The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-09-19
A KLONDIKE PIONEER
HE BRINGS FRESH TIDlNGS FROM
e. THE GREAT NORTHWEST.

pioneer, whose residence is in Detroit,
arrived in Chicago the other day direct
ly from Dawson City, in which vicinity
he had been for three years, with the
exception of two winters he spent at
his home. Mr.. Metcalf is an intelligent
business man and has made a careful
study of the goldfields. In speaking of
his sojourn in the rich Alaskan country
Mr.. Metcalf said:
''I first went to Alaska in the spring
of 1894 and remained until the fall of
1895, when l sought the pleasures of
civilization. / returned the next spring.
however, and remained during the open
season and did the same this year.
am not miner, though am to some
extent interested in mines. My bust
ness has been trading with the Klondike
Indians. Invent with my goods over the
Chilkat pass. 1t was hard to reach
there. I lived in Circle City until last
fall, when the great discoveries Of the
precious metal gave birth to Dawson
City. We traded mostly in fox, beaver,
land otter, lynx and marten, with few
moose and caribou.
"The Indians are not very friendly to
the lately arrived white men unless
the latter form superior force, when
they are very polite. The Klondike In
dams number about 200 families and
are, as rule, rather intelligent, though
unsafe whenever they greatly outnum-
Der the whites. Some have been taught
by a devoted missionary and are i'm
proved by it. They are able to read
little, and some have even grasped the
rudiments of arithmetic Nearly all
can count up to 20, and beyond that
they say great many or big number.
"All along the Yukon there are other
tribes of Indians, and they are general
~ masters of the situation, though not
cruel or bloodthirsty, as were the alb
origines. When treated fairly long
enough, they become good friends and
even devoted. l had one such in the
person of old Chief I Sac, who showed
his good will by giving me knife of
his own manufacture, which / prize
highly.
"The discovery of gold is not at all
recent. 1t has been taken all along the
Yukon in rather small but annually in
creasing quantities for the last 90 years,
and as its presence has become known
more and more people have sought the
region. In the spring of 1894 about 600
men arrived there, and the next year
saw 500
''Last year fully 1900 arrived, while
up to the time I left and before the
great excitement 1900 to 1900 new
corners appeared. Men of every station
in life have gone there to better their
fortunes. Clerks, mechanics, profession
al men and farmers all went. So far
we have not been afflicted with 'toughs'
to any extent Men have had their
pride fearfully wounded. They went
there expecting to pick up gold in the
streets, but instead have had to go to
work by the day for their more fortu-
nate brethren, digging foundations,
working i'll the creek or at anything
else at which employment could be had.
They have been taught rather severe
lessons, though it has been good for
them in the main.
when man gets there with enough
to live for a year, he can make enough
money with unskilled hands. There are
times when a good mechanic can get
$40 day. There are no lodging houses
in Dawson City, all of the 1000 inhab-
itants living in tents. The great rush is
to get ready to endure the winter.
House logs cost S. each, common lum-
Der in slabs $40 per 1000 feet, wood
$40 cord, nails 25 cents a pound and
all else i'll proportion The people in
Dawson City before the present rush
was heard of had serious condition of
affairs before them, and many will suf-
fer hardship during the coming winter.
Single meals at the restaurants cost
81. so, and then man has to put ND
with beans and bacon principally and
very few dishes and little semblance of
luxury. This is when provisions are to
be had, but when they become scarce
the eating houses are closed. The first
run of salmon in the spring sell for So
a pound and never go below 35 and 40
cents pound. Moose meat always COM
mands 81 pound and is scarce at that.
This summer flour was Sc a sack. Last
winter it was $50. Ibelieve if an en-
terprising man should start a small
drove OF cattle early enough in the sea-
son over the Chilkat pass, over Dalton
trail, by Haines Mission, 20 miles be-
low Dyea, they could be driven 400
miles across country where they would
find plenty of pasture and other growth
to sustain them, and, when there, would
be valuable for beef.
$50. far all the mining has been
placer. The gold has been found along
the beds OF streams in nuggets which
are washed out. I consider quartz min
ing rather doubtful, as the whole coun-
try is covered with moss IL to "a inches
thick, and prospecting for quartz lodges
would be extremely difficult AS it is
the work is slow enough, for in nearly
all cases the ground has to be thawed
by ire. AS rale the sun has no effect,
but artificial heat has to do all the
work, and have seen ground worked
that way % feet down to bedrock,
through earth that never thaws. Occa-