Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-06-09
Boats For Lake Bennett.
e. M. LAKENAN TELLS HOW THEY
ARE MADE IN THE NORTH
WEST TERRITORY.
Graphic Description of the Drowning
of Two Men, Whom Mr.. Lakenan
Tried to Rescue-No Night
At Lake Bennett.
% MI. j. G. Lakenan. Mexico. Mo

BENNETT LAKE, N. w. T., May 49,
Dear Joe: read your letter to-day,
together with some interesting talk
from Andrew, Sallie and Hattie; also
one from Mary Cue and one from a
friend of mine in Montrose, DIR. Allen.
This Is the first mail I've had since I
left San Francisco and / can't tell you
how good 1t made me feel to hear from
you all once more. One of my part
ners, Harvey Harper, came down
from the town of Bennett to-day and
brought the letters, which had been
forwarded from Sheep Camp.
We are camped about midway of
the lake, which is 26 miles long, and is
Just over the line between Northwest
Territory and British Columbia. Ben
nett, at the head of the lake, is where
the White Pass and Chilkoot trails
meet. We made camp here over a
month ago, having failed to find tim
Der suitable for building u boat till we
got this far. After moving u cache
down here, we proceeded to select our
timber and saw out the boards. We
used four trees, Waich made some
thing over 800 feet of lumber. Nels
Anderson and myself did all the work
getting out the material and building
the boat, while Harvey was running a
coffee house on the trail near Chilkoot
Pass. He has closed out now and will
go below with us.
We got out some very nice lumber
and have an excellent boat, which we
launched yesterday. 1t is something
like this: % feet long on bottom, 234
on top, pointed at one end, 4 feet s
inches wide on bottom In center, az
on bottom at stern, about IL feet
fare, 2 feet 8 inches high and 8 inches
| curve from center to either end; the
ribs are two feet apart. 1t Is rugged
| with two sets of oars and oarlocks,
keel, rudder and sail. We had plenty
of time and took great pains to put
none but good material into 1t and to
| put it together well. The joints are
| we'll filled with oakum and pitch. We
| did not plane the boards except on
| the edges, but would have done &C
had we paint to put on it. People
passing along here have complimented
| our boat until we are all bloated ur
about it. 1t will carry two tons and
| only draw about n foot of water,
but we will only have about 5000
pounds to put in 1t.
Both sides of this lake from end to
| end are lined with tents; the oecu-
pants are building boats. 1t is inter
| esting to GO around and see tho differ
ent kinds of crafts, from small pointed
canoes to big fiat bottomed scows
A great many, like ourselves, are
ready to go, but must wait for the ice
to clear off the lakes, which l think
now will be about the first of June,
There Is considerable open water or
| this lake now.
Fhe hardest part of our trip is over
now, so far as getting to Dawson Is
concerned. l do not expect to STOP
there long, however, but think now
that 1 will most likely go on down in
the vicinity of Circle City and try
some of the streams on the American
side, possibly Birch Greek. From
what / can learn / think the Big Salmon
excitement was a fake. | have talked
with men who have been there and
they pronounce it no good.
You ask what we eat, etc. Oul
principal diet is bread, bacon, beans
coffee, tea and dried fruits, but we
now have in addition to this butter
corn, milk, syrup, etc. So you see
am not starving, but living well.
My general health has been good anG
l have stood the trip very well, indeed
and a man who can stand to pack ant
haul, without the aid of dogs or Other
animals, an outfit of 400 pounds from
Sheep Camp to here shouldn't hest.
tate to tackle almost anything. Yet
have rather enjoyed the experience
and look forward to quite a pleasan'
trip from here down.
The weather has been elegant since
we have been camped here. There il
a steady south wind almost every day
which will make it good sailing in the
direction we all want to go.
My two partners, our two neares
neIghbors and myself rowed our boa
about two miles up the lake this morn
afflicted with cold feet, are sellin,
their outfits. l bought a few thing
at the following prices. We conside.
them quite cheap at this stage of tn
game-after the duty has been paid
Flour, $40 per 100 pounds; beans, IA
per pound; bacon, 1sc; package coffee
35c. When ready to go back We pu
] up our sail and had a fine ride to camp
L forgot to tell you that the timbe
here is principally spruce, fir and bal
sam, but when you come in this wa
you had better bring a boat with you
as timber for that purpose is about al
used up.
:. Traffic through here is at a standsti
since the lakes began to break up, a
there is nothing to be gained by NOV
ing an outfit further before the waite
t Is open.
haven't met any of the Missoul
Alaska people yet. Nor have l met
man in this country that I ver kne,
before; saw a man from Montgomer
? who knew you. His name is Mabry
> He said there were a lot of Mexic
, people coming over but he didn'
know the names of any except Charli
Dobyns.
I have a tent Sx10 feet, a heav
sheet iron stove and plenty of cookin
utensils. My bed consists of com
forts, blankets, a rubber blanket and
goose hair pillow. have made som
additions to my stock of supple
since starting out and think now ths
my provisions will last eight or to
months.
A very sad accident occurred her
on the 10th inst. About z O'Clock !
the morning a party of four men wit
A sled and team of four dogs came q