The evening times., 1897-12-29

%. which says:
No pen or tongue can describe the hard
ships and dangers to life in this Com ,ry
even to the hardest and best provided
for. How many men have lost their lives
By drowning, by accident or privation vii
never be known.
Never day passes that reports are 10
brought in of death by drowning, of lives
lost in the ice floe in the river, Of rob
berries and hold ups between Da wson ant
the passes. The last arrivals from ip tn,
river all tell of different cases OF drowning
on the lakes; enc or two OF these men re
port having heard of a dozen deaths by
that nea ms within the last month. RuTnurs
which cannot be traced to certainty tre
heard here of people lost at Lous.tOwn or
DaHsoL while trying to make landinG
after their journey from the States. One
| cas-. il reported of six men in one boat
| being drawn under the ice 4 few days ago,
| just as night had set in. Those who "a W
the accident could render no assistance.
Ten days agu. in the early morning.
nan was seen floatinS down the Yukon IN
| front of Dawson on large piece OF .ce,
/ while his boat, from which he had Dcen
| separated. was n few yards ahead Of him.
i His cries for help attracted the attention
| of two men on shore, but they were una Il
| swered. The men made no attempt TO
rescue him, as 1t would have been im-
/ possible to reach him in beat from shore
when the ice was floating so heavily. He
floated on down, and 1t is hardly possible
| that he may have escaped dea tn from o'!d
\ or drowning before reaching Forty Mile.
| which is fifty-fiye miles down the rver
Two days later the river closed again,
4 and two men went from Dawson to Forty y
| Nile. Just afteT trey started back the Ice
| began to flo thickly, and they were corn-
| pelied to desert their boat and attempt the
hazardous journey over land. This IS
4 difficult undertaking, for tie cliffs along
the Yukon are almost impassa BILE.
| 1t would have been out of the question
for them to return to Forty Mile, for II
| was on the opposite side OF the ri' II.
| which could not then he crossed again.
| They were five days making the journey
| of fifty five miles. and on the way :h-y
| saw imprisoned in the ice two bCa's. tE
which were three men. 1t was impossible
| for the imprisoned men to land, and the
| chances are they were lost.
The trails from Dawson over the pa sses
| promise t. be the scene OF much hardship
among those who. fllprepared for 'onG
| Journey, will attempt to make their way
! out Nearly two hundred men have started
| to attempt to reach juneau without the aid
| OF dogs, and are poorly supplied with food
| and robes. Many have nothing but blankets
| to sleep in and others have no suitable foot
gear. Old-timers say that unless they re-
ceive assiste nee on the road some Will
freeze to death and few Will reach Juneau
or be able to return unless they can
purchase food along the line of travel.
Now the first dog teams are beginning TO
start and many large parties are prepar-
ing to take the trails the next few weeks.
Many or these will go well equipped All
the best dogs are being pick ed cut and COM
mand fancy prices. Robes which sold last
year at st. Michaels for So each now
command 5000 or more.
Att least 800 men will have lert Dawson
before January /. A large portion of these
lately came in, and are going in disgust,
after selling their outfits. A number are
going out with the intention or returning
In the spring with supplies, which they he-
lieve will command prices.
The Dc ople ofsthe United States will be
offered opportunities to invest, in large
proportion of the mines OF the klOndike
district in 8 few weeks. Some Of the
men going out there are taking papers FOR
good properties, but besides these, all sorts
of swindles are being concerted.
Tie wage question is about settled for
the winter. Miners are going to work
principally upon the terms of the mine;
owners. A few experienced drifters are
receiving 81 so an hour, and on some rich
claims in Eldorado Greek $1.25 an hour
will be the rate, but a large majority of
the men. working for wages have agreed to
accep. 81 an hour. Owing to the strike
much valuable time was lost, enough to
make difference in the winters output of
from one to two million dollars.
1t Is probable that many miners Will
leave here for the old districts or newly
discovered creeks on the American side rs
soon as navigation in open on the Yukon
and suiII lies begin to Come in next May
and June.
Unless tie better class OF people at Fort
Hamlin and Munook lay strong hands this.
winter upon the worse element, which :as
gone down the river from above, there will
be considerable law]essness. In the first
place there is barely enough food to ,eep
alive those who are on the river at or De-
low Fort Yukon, IL it is properly div d III.
Among the last to leave Dawson for those
places before the river was closed to DO Its
were rumt er Of men who had Lat eiy;r-
rived here, sold their outfits and went with
the expressed intention OF obtaining food
from the trading company's stores with
out paying for it.
OF allthese WHO went but a trifling num-
Der were without money with whichto buy
sufficient supplies, but many who were
known to be VI ell supplied with means an
nounced their intention to insist that they
should be fed free of charge. Besides
these, there W ere number OF men avsrse
to work IL a living could be obtained with
out it-a class that is new to the lkon
country. Thieves who had commit ell dep
relations here or further up the river, and
on the trails, have gone on down to avoid
detection.
A large ma iority, of course, Of those
who will winter down the river is composed
of a good class Of men, and they may be
able to control. Capt. Ray, of the United
States Army, has his headquarters at Folt
YCion, and may be o use in case oftrouble.
There are nearer three thousand than
two thousand people in the Yukon country
below Forty Mile. The steamer Bella,
owned by the Alaska Commercial Com
pany, left here early In October with $50
passengers, including number of women
and children, III of them having been Iup-
Piled with food enough to last to Fort
Yukon. She was delayed seyefal days at
Forty Mile, which, next to Circle City,
is about the largest town in the .Yakon
this year, but which was practically de-
etrOyed At the heCinnine, of the YLnuf,h,