The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-23
HOW TO skip UP NORTH
Mr.. Mclean Has Lived Up There
and Knows All About 1t.
JOURNEY TO FORT LARD
That's Only $50 Miles South or Dawson
City-The Ascent and Descent of
the Rapids-Ice Breaks Up
About April 90.

Great Falls, Feb. 22.-While no doubt
the terrors of a trip into the country
north of Montana are very real, at the
same time there are many things which
lead one to believe that after all is said
the north is not such man-killing
place. w. j. Mclean, who IS now act
ing as guide in the employ Of the u
kon Valley Prospecting and Mining
company, was stationed at Fort Lard
for 10 years as the commanding officer
of the Hudson Bay companys post
there That was between 1868 and 1878.
and during that time he says he made
number of agricultural experiments
He found that he could raise wheat and
barley with a certain degree OF success,
While potatoes, carrots, cabbage, tur-
nips and even corn yielded abundant
crops. Fort Lizard is 80 miles north of
this city and only $50 miles from DaW-
son City so far as can be learned from
the map. In reply to an inquiry about
the trail overland, and particularly the
route down the Mackenzie river, he
makes the following statement:
Tracking up the Lizard from Fort
Simpson 70 Fort Lizard was never con-
sidered difficult by the HUDSON bay
companys men; in fact, there is moth
ing difficult about 1t, II taken at the
right time of the year-tnat is, when
of high water are when the ice comes
down with the spring rush, and again
when the snow first starts TO tnaW IN
| the mountains. The rivers break up
| from the 10th of April to the 4th OF
1 Nav. The first difficulty to be met with
| in tracking up the river is the rapids
| which extend for 80 or 40 miles below
the Devils portage. These rapids
1 commence about 100 miles above Fort
Lizard, and are certainly difficult to
track up during the period OF hlgn wat
er. In the early days the company
men used to shoot them with their
| loaded boats, going down with the ice
when it broke up. The Devils por-
tage is not difficult, as the ascent ano
descent from and to the river are easy
and the portage is only three miles
long. The best time to track up the
rapids is from the LIST al September K
the close of navigation, which is gen
orally about the middle of October
After the Devils portage lis passef
navigation is fairly good up TO ths
Brule portage, which Is a mile long
and from Fort Hall<ett to Francis lax
the river is easily navigabe IL suitable
boats are used and by a suitable boz"
| mean one that is large enough to car
nv from three to three and one-haI
tons, and not larger. There are mum
Der of portages over this stretch, pu
the only one of any extent IS the Bruie
/ ana II Is easy u 1lo50-. 1o'tA
portage is the dividing line between
the upper and lower Lizard. The waite
shed of the Pelly and Lizard is at Fran
els lake, Mr. Mclean knew of gold i
paying quantities having been foun
on the Lizard as far back as 1872.
was during his regime at Lort Liar
that an old CarS&so miner named Nc
/. Culloch came no the river from For
Simpson and went on TO the uppe
Lizard, where he washed out $4,000 !
one season and went out by the Deas
and Stickeen rivers.
THE water route via the Athabasc
and Mackenzie rivers is undonotedl
The moor mans route" Mr.. McLea
stated IF the boat IS the right KIN
t the miner can take it right through II
| upper waters of the Pelly by tn
| route