Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-07-18
CAPT. pRAT1'S PARTY.
DeIawareans Have Left Seattle and Are o
Their Way to Unalaslsa Island, Alaska.

This prospecting party headed by
Porf. W. A. Pratt OF this city, which
left here the latter part of June for
trip to Alaska IN the interests OF come
mine owners, reached Seattle, WASH,
on June 2sth, aud is now on the way |
to. Unalaska Island, Alaska. Capt |
Peter B. Ayars has received an inter-
esting letter from Harry L. Maier,
member of the party, dated June 30th,
which contains tho following Interest,"
ing information:
"We arrived here on Friday evening
at 6. so O'Clock, after having bean de
| Calgary, N. W. Z. The Canadian
Pacific ttaokmen are on strike. The
company offered the men So and So a
day to work clearing the track, but
| the mon refused the offer. Finally, the
1 company obtained some foreigners and
placed them under mounted police pro-
lection. One train was held up for 20
hours, one for 36 hours and one for IL
hours. We missed our connections at
Huntington junction for Seattle aud
had TO 90 to Van Couyer We left Van
Couyer at 9. 20 Friday morning
sit is Impossible for me to describe
the country through which we passed.
The scenery is marvellous. The lakes
through Ontario, prajries, snow capped
mountains, water tallssand rapids IN
Northwest Territory are simply won
derful. We could see game, such as
prairie chickens, pheasants, quail and
partridges, all along the route. The
trim across the continent will be re-
membered by me always. We had
splendid weather.. 1t was cool all the
way over, except 10 Pennsylvania and
New York. In the Rockies the cars
were heated. There was snow storm
in the Rockies on Wednesday. In fact,
when we crossed over them snow was
lying at some places along the track,
something very unusual for so late In
the season.
Seattle is an interesting city. 1t is
built on hills, chiefly more pronounced
grades than Third street hill, between
,, Iatnall and West streets, in Whining
ton, and great deal longer, running
from six to eight squares. Very few OF
the streets are paved and they are not
kept In the best of condition 80 far as
i, cleanliness ia concerned. The majority
of the streets In this business section,
especially up the hills, are paved with
. four -inoh planks laid diagonally to the
direction OF the street. In the resi-.
. dence portion some of the streets are
=. Mother Earth emoothed up; others
. look like plowed field. The city ha.
both trolley and cable cars. The ware
houses on the water front are all hull
on Filings; in fact some Of the bust
ness houses near the water front arr
9 also on the same kind of foundation
9 The business people here are hustlers
y The stores are models. We were ou
= buying our goods yesterday and go
Y into a great number OF stores. w
2 found what we wanted and prices jus
2 as good as in. the East. The hardwar
y stores attracted my attention most
y They are largo, we'll lighted and clea
and have q iine Of etook better thai
many stores in Philadelphia. The dr.
goods, grocery and tobacco stores ar
i. on par with the hardware stores. Tn
number and size of the hotels for
place of population of $4,000 is mar
: yelous. The Hotel Seattle, at whic
l. we are stopping, occupies triangula
!. block and is six stories high. 1t ha
y 100 large rooms. 1t is not the lsrges
+ hotel. The hotels and restaurants ar
l. numerous. Most of the guests at tn
= hotel dine at the restaurants. Th
prices for meals are about the same a
!. d in the East. The people here US
~ neither paper money nor pennies, BIT
u chiefly gold, and there appears to b
ri plenty OF III.
~ y, 1.-The residential portion of the cit
=. is scattered over large area. Th
30 houses are mostly frames, there beln
% very few of brick. There arc very fe
y fine residences. There are three
., theatres and number of parks situate
% - on Lake Washington and the Sount
= The temperature here is very cool, tt
. thermometer standing at from 62 to
=, =. degrees. The women wear fur cap
Il :; and collars and the men light owe
- coats. -
According to the letter all in IL
party are 10 good health. They hi
planned to sail on July I'd for Dutc
~ Harbor, Unalaska. They expect
~ ~, return to Seattle about August 5tl
- and will bs quartered from the 9th
,,r the 10th at room 75, Star Boyd Bull
an an lug, in that Gity. They hone to retu
;s an to Wilmington the latter part of Angus