Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-08-11


ILere Is a strong bond between thr
members. and TO the initiated the trial
and the artic winters Of the interior
have no terrors. The initiation fec
and advance dues amount 10 $l3
Friday morning GOV. Brady said
goodbye, and Geo. Bracket Joined the
party for trip to Dyea and Haiue's
Mission. Dyea is only two or three
miles over tine mountains. and Just
around the point OF the peninsula op.
poslte Skaguay. one year and one
month ago there were 1000 people iu
the Town, and IL was almost imposs'-
bic TO pass along lis main streets To-
day the houses are lcariv all vacant
lhoma. W. Wallace. IL former Tacoma
bank official. and his gaug of teams.cts
constitute the popu. ttiou OF the ely
Dyca has inner natural town site
than o6aguay. and from the tide flats
there is niue-m,le perfectly ,eYcl
stretch back towud the interior. where
Tacoma capital has invested SOC. 600
la q bucket live aerial tramWay eight
and one half miles over the summit.
hi, Is now i'm operation, and al pres
ent Is carrying HE bulk of the freight
over tine summit Of the Chilkoot pass.
ine rate I'D Bennett +, the same rs The
railroad rate 10 Skaguay, > cents a
pound. Etca bucket carries 400
pounds in weight onw ard and upward
't the rate Of four miles am hour.
Nearly tour-htths of the interior. bound
freight now goes by the DyCa route,
although 10 viii be ditTeIen. as soon rs
the White pass road Us completed 10
Lake Bennett, winch will be- by the
INN" Inns Ieter is published. Freight
low arriving at D5ea is subjected to
eAarge of = ton Wharfage, and 80
tons were received on he day Of the
visit The wharf extends for 1000
feet TO deep water, aud was built at
cost OF nearly 100000. From the
wharf the freight has 90 be hauled nine
miles by team to the tramway. no
machinery or article over 400 pounds
weight may be placed in or dashed to
! the buckets, and Al northern terminal
i il IS transferred by pack train To Lake
Bennett Another transfer from boat
TO pack train has to be made for five
mncs around White Horse rapids, and
from thence it is clear sailing by boat
or scOw TO Dawson.
The Whne Pass railway people AT
Skagnay say as soon rs they pull of
their construction train at Lake Ben
nett this week and can handle the
traffic offered, the Dyea aerial tramway
will be as dead as the town. The
tramway people say, on the contrary,
they can extend their line indefinitely
~ II cost of 81 c, 600 mile. and can OPP
crate 1t for $3.50 a day. 1t is capable
of putting 30 tons over the summit
every day, and the claim is made it
can be operated for year AT an CX.
pense about equal TO the cost of keep
ing the White Pass railway from snow
in the winter time, A rumor : in cir
culatiOn that the railroad will soon ac-
quire the tramway in order 10 cut off
all opposition, but this is both denied
and doubted. Neither of the govern
ments viii allow excessive tranSpOrta-
ton rates to be charged over either.
and rate OF % cents a mile fer
passengers and > cents a pound for
freight to Lake Bennett is not consid-
cred eXorbitant.
The few people now residing AT Dyea,
only the force required to opera,e the
tramway and do the teaming to its ter
minal, have signed a petition and are
in favor Of granting thei' port 20 Can
ada. They would give Canada n sea
outlet to their ijch interior country,
anC would wipe ont the customs rcgu.
latiouS II would revive Dyea and
make u an important seaport. but it
would be az The sacrifice of American
shipping and American interests on
the Pacific coast and elsewhere.
Even now, more than - per cent of
the merchandise going into the Yukon
district is from Victoria and Vaucou
yer, b. c., and is delivered in British
bottoms. Oae year ago the figures
were reversed. and American traffic
was in the lead. The people of Dyea
say this makes httie difference, a the
goods are nearly all bought in Tacoma
or Puget sound and pay the customs
duty at Victoria. The goods axe ship
ped in bond across the American terri.
tory from Skaguay and Dyea to tie
Summit and LAX. Linderman, where
they are released and again enter Brit.
in Columbia territory, The bonding
in transit privilege makes it desirable
10 purchase The goods AT Victoria or
Vancouver, Tor if imported from Ia
coma the customs duties are based ON
the value OF the goods on the sound.
If purchased at Skaguay, the customs
duties at the Summit would be- based
ON the local value of the goods. which
amounts 10 considerable Increase
when the cost Of transportation 900
miles northwarl by sea is added
| Practically all the trade Americans get
Is in pcrishable goods, which are not
allowed to be shipped in bond, and
are consequently bought nearer the
point of consumption. II the bonding
| IN 4 lstra NNar.. pap,nNaI 10 ovnnoI