Omaha daily bee., 1897-09-09
FOOD IS SCARCER THAN GOLD
Material to Eat Not Very Plentiful in the
Gold Fields.
REPORTED RATION SHORTAGE CONFIRMED
Returned tiondiiScr Says that stores
VIII lie Exhausted Before the
Winter is Half over
Famine Inevitable.

EUREKA Cal, Sept. S.-The news by the
steamer National City, from st. Michaels,
corroborates all that has been read of the
prospects of short rations in the gold dig
gngs of the upper river during the winter.
The steamer, which connected with the river
steamer ]. J. Healy at the mouth of the
river brought three passengers. One of
these is J. A. Ralston of 2l4 McCallister
street, San Francisco He says there is gold
and lots OF 1t in the Klondike. 1t is believed
that the claims now located could turn out
fifty tons this winter II the scarcity OF food
did not prevent full operation. He gives a
rough guess that the Kondike is good for
S25O,OOO,OO 600 before petering out. Six thou
sand men in the mines about Dawson City
is the estimate of Ralston, who came down
on the National City with Il. II. Leonard of
Naimo b. c., and r. b. Lamb of Port
land Ore. The supply of the necessaries of
life to feed these men. he says is totally
insufficient In fact, he estimates that the
stores will be exhausted before the winter is
half over. when the famine will be on in
earnest and especially as the number of
men In the country will be greatly aug,
mented by the later arrivals over the passes.
There is whisky, beer, and all kinds of
liquor I'm profusion, he says but their places
could have been better filled on the steam
ers with -four. 1t is not that the men in
the country have no money to buy supplies,
but that the stocks of the stores are made
quate
Ralston says that one of the best claims
on Eldorado is the property of James Hall
of Missouri. 1t will turn out at least ST.
100000. Claim No. II on Eldorado is also
very rich. 1t is no uncommon thing to take
out two ounces to the pan from any part of
the claim. What wealth is coming by the
steamer Excelsior cannot be estimated. Those
of the passengers of the Healy who came to
st. Michaels were very reticent as to their
store Of dust.
With the exception OF Ralston and his
companions all the passengers of the Healy
took passage on the Excelsior. That vessel
left st. Michaels the night of August 26 with
eighty passengers. 1t put into Onalaska for
coal and Captain Anderson of the National
City is of the opinion that the Excelsior
should arrive in San Francisco today.
When the National City left ST. Michaels
the steamer Cleveland was being put in bal
last and expected to sail for sound ports on
August 30. Many of the passengers who had
tickets for the Cleveland took passage on the
Excelsior. On the way down the river from
Dawson City, which place the steamer Healy
left August IA, the steamer Weare found
hard fast on a bar 1t was passed on the
18th, being about / 200 miles from the mouth
of the river The boat had been on the bar
for twerty days aud the Healy laid along
side. took off it's passengers and some of the
freight, and then proceeded on it's way, leav
ing the unfortunate boat hard and fast
aground, with small chances of getting off
that the Weare had on board $50 passengers
and about 81 500 900 in treasure. This was
transferred to the Healy and taken to st.
Mchaels. considerable amount of this will
arrive in San Francisco on the Excelsior
HAD TO COME BACK OR STARVE.
When asked why he returned Leonard
said: 81 found l had to get out or starve.
There are about 1000 men in Dawson and
not more than third of them have work.
If you have not stock of grub you can't
get work at any price. had not enough to
work my own claim until spring, so | sold
my stock at a good figure and will wait until
spring. Jim Dunsmur. the Eldorado king,
has had 500 900 worth of provisions ordered
for some months, but has not yet been able
to obtain more than a fifth of it, even with
the cash put up in advance"
Those coming out, however did not bring
all their cean-ups with them. Leonard
rectes numerous instances OF men who had
cleaned from $50000 to $l0O,000, but who
had taken away barely third of that. The
men say they made nothing except as wages
at Sl5 dav for a month or so. F. Lamb
of Portland is authority for the statement
that over fifty men have already died of
scurvy this summer.
In regard to discoveries on Stewart river,
Ralston says that there were many rumorS
of rich strikes, but up to the time he left
Dawson nothing definite had been received.
The National City made the trip In eleven
DAYS from St. Mchaels, Alaska, where 1t
left sixty-fve eager goldseekers. 1t is very
doubtful whether any of the passengers who
went up on the National City will get
through this year. The small boat which
some of the passengers had taken up on the
deck of the steamer has proved disappoint-
ing. It's machinery has gone wrong and it
takes too much water 1t has enough pro-
visions in the party, however, to winter it
out and proceed up the river when spring
opens. The Cleveland was expected to sail
on the day after the National City's de-
parture. The Excelsior left St. Mlchaes
twelve hours before the National City. Cap
tain Anderson reports that on August 2S he
passed the steamer Humboldt, but did not
speak 1t and that 1t in all probability arrived
at St. Mlchaels the following day.