El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-12-15

iug company The ground is covered
with snow, but l would not besurpriseG
to Zee a thaw any day. and ther
every thing will be mud up to youl
knees. AT present the river is practi
cally closed-frozen over.
81 don't know what we will do for
light, as we have only one can of oil
and one small box of candies, so that
when it gets dark all one can do is to
retire The first night a ter my ar
rival I chase all over this God-for-
saken spot to find place to sleep.
Some cabins on the "f1at" fit for pigs
were offered at 800 q month rent.
went back on board the ship thoroughly
disgusted.
''The next morning, Friday October
l, we started out and hunted the place
from one end to the other. BY the
merest accident I met fellow who
had just built two cabins. He would
not rent under any condition, but
would sell for cash. I made q trade
with him and bought one of bis two
cabins, 16x20 feet, and a lot 25x1OO
feet. There was one window and one
door in the cabin, but it looked like
palace aloogs ide the other places.
Tne location lis excellent, away from
the.rabble, overlooking the river and
above the deadly flat
81 ha e secured some logs and am
adding on another room, 12xl2 feet,
so that we can have kitchen and q
couple of sleeping-rooms, and hope to
be able to get another window, If pos
sible.
BLOODSHED NOT IMPROBABLE.
''Of course, everything is frozen, so
hat INF ofn OF
mosphere, which will continue for
some time to coma until the dry-ont. I
am .busily engsg in getting every
thing ready for the winters campaign.
The house and lot, when completed,
will cost 81 .O0OQto 50, 200 and I haven't
the slightest doubt that I will be able
to realize that sum next year if am
through with it.
''The condition of affairs is very pre-
carious here. There is possibility of
there being bloodshed on account Of
the starving population. The stores
sell nothing, and are only partially ELL
ing orders in rotation to the best o.
their ability. do not dare to move un-
til am first settled, Caches where
robbed nightly, and people are on the
quivive. In several instances thieves
have been detected and shot and do
not dare to leave this place without
someone in it, for to lose our supplies
at this stage of affairs in Dawson would
simply mean death. Money can't buy
food, and the actual staple of life, flour,
is unobtainable.
''The mines are right at hand One
mile above this place the Klondike ri
yer enters the Yukon: All travelling
must be done on foot, or on sleighs
drawn by dogs when the river is solid
ly frozen. It ia expected that it will
be necessary to freight from Fort Yu-
kon here, 300 miles. Freight cost last
year 81 SO pound; this year the price
is 81 a pound.
Klondike on account OF an attempt of
the owners to enforce a regulation to
the effect that on and after October l
wages will be reduced to 81 an hour
for ordinary miners, instead of the rate
of 81. so an hour, or $l5 day.
las the claim owners have no sup
plies as yet at the placers, the state of
the trail preventing supplies being
packed in, they have taken advantage
of the situation and closed down q num-
Der of the mines. The situation at pre-
sent is unchanged, and everyone here,
without exception, gets SIS day, no
matter how incompetent or worthless"
A copyrighted letter to James Cor
don Bennett, dated October II, from
Dawson City, says.
1.-THE announcement of the new min
ing laws, imposing a royalty tax and
cutting the size Of the claims to be
hereafter located to 100 feet, instead of
500, already has had a marked effect. |
Mine owners are cutting down the
number of men employed to a mini
mum, and those who intended to go
out prospecting are considering q
movement to the other eide of the
ia
er has announced that he will accept
no locations on new creeks of more
than 100 feet, or 200 feet, subject to the
governments reserve of alternate
claims.
"Were it possible for many to move
hundreds would go over to Alaska to
prospect. 1t is now too lac in the
season, for the river may close any
day, and then there will be no means
of moving enough supplies for the
winter. Many of the mine owners as
sert that under leases for the prese mt
year of their claims from their gov
eminent the royalty cannot be collect
ed, for these leases stipulate that they
are entitled to all the proceeds from
the mines.
"The weather still is moderate, and |
the river free of floating ice. A few
men well supplied with provisions have |
gone down to Fort Yukon, preferring |
to pros oect under American laws. The |
river is low aud there is little hope |
that any steamer will arrive with food. |
In the meantime, bostlosd after beat
load OF prospectors are coming down
from Lake Bennett, some well provi- |
stoned, but a majority with short sup
plies or utterly de ,titute.
lowing to the decreased demand for |
labor by mine owners, on account of
the royalty it is now probable that 81 |
an hour, instead of S1.50, will be the |
ruling rate of wages in Klondike.
The Baldwin Locomotive Works has
recently built an engine for the Cape
Government Railway of South Afri- |