The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-03

Others Close by. Finding no Paying 0so
Predictions OF Suffering This WinAex.
Immense ndeveloped Weather.
San Francisco. September The
Bulletin has received a letter from
Charles Haines, dated Dawson City,
July 26th. Mr.. Haines is a well known
newspaper writer and his letter is the
first written by a trained newspaper
man TO come out OF the Klondyke gold
regions. He says:
The rich diggings have been COM
paratively idle during the summer, al
though the output from Eldorado and
Bonanza creeks was famous and there
cry prospect of an immense output OF
gold from this district next spring The
total output this season, as near as /
can judge, is about $1,000, 900, but very
little ground has been worked and the
dumps will, like some of the tailings of
old California placers, pan out thou
sands of dollars when worked with i'm
proved machinery. The placers are
the most puzzlng and deceiving l have
ever seen. Imagine a man working on
good color" and finding the ground
worth only a few dollars per day, and
then turning to a waste of mud and
moss with no surface indications and
unearthing a bonanza. That is the sit
uation here and all over Alaska.
THE man who comes here to mine
does SO at the expense of health and
happiness, and it is with him a ques-
ton of making a fortune quickly or
chances with death. About me are
scores of men who can weigh their
gold by the bucket full and who value
their gold by the millions. Four hum
dred valuable diggings are stretched
along creeks, and every digging is a
fabulous mine of gold, yet there are
weary men who have gone and return
ed to Dawson after searching the great
country hereabout and never a nugget
do they show for their toll, their long
tramp over broken ground and into a
country whose disadvantages are ex-
ceeded by no other place on earth. This
Alaskan northwest territory is an odd
prize drawing proposition that can
liken to nothing that admits of Il bet
ter comparison than lottery.
"A number of spots are selected on
the creeks and rivers and for one year
the miner labors. The year closes, the
water runs and the seasons output
away from the unfortunate one works
a man who has taken from an uninvit-
ing bit. of earth sack full OF gold.
The lucky one did not strike the pock-
ct because of his ability as a miner;
chance favored him and that was ALL
In short, the miner guesses at il and
locates any and every where. In nine
teen cases out of twenty he misses it
and has to wait another year for a new
trial.
Dawson is merely collection of log
huts, saloons and a mass of tents.
about 600 in number. When the long
nights come and the glass goes down
to IS degrees below zero there will be
intense suffering here, and l shudder to
think Of the results.
provisions are going to be very
scarce and there is little reason to
doubt that the entire town will have
to get on short ratons during the win
ter and that scurvy will be rampant.
THE gold that will go down the river
for San Francisco and Seattle will
amount to about 50 900, 900. There is a
lot of gold that will remain in camp.
for it is used as an equivalent Of money
and is legal tender at SIT per ounce. OF
the 5000 or 1000 inha abitants. only a
couple Of hundred at the most have big
strikes. There is plenty Of work
men have paid $3.50 or less for living
and saved the balance. Reports OF 9TH
er strikes are constantly received here
and many are authentic, SO far as
Stewart and Polly rivers are concern
ed, but nothing like so rich as the
Klondyke has been reported. Quite q
number of people are preparing to
leave here for Juneau, in case the
steamers cannot get through with pro-
visions, and the outlook for good
grub supply is not encouraging. In con-
clusion, the Alaska and the northwest
territory gold fields will be developed
slowly.
Ten thousand men may come here,
but they will be lost in the vast cOun-
try when they spread out to prospect.
Not more than 500 of them will strike
a mine. When they do strike pay
gravel their fortunes will be made. In
years to some, when, at the sacrifice Of
human life and energy, the treasures
of this great land are located. the
wealth of the north will be something
beyond comprehension"