"The Stickeen and Teslin Lake route to the Clondyke gold fields is a long way ahead of any other route," said Mr. A. C. Trainor, who has just returned from that district this morning. "Why, for the most part it is just like walking through the Saanich district."
Mr. Trainor has been for some time past working with a survey party sent
out by the Dominion government to survey that district. The party is in charge of Mr. A. St. Cyr, the government engineer and surveyor. The old trail, known as Calbreath's trail, to Testin Lake was surveyed and eighteen miles cut off, making the trail now about 135 miles long. It is without difficulty of any kind the whole way, and to compare it with the Skagway or Dyea trails would be like comparing black with white. In starting out from Telegraph Creek, where the trail commences, instead of going around by the Tatlan river on the old trail, St. Cyr's party took a short cut across, cutting off many miles. From Telegraph Creek to the old Hudson Bay post on Cowcatcher mountain, there is a grade of about one per cent., and it is good level, rolling country all the way. From here to Teslin Lake it is all down grade, and when nearing the lake a chain of smaller lakes are met with.
Mr. Trainor says a wagon road could be built without difficulty all the way to Teslin Lake, and as for a railway there were no engineering difficulties in the way.
The country has game of all kinds, and there is no danger of any man starving. Moose and cariboo are plentiful and grouse and other game are so thick that they can almost be knocked off the trees with a club. Then again there are berries of all kinds to be found. The Indians do very little hunting and on Level mountains no Indian will set his foot. They have some superstition about a fiend who haunts those mountains and not one of them could be induced to go there on any consideration. They warned St. Cyr and his party, but of course their warning was not heeded. The whole district was thoroughly explored, and as a result of the explorations many new creeks, lakes and rivers will be added to the map.
The country, Mr. Trainor said, is literally lined with gold, and in their rush to the Clondyke miners are rushing over land where finds equally as great will be unearthed. Gold, he says, will be found in paying quantities all the way from the Cassiar to the Clondyke. A young man named Clanton, a resident of Victoria, who came down with him on the Farrallon, brought down with him $300 in gold which was taken from McAdam's creek in the Cassiar district. Trainor himself brought down many specimens of gold-bearing quartz, some of which he says, according to an expert to whom he had shown it, went $1,500 to the ton. Then agai he had a number of specimens taken from the outcroppings of what may some day develop into a coal mine.
Mr. Trainor came down the Stickeen on the Alaskan and it was thought and
fully intended that the trip she was then making should be her last. She is, however, now making another trip. Her owners did not want to sail her again this season and thought they would put an exorbitant price on her. Notwithstanding the high figure the miners met
it. Thousands were rushing up the Stickeen en route to the gold fields. The river was crowded with prospectors. And all day long a procession of canoes, boats and scows were seen making their way to Telegraph Creek. The storekeepers and residents of Wrangel and Telegraph Creek have not seen so many people since the Cassiar excitement. A great number of those now rushing up the Stickeen are miners who have abandoned the Skagway and Dyea trails. The water in the Stickeen is now very low and it is doubtful if the Alaskan will be able to get up.
The Yorke party was seen on the 13th of September. It was just starting from Telegraph Creek. The Jennings party was also met. It had arrived at Telegraph Creek, but had not then begun the journey inland.
Mr. Trainor says that one of the best ways to get to the gold fields would be to start from Victoria about the middle of February, go up the Stickeen on the
ice, and after passing through Telegraph Creek go up the Toltan river on the ice. From there a grade would be encountered to Cowcatcher mountain, which is 1,700 feet high, but the ascent being very gradual is scarcely felt. After passing the mountain it is all down grade and easy travelling down the first chain of small lakes and down Lake Teslin to the Hootalingua. Boats could be built here and preparations all made for the trip down that river to the Lewis river, the confluence of which river with the Pelly forms the Yukon. The provisions and outfits could be drawn on sleds either by dog trains or by the minors
themselves.
