Daily camera., 1898-01-24
HORRORS OF THE SKAGUAY.
Hardships Of Men Who Have
Gone Over the Trail
One Man Works Eight Weeks Over the
Difficult Pass and Is Compelled
to Give 1t Up and
Turn Back.

Inc nOTTOTS Oh lue ohdS uaS u aii ia "
only half been told. a mum Der OF men
have recently returned from the White
pass (Which will hence1orwafd be
known as the Black pass) with stories
fit to sicken the stoutest heart and sub
due the hottest courage. One man, 1.
j. Rickard, of Seattle, bright and m
teil:g gent young fellow, with plenty of
pluck AID perseverance,, used his very
best efforts to get over the trail, but has
returned to more friendly land for tho
winter. and viii make another trial in
the spring. He will then go BY another
route. lie has had all Of the Skaguay
trail that he wants. To begin with, the
trail was never ready for travel, and
the 'promoters'' who are responsible
for all the waste of time and money
should be prosecuted.@ Rickard arrived
at Skaguay on the Islander. which de-
posted its passengers on August l, ard
so was among the earliest corners. Ee
had ar ordinary miners outfit. weigr-
ing LEGO pounds, two horses and $500.
He considered himself fairly we'll
equipped. Fe helped the others Ger
duroy the trail and bridge the rivers.
BY the time this necessary work had
been done crowds Of wayfarers had
arrived, and soon the trail was worse
han ever.
In eight weeks of the hardest work
he had ever done Eickard managed TO
get his goods to the summit Of the last
Hill. Then his money was gone, his
horses exhausted. and he had the choice
of wintering in the timber by the lakes.
while his food supply diminished, or of
returning to California ard earning
more money to again attempt the trip
o,thward He figured that if he
camped the winter, as so many are
counting upon doing. he would have an
early start in the spring. but would by
that time have only two months pro-
visions left ct the outside, and he was
already perriless. Rickard spent his
money for food and shoes for his horses
He says the difficulty of feeding horses
on the Skaguay trail is enormous. 1t
was necessary to go all the way back
to Skaguay for hay, and by the time it
was brought back to the hungry ari-
mails waiting for it the other animals
met on the trail, by each taking a pass
ing nip, had reduced the quantity about
so per cent. The horses are fond of
birch leaves, but they soon contract
mud fever, and, as they are insufficient
ly fed and not sheltered a all, they'soon
bec-Jlne worthless. Notso many are lest
on the trail as is supposed. They really
die from lack of care. Horses are a
good deal better on the Skaquay trail
than burros. although the best thing
of all would be an OK, which is very
good for muddy travelling and can carry
big load. The burros taken up are
almost failure. They are good over
the rocks. but no good at all in the
swamp. which forms about two-thirds
of the distance.
Richard reports the packers have lost
money on account of the mortality
among the horses. They would start
cut with 20 and return with II. The
most trying place below the summit has
been fittinglv named Dead Horse rulch.
Instead of one short. steep hill, as at
the Chilllat. there are five long hills,
ard Richard thinks it is harder than the
Chillat itself
Hundreds Of disappointed men at
Skaguay in SeD+ember were making
herculean efforts to reach the timber
that lies beyond the summit with Their
goods, there to spend the winter ard
get very early start down the river
in the spring. They must r,al-e haste.
for snow had already fallen.cn Ire sum
nit, and thew must make their camp
ard build their log huts before SOW
flies. otherwise they cannot procure the
moss with which to wedge the chinks of
their houses.
It takes strong back and weak
mind to become a successful packer.
Richard says. he also says that though
quiet and orderly. the Skaguay country
is the mearest in the world IT rains
there all the time except when it stops
long enough to snow.-Mabel C. Craft,
in Leslie's Weekly.