The herald., 1895-05-19
THE NEW Ell DORADO
now the New Mining District Came to
Be Opened and Some Of the Diff.
culties in Getting There
With Whisky at One Dollar a Glass.
No Wonder They Starved

The public is familiar with the grand
scenic beauties of Alaska. the reverend
ing surprises of the inland ocean trip OF
16OO miles between the mainland and is
lands whose cliffs come almost to the
waters edge for hundreds and thouands
of feet, exceeding as they do in charm the
mountains and fjords OF Norway. once
there the magnificent glaciers and icoergs'
picturesque Indian villages with their
crotesque totem poles, the salmon can
neries. the great Treadwell gold mine and
stamp mill near Juneau, the largest IN
the world, all reached by steamer, toge-
ther with the seal fisheries are what to
the public comprise Alaska. But tins
is only the southeast edge of the real
Alaska, which covers $4,000 square miles
of territory and has system OF great riv-
ers whose headwaters are In the hocSy
mountains and coast range. The largest
of these. the Yukon, is 1000 miles long
and pours into the Bering Sea third
greater volume OF water than the Mlsslss-
ippi. It's delta is eighty miles wide. with
numerous mouths only four OF which
have been navigated or explored. In the
interior are numerous mountain ranges
ana great IoTeStS, VI Whleh eihiV'e HNeA
ing is known.
II is near the headwaters of the great
Yukon and its tributaries that the gold
fields have been discovered which IN ex-
tent and richness promise to exceed those
of California. Gold was first discovered
in 1860 by hunters of the Hudson Bay
com pany. who came over the mountains
from Fort Mackenzie in the far northwest
territory. the only white men who then
ventured into the savage and unknown
wilderness. The country was not pros
pected, however. until 1872 when one
miner ventured in and reported finding
coarse gold. The dangers of crossing the
mountains and rivers and the hardshlps
to be endured were SO great that not un-
til 1880 was the trip again taken. when
a party of twenty-five went in, finding
gold in many places. The next year the
first paying gold diggings were discov-
cred, and in 1886 the tremendously rich
Cassiar bar was discovered. From that
date every year an increasing number OF
men dared the dangers of the "trip. going
in the spring and coming out in the fall
with their gold. 1t was impossible. al
most. to winter there; supplies OF all kinds
had to be packed on their backs over the
mounains and fioated down the rivers for
800 miles on RATS or boats built on the
spot. The thermometer runs down to so
degrees below zero in the winter, and
travel is almost impossible after Septem-
ber, except by enduring the hardships
of Arctic explorers.
This continued until 1892, when Chicago
enterprise and capital furnished the key
to the immense gold fields 800. 600 square
miles in extent. and enabled the miners
to get needed supplies and to remain all
winter. They could then commence
work early in the spring. In 1891 z. ID.
weare f. E. Weare and A. A. Weare f
the Weare Commission company had
their attention called to the Yukon coun-
try by Captain J. J.. Healy, an old Mon
Alaska and knew its resources and needs.
The WeaIes have had an extensive trad
ing and mining experience in Montana,
being traders at old Fort Benton on the
Missouri as early as 1859. and had long
known Captain Healy. Together with
John Cudahy. the packer. and a number
of other Chicago capitalists. they formed
the North American Trading and Trans
portation company, and in the summer of
1892 took the timbers. materials and ma
chinery for the fine 320-ton river steamer,
=. b. Weare. to St. Michael's island at the
mouth of the Yukon. Here it was built
and launched in time to take a cargo
Yukon that fall. Sixteen hundred miles
up the river, just below where Forty
Mile creek joins the Yukon on high
table land overlooking the river, Fort
Cudahy was built the following year. They
erected warehouses. saw mill, ia free
reading room, a billiard hall and many
fine cabins. Supplies were Immediately
reduced 30 per cent in price, and plenti-
ful supply on hand. Flour went down
from $2l to ST. barrel, and everything
else in proportion. The company has
now invested $500, 900 in steamers, build
ings and merchandise. the demand for
which is outgrowing the supply. This
rpa1a ayfppSivp lroanQrtipO n nos a.
BILE. Then for the first time the immen Sc
extent and richness of the gold fields be-
came known.
Every year has witnessed new and rich
discoveries and genuine stampede to
the Yukon has begun. Juneau, thriv-
ing town on the coast and the base of
mining supplies there, is having to put
up tents to accommodate the crowd. That
this cannot continue, and, unless
checked. must result in temporary dam
age to the country is patent when the
conditions are considered. 1t is impossi-
BILE to get more than limited supplies up
the rivet at the present time. owing to the
lack of transportation facilities. These,
while ample for steady growth, cannot
take care OF stampede or a boom.
Those going in over the mountains can
only carry few months supply at the
most and they must then rely on the
trading posts for provisions to carry
months long, the temperature running
down to 80 degrees below zero. are not
great to those who are well clothed,
housed and provisioned. for the air, like
that of the great plains in the northwest,
east of the Rockies, is dry. Little snow
falls. and in that region OF intense cold
wind storms are unknown. Otherwise
life would be impossible there. To those
who are not well prepared winter means
awful suffering, perhaps death. Word
has just been brought out that the Alaska
Commercial company's small steamer
Arctic failed to reach tine camps last fall
with expected supplies, the result being
that the Thousand men who wintered
there have Deen on short rations all win
ter. it being reported that there were only
nine sacks of -four in all the camps.
Those who are best informed say that the
story is grossly exaggerated, for, while
some camps might be short. the majority
of them had ample provisions to carry
them until July, when the first steamer
goes up the river. There are also MANY
caribou and moose in the country, VIII ich
would furnish something to live on in a
pinch.
Supplies are shipped direct from Seattle
to the n outh of the Yukon, and are there
transferred to the North American Trans
potation company's steamer, the Z. B.
Weare. which takes them up to the gold
fields. 1000 miles up the river. The Weare
is commanded by Captain Healv who
had years of experience on the Missouri
as river captain. The Weare makes two
trips mp the river before freeze e-lp. win.
tering at old Fort Selkirk, 1900 miles ur
the river. The Alaska Commercial com.