The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-28
A DESERTED SAWMILL.

Found by Surveyors on the Old Ju
neau Trail.
The steamer Boscowitz. the last to ar
rive at Seattle, Wash, from the North,
brings details Of one Of the strangcst
mysteries connected with the exploration
and development Of Alaska. For sew
eral moAthS the Canadian government
has had labortrs ut work surveying and
putting III telegraph line from Van
Culver to Dawson.
\ few days ago while working near
the Old Juneau trail. in Il dense forest,
about 100 miles from the coast, where
it WAS thought white men had never
been before, the surveying party, that
was several days ahead Of the pole and
wire men, made a strange and CHASTITY
discovery. AS they were working their
way through the forest they came to a
heavily -timbered marsh, and near the
center of this marsh they suddenly came
upon a tract of several acres on which
all the timber had been cut. Near one
side of the clearing was Il Sawmill, still
in good state Of p:eseryation. The
machinery had evidently not been dis
1urbed since these premises had been va
Gated BY the operators. With the OK
relti'M OF Il little RUST on some Of the
bearings. the engines seemed to be ready
TO tire w and start at moments no.
'ice, Fhe: boiler was in good condition
and in different parts of the mill were
wedges, Il blackSn1ith's forge with ali
its appurtenancos. a kit. Of carpentcr'S
tools, and other implements used around
:, completely equipped S:wmil. The
lumber :nf the mill itself had evidently
been cut on the spot, and there were
several thoustul feet Of lumber, which,
to Ill appearances, had been cut about
three years.
Near the SaWmill was a shed that had
evidently hct>n used for horses, and ut
intervals of il few feet around the shed
were the skeletons Of twelve horses, most
VI them, Judging from the bones, being
large animals The bones were entirely
tre, from flesh. Indicating that they had
been there ut its;l@t tWo summers. They
were lying in such positions as to show
that they had never been disturbed by
man. Lying beside the skeletons were
Wcather-bcatcn ropes and straps, the re-
mains OF the pack blankets and 4 guam
t,ty Of half-decayed flour and other pro-
visions that had rolled from the backs
Of the horses.
Near the mill were three small cabins
constructed Of logs and sawed lumber
and carefully stored away was a guam
tity Of provisions, canned goods, bacon
tanned small quantity Of bedding and a
grind<tone. and several pairs Of overalls
were found in one corner Of one Of them
Search was made, hut no human skele-
tons were found. The discovery was
made about forty miles off the old Juneau
Indian trail. and all conditions point to
the conclusion that the clearing was
lnadc three years ago, and the horses per-
iShed the latter part of the same season.
The trees were blazed on four sides, in
dicating that the party in some mysteri-
Gus way had separated, and were unable
to get together again. The members of
the surveying party think that if the for
est were searched the skeletons Of the
former owners Of the camp could be
inund. The theory of murder by the In
the provisions and tools would surely
have been taken. 1t is estimated that the
engine, boiler, circular saw and the rest
OF the mill outfit. when new, must have
cost ut least $4,000.