
the Trail to White Pass.
BIG STRIKE ON THE DOCKS
A Floating Population. and the Report
of Martial Law Unfounded-Mr.
Howe Gives a Description
of His Visit There.

Al Howe, the W~ell-knOWn ~TeStdurdHt
man, who has been in business in this
city in former years. has returned from
Skaguay. where he spent a month. Mr..
Howe left Skaguay on the 18th of his
month, and at hat time the place was
i'm the throes of a bitter feud engen-
dered by the strike of the '~longshore-
men against the operations of the Pa
cifc Coast Steamship company, which
employs Siwash Indians at % cents an
hour to unload cargoes. The long
shoremen contend for Is cents. Sow
troops were in charge of the
boats when he left. They had just ar
rived on the steame Queen and were IN
command of ID. Wallace.
Snow on the Chilkoot pass was 40
feet deep and the tramway was under
the snow and imperative. There are
armies of boosters" in Seattle and
other coast cities urging pilgrims to go
To the interior of Alaska by way or
Dyea and the Chilkoot pass, and UNI
fortunately at this time OF the year
there are many induced to take thai
trail. which is much more difficult or
navigation than the White pass, via
Skaguay. and that. Mr.. Howe advises.
is not excellent now, but after June 1t
will be better. He thinks that plans
in course Of ormation now will be
perfected whereby trave will be made
comparatively easy before fall.
Every man going into that country
must have 1000 pounds of provisions
and all necessary clothing, before ne
will be given permission to enter Ca
madam territory. Skaguay has a float
ing population of about 1900. They, for
the most part, are there to-day ana
away Tomorrow. Dyea has about half
as many people. There is a sawmill
at Skaguay, many grocery stores ana
boarding houses, saloons, and Pal sui
livan. formerly of this city. has a bar
Der shop there and is making lots OF
money. Mr.. Miller, who used to run a
%stauran in the Combination saloon
i'm this city, has a restaurant there.
There is also one church there. Meals
range i'm price there from 25 cents to
75 cents. which is considered cheap FOR
a frontier camp. For Sale" placards
are seen on nearly every building.
Mr.. Howe advises intending STAN
peders to leave their dogs and their
friends dogs here. because they can
not endure the h%ardships and severe
cold. Fifty dogs that were taken up
there in February were so badly frozen
that they died. There are native dogs
to be had at Wrangel and Juneau.
They have the advantage of the Ameri-
can dog in that their feet are more
adapted to long marches, being lined
on the bottom with a thick. ough mass
of hair. while the American dogs FOOT
is omen and exposed.
As to the report that law and order
are ignored in Skaguay, Mr.. Howe says
that Is all "A farce. He was there for
a month, and during that time he saw
or heard of no serious rows or nghts'
The report that martial law had be-s
declared was false. This report prob
bly, started from the docks, where the
49,. SiNxaSh strike WAS in
progress. and where the soldiers are In
command. The report of the murder
of James Harrigan. Mr.. Howe says, Is
all wrong. There is much gambling
there, but the general conduct of the
inhabitants is good.
The Montana Kid" the well-knowr
prize fighter. is located in Dawson and
making money. He recently went e
Skaguay and returned to the interior
? with his dog teams and loads of mer'
+. chandise.
Mr.. Howe gave an interesting de
scription of his trip from Juneau L
Skaguay. The boat passage is from
half to "A mile and a half wide. Fo'
half of the distance, 80 miles. hug
glaciers. 5000 feet high, loom majesti
cally into the heavens and present
magnificent picture. From the moutl
of the Skaguay to the foot of the Whit
pass il is 16 miles. and all along tina
route there are lying dead horses, mum
bering about 10000. Where IL Is no
frozen the road is muddy and the ami
|, mails are unable to proceed over it. BE
: ing poorly fed, and exhausted from
/, over-travel. they sink n die in thei
tracks. Disease must surely result
from the presence Of such enormou
, quantities of decaying flesh.
The Copper river excitement, say
, MIR. Howe. is a farce of the veries
form. Persons leave there as fast a
they can. That is another evidence q
the labors of the festive booster" 4
the cities. Persons going into the in
, terror in the summe are advised not I
! take furs for bedding. Continual rain
soak the hides and render them use
less. Blankets are the thing.
Mr.. Howe was not induced to max
up his mind to go into the Klondike. III
z will probably arrange to stay in thi
city which he declares is one of tn
. best in the country.