Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-08-14
KLONDIKE FEVER ABATING ON THE
PACIFIC COAST.
DYEA REPORTS DISC0URAGING.
MANY PERSONS SELLING THEIR OUT
FITS AND RETURNING.
Joseph Ladue, Founder of Dawson
City, BOOms the kIOndiSc Region
as n Winter ResOrt-Says
Alaska Is a Great
Country.

San Francisco, Aug. l3.-During the past
week the Klondike fever has abated some
| what in this city, owing. probably, to the
discouraGing reports received from Dyea.
There are plenty of people who announce
their intention of trying the Chilkoot route
in the spring. and of those who are anxious
| to go at once a large proportion seem dis
posed to travel via St. MichaSl and up the
Yukon. Promoters of expeditions Icy this
route are ready with profuse assurances
that the trip can be made before the closing
of navigation, but in all cases they are
careful not to bind themselves in any way
to take passengers through this fall AT
the offices of the steamship companies it is
reported that the inquiry for tickets is di-
minishing.
Astoria. Ore, Aug. 13.-The Oregon Rail-
way & Navigation Company's steamer
Elder has arrived here from Dyea. The
Elder left Dyea on the eth inst. She con-
firms previous reports that both the White
and ChilcOot passes are blOckaded.
The route from Skaguay via White pass
is more level and easier travelling. though
twenty-five miles farther But the pros
pectOr is landed on Lake Bennett the sec
Ond lake above LindeTman, where travellers
by the ChilcOOt pass are landed. Beside,
there is plenty of timber on Bennett lake
to build boats, while there is none on Lin
derman.
Nearly all of the Elders passengers were
landed at Dyea. the vessel lying mile and
a half out in the bay. Passengers and
goods were Iightered ashore at cost OF
so ton for freight. officers of the Elder
say that not One-half the people will get
over the mountains this winter. Many are
selling out their outfits and returning. Let
ters from parties who went up on the Elder
advise their friends not to go this fall, as
they cannot get through.
New York, Aug. 13.-Joseph Ladue,
founder of Dawson City, is a philosopher.
His philosophy is simple, straightforward
and easily understood.
They say he unused in reCounting his
experiences this afternoon. that the Lord
has put gold in far-away places merely for
the purpose of drawing the people to those
remote parts of the earth. so that when
there they will realize that they possess
a far greater commercial value than the
mere gold. California was that way. The
gold took the people there. and then they
discovered that the state had far greater
agricultural advantages and that its fruit
Industries were source of untold wealth.
THE same with Alaska. You would he
surprised to know that vegetables thrive
there. Turnips, beetS, caDDages radiSheS
and caulifiower grow luXurtantiy. Potatoes
also grow, but do not ripen well In fact.
all kinds of vegetables and grain grow in
Alaska. and when the gold shows TO the
treasures of Alaska, there will be an exodus
from New York that will make the people
here wonder why they ever lived so long
without the amenities OF kloudike.
Just look at the lumber interests. for in
stance. There is plenty OF timber for build !
ing purposes. own the biggest sawmIll in
Alaska. 1t brings me in $3.50 a thousand |
feet. When | returned to this country laden |
with gold nuggets, 1 began melting them
up to put right back into machinery for
Dawson City. | have already started 20 or |
ganiZe a stock company, to be known as |
the Ladue Development Company, with a |
capital stock of 100000. / bought my $50 |
acres from the Canadian government for |
a mere song, and then / bought up eighteen |
acres adjoining the government reserYa- |
ton. That gave me monopoly of the en- |
tire city. and whenever anybody wanted to |
build house or erect a tent in the city | |
sold them lot for 5000 II they did not |
have the cash on hand l gave them an
option on the lot for eight days, which |
would give them ample time to take a run |
ND the gulCh and dig out enough nuggets |
to pay for the lot for their winter home.
There are only a few lots left and they |
are going fast, so my agent writes me. You |
know that l left June % last. The Their !
rnometer then registered % degrees in the |
shade, and people were hoping that when |
! returned would bring full complement |
of electric fans for next summer. The peo- |
is all bosh. When ! passed the winter in |
Plattsburg n. Y. two years ago, 7 suf- |
fered ten times as much from the cold as l |
ever did in Alaska. Alaska will be the fut- |
ure summer resort, when gold makes the |
people alive to the great advantages of ice |
Carnivals. Alaska also will be the finest |
winter resort in The world.
"On the strength of my connections with |
the great Northwest | am oVerrun with in |
vitations. All the clubs in the city have in
vited me to dine, and 1 am at a loss to /
know exactly how | can honor all of them |
in the short week that l shall be here. /
Still. for their sakes. and not to show any |
l will do my best to go the |
rounds and try to be happy. But this town |
is tame in comparison to Dawson City. At |
this time of the year the sun shines twen-
ty-two hours day in Dawson City, and il |
Is never dark. There is 10 use for electric |
lights in the summer, but. of course |
Will supply electric lights to the city upon
my return next March for winter use. |
will also introduce telephones and tele-
graphs"
Mr.. Ladue said further that there would
he a few churches more Sawmills, a bank
a free library and other new things i'm
Dawson City next year
ottawa. Ontario. Aug. 1G.-The Dominion
is fully determined TO collect
royalties from miners in the Klondike and
elsewhere in the Canadian territory in the
Yukon. Arrangements are now being made
TO see that royalty fees are collected In
spector Strickland, of the mounted police,