The herald., 1897-08-04
A WORD OF WARNING
AN OLD ALASKA MINER GIVES
ADVICE
Necessary Precautions Against the
Klondyke Craze-Frozen Facts
for Foolhardy People

To the Editor of the Los Angeles
Herald: see from the daily papers that
the Klondyke gold fever is still contag-
ious, but it would be stamped out at once
if it were possible for those who intend
going to experience even one night of
that equally as they now dread fire.
STILL they heed no warning. I have
been in the northwest several winters
and speak from experience. At the pres
ent time there are lots of money making
schemes to ship the gold hunters up
north at an expense of from $3.50 to $500.
None of them can guarantee getting pas
sengers into Dawson City before winter
sets in. They offer to provide grub for
a certain time, but what are the new
men going to do for a warm shelter at
night when the thermometer ranges
from 10 to 65 or 70 degrees below zero?
The new men cannot start mining be-
fore next spring.
Promoters of these schemes are max
ing hay while the sun shines. They are
planning to get you landed in field of
ice and snow, where you must subsist
posing you get there, you have to pay IS
per day for board and lodging, and you
cannot live in a tent when the frost
penetrates the ground over elk feet.
How are you going TO manage unless you
have at least $1,000 to keep you the win
ter? Henceforth you will have to pay
25 to 35 per cent on all clothing taken
in through the customs house, about the
same on your mining tools, 20 per. cen;
on flour and AZ cents per pound and 121a
per cent on tobacco.
| Now, what is it going to cost you to
get there even by these supposed
cheap trips up the Yukon riv-
er? If you have not the means
to pay the dues to the customs
officers they will take possession of your
goods, whatever they may be, and you
are left on the field of ice dreaming of
that gold mine long, long way off.
Supposing the intending immigrants
are well fixed for money and have never
experienced anything but a city life;
they have no idea what they will have
to go through. They are practically of
no use in the wilds Of Alaska. They have
never used pick or shovel, and have had
no experience in cooking or washing
Every man who goes there intending to
live ought to be used to manual labor,
and above all he should be an expert with
the ak to be able to put UP log shack.
Then, does he know anything about min
| ing? If not he is probably sacrificing a
good living to get starved to death.
Where does the sense come in of these
| inexperienced people going there? I've
| oil c1a INC Of
going; even some old women have ap-
piled for berths and have been refused
Quite right, too. No one ought to be
shipped unless pronounced strong and
healthy by medical man. Weak peo-
pie cannot survive there long. 1t will
not be long before Dawson City will be
| able to boast of good-sized burial
| ground.
| l have seen snow and severe frost in
the middle of August. From that time
it will continue more severe daily until
| the mercury freezes and one can only
rely on the spirit glass, and no symp-
toms of spring until about the middle
of next April. This makes very short
summer, and then you are eaten alive
day and night with mosquitoes.
l would never advise anyone under
any conditions who belongs in a semi
tropical climate to stake his life on the
off chance of making a fortune in the
north A thousand times better stay at
home or explore Randsburg, or the new
developed gold fields of Cuba, where you
can work all the year round. Lots of
gold and little expense to get there COM
pared to Alaska / am not speaking
with prejudice, but feel duly bound to
advise those who are thinking of going
north to listen to a word of advice which
may save them a lot of suffering and
probably their existence.
Things have already changed to the
disadvantage of the miner. He now has
to pay royalty to the government on
the amount of gold he gets, also SIS reg
istration fee and $10O yearly assess
ment. That will cut considerable fig
ure in the mining. If man strikes a
lucky streak he can we'll pay it, if he is
unfortunate then he will have to for
felt his claim when not able to pay the
government dues. W.R.W.
Los Angeles, July 81, 1897.
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