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RECREA TION. 



ON THE CHILKAT PASS. 



Skaguay, Alaska, Sept. 17, 1897. 



Editor Recreation: I am here for the 

 winter. On arrival, we found many dis- 

 couraged would-be miners. Some sold 

 their outfits before starting on the trail, and 

 took the next steamer for home. Others 

 got as far as the summit of Chilkat pass 

 and then brought back their supplies, at 

 great expense, and packed them over the 

 Dyea trail, paying the Indians as high as 

 40 cents a pound. 



Messrs. Street and Wenzel, my partners, 

 and I started in to buy outfits and sell them 

 over. We did a good business, for awhile, 

 but then the steamers brought merchants, 

 with a full line of supplies, which put prices 

 of general merchandise almost on a par 

 with those ruling at Seattle. I surveyed 

 the town site and made a map of it. In 

 this way I picked up some dust that comes 

 handy. There is a great demand for lots 

 and cabins. I am locating on lots and my 

 partners are putting up cabins. We each 

 have filed on a lot and have cabins on them, 

 which we could easily sell for $250 each. 



The cabin we live in is the cosiest and 

 best in town. I must send you a picture of 

 it and the surroundings. We have our mus- 

 ical instruments and firearms strung up, all 

 around the interior. We never have less 

 than a dozen visitors, any evening, and 

 they are as fine a class of gentlemen as 

 you would meet anywhere. They are such 

 people we meet at the Sportsmen's Show. 

 Almost everyone here has ready money. 

 Among them are dozens of correspondents 

 for newspapers and magazines. Mr. Ker- 

 ney, representing a New York daily is here, 

 now, waiting for a chance to see the trail; 

 but will not be able to start for several days, 

 for the storm of yesterday and last night 

 carried away the first bridge. It is impos- 

 sible to ford the river, now, as it is still 

 raining and blowing hard. 



Every day brings dozens of men back 

 from the pass, the most discouraged and 

 worn out mortals you could imagine. Some 

 of them are sick in body, as well as in spir- 

 its. Two men from Seattle have been pack- 

 ing 7 weeks, on this trail, with 3 horses. 

 They had crossed the summit, got as far as 

 the meadow and, seeing it was impossible 

 to go farther, sold their outfit for less than 

 Seattle prices. They had but one horse left 

 and he was almost dead. To-day they 

 struck our camp and will wait for the next 

 steamer home. They say they are almost 

 afraid to close their eyes, lest the scenes of 

 the trail may come up before them; and 

 they are not pilgrims by any means. They 

 have been to all the great gold camps, for 

 the past 10 years. 



Mr. Street and I have been over the trail. 

 We went with a pack train of 6 horses, 

 loaded with feed. After the outfits get over 

 the summit, they have to bring back all the 



horses, have them re-shod and pack all the 

 feed they can carry. 



We each had a pack of 70 pounds on our 

 backs, and I led a horse and carried camp 

 kettles, etc. We made 12 miles the first 

 day, through mud almost waist deep, over 

 sharp, high rocks; over stumps and roots, 

 and ducking under low branches of trees. 



If a man should stop and look ahead, he 

 would say, " We can't possibly get through 

 here." But that is not the way it is done. 

 You just keep putting your feet in front 

 of you, and take chances as to where you 

 will land. Sometimes through the mud, 

 you will strike the point of a rock and slide 

 several feet. Sometimes your foot will 

 strike a loose stone, and will give your 

 ankle a terrible wrench. Again you will 

 catch your toe under a root, and fall on 

 your face, in the mud. All this time you 

 have to watch for the horse behind you, 

 for he often falls your way. There is a 

 dead horse for every 100 yards of trail; and 

 every rock, sticking out of the mud, is cov- 

 ered with blood where horses have struck 

 their legs. The mare I was leading, tried 

 twice to throw herself down the canyon. 

 Several horses have been successful in 

 this. 



That night we went into camp where there 

 was no firewood, and pitched our tent on a 

 rock, between 2 green trees, about 5 feet 

 apart. We had a wall tent, 10 x 12, and you 

 know what small quarters we were in. It 

 was raining hard and about 10 o'clock 2 

 men came and begged us to let them in. 

 We consented and before morning we were 

 all driven out, by the river rising to our 

 bedding. 



It rains almost every night, and is foggy 

 during the day, with few exceptions. When 

 we do have a clear day, we can appreciate 

 it. The mountains are grand — to look at. 



We thought our cabin the best place on 

 earth, when we got back. The moon was 

 shining on it, and inside were several jolly 

 friends to welcome us. We were covered 

 with mud, from head to foot. After taking 

 a bath and putting on clean clothes, we had 

 a good supper and some music; and with 

 the exception of very sore feet, I was O.K. 

 Still, I could not help thinking of the poor 

 unfortunates who keep right on, from week 

 to week, with no chance to change their 

 wet clothes. After getting to Lake Ben- 

 nett (if they ever do) it is hard to buy any 

 kind of a boat for less than $500. 



Mr. Truerman, instructor in athletics, at 

 Seattle, my partner, Bob, and I went up in 

 the mountains, just West of Skaguay bay, 

 on a hunting trip. We took sleeping bags 

 and provisions ior 3 days, a Marlin and a 

 Winchester rifle and a shot gun. We had 

 been told, by the Indians, there were plenty 

 of sheep, caribou, moose and bear. 



We climbed almost straight up, for 2 

 days, camped at timber line, and didn't see 

 a living thing larger than a deer fly. These 



