The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-13
In THE YUKON MINES
A Description of That Country as
Given by r. W. Kramer.
THE SUMMERS AND WINTERS
What the Natives Eat and the San
itary Conditions Among Some
Tribes-How to Get Into
the Country.

There are many mining men in Butte
who will be interested in a faithful
description of the Yukon mining dis
trict OF Alaska. F. w. Kramer has
spent some time prospecting In that
country and In long letter to II. L.
Klock OF this city gives hts views Of
the Yukon, which. he says ore "capa-
BILE of confederation by any truthful
and intelligent person who has been
there" He says that practically there
are only two WAYS TO enter 'that coun-
try, one being by the Chilkoot Pass,
and the other by the mouth of the Yu-
kon river. Only few think of taking
the latter route for the reason that III
is impossible to get into the mining
district early enough to do anything
to speak of the first year. The first
party. and / believe the only one, that
entered by this route this year did
not reach Circle City until July 20.
having been ice bound in the Behring
Sea near St. Michael. 1t was a small
party among whom were Chute. Lamb,
Briggs and Wheeler of South Dakota
and Fred Turner of Paxton and Gala
gher, Omaha. Neb. The season was
then within about two weeks of Its end
for this year-entirely too late.
Nearly all who go into that country
Tor the purpose of prospecting enter by
the Chilkoot Pass route. 1t is much
shorter in both time and distance and
Is far more practical for the reason
that one can reach the diggings near
ly two months earlier. However, this
route necessjtates much hard work and
some hardships. Over the other there
10 nothing to do from the time the
steamer leaves San Francisco or
Seattle until Circle City is reached.
Although there are three or more
passes across the mountains from the
Pacific ocean. there is but one. Chill
koot Pass. that is worth mentioning
and tt is the one that is almost uni
versally selected or chosen by those
going in over this route. The others,
among which are Whites Pass, Chill
kat Pass. all lead from and to the
same places. Once I'm the interior the
only practical way to get out Is by
boat down the Yukon river to St.
Michael and from thence by steamer
to Seattle or San Francisco via Una
laska. Only few ever attempt to get
out by the way Of the Chilkoot pass
route for the reason tlhat 1t is ex-
tremely difficult to pole and line up the
swift current of uhe Yukon and is very
dangerous on account of the lateness
Of the season with its snow storms on
the summit Of the pass.
very interesting to any one of a scien-
tific turn of mind. The summers are
short and hot: the winters are long
and cold. During the longest days of
summer. when the sun refuses to set
the weather at times becomes uncom-
fortably warm. but this condition con-
tinues for only a few days. AS soon
as the sun dips beneath the horizon,
though but a short time, not to ex-
a 4 hnaCr.aAc
rapidly. The mining season lasts only
about 40 days. when again everything
freezes for winter. The balance OF the
time Is spent in doing dead work in
frozen earth. During December, jan
uary and February the miners usually
remain in their cabins and try to keep
warm. / don't know the extreme cold
there. but Perry Davis Pain Killer,
which is said to CONCEAL at 20 degrees
below zero. F.. sometimes remains
frozen solid for several weeks at a
time Most of the time there is but
little wind, some DAYS still as death,
but nearly every afternoon the clouds
gather which is followed by a light
precipitation. AIT the mines Ii rains or
SHOWS just a little nearly every day.
III 1t were not for the short summers II
would be very malarious for the reason
there are marshy lands and swamps
all through the Yukon fats.
After crossing the mountains near
the coast the drainage is all in a nor
therly direction and by far THE greater
portion of II is thrown into that giant
or rivers, the Yukon. which rivals the
Nile in length and exceeds the Mis-
sissippi fully one-third in volume, be-
ing navigable nearly 1000 miles. There
are no high mountains in the interior
nor are they very craggy, such are
nearly al found along or near the
coast. The country is broken and hilly
until the Yukon flats are reached a
short distance above Circle City where
the valley wfdens out into a vast area
OF swamps and lakes-the prevailing
condition for probably a thousand
miles through the thousand islands,
after which the valley becomes more
broken again. Some of these lakes are
so large That II Is impossible to see
more than one shore at a time
Briefly stated the resources OF the
country are hunting. fishing, lumber
ing and mining. Although much is
said about the great abundance cd
game. 1t must be remembered thai
the country is very large and difficult
to travel One would infer from ths
stories usually told that game Is SC
plentiful that one can get 1t just when
desired. This Is far from being true
One easily earns the game he gets in
that country. IL must be captured In
season and in the right way or II can.
not be had at ALL Our party saw per.
haps dozen moose OF which thres
were butchered. but that Is all Dur.
ing the summer the cows get on rhs
islands away from the carniverous
animals TO have their calves and thi:
Is where We found them while WI
were drifting down the river In oul
boat. One might hunt a month ant
not get SHOT at a moose unless h,
understood hunting the animal and {.
prepared for II. One must have a dos
20 trail them and bay them. WheT
fighting the dog the hunter can choos.
his time and distance. But there ar.
not as many moose as some peopl,
think there are. The Caribou Of "a,
country all live in a few large herds
The thing 10 do Is to get close enough
20 make a killing. for once frightened
they will not again be seen that sam,
day. Unlike The moose. they can out