The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-09-23
GOLD ON EXCELSIOR
Passengers Confirm Report
of Food Scarcity.
SURE TO BE INTENSE
feet Without MOney-Miners
Still Going North.

otlA GOlnS NORM.
San Francisco, Sept. 1.-THE Alaska
Commercial Company's steamer Excel
sio-, which sailed from St. Michaels
August IA last, but was compelled to
put into Unalaska for repairs on account
OF an accident to her propeller while at
sea, arrived in port to day with 63 pas
sengers and about 100000 in treas
ure. 1t was at first reported that she
brought down $4,000, 900 in gold dust,
but this proved upon investigation to
have been greatly exaggerated. The
Alaska Commercial Company alone had
on board about $500, 900 worth of gold
dust and nuggets. The passengers as a
rule are very reticent as to their wealth.
The miners assigned as their reason
for their reticence that, in their opin-
ion, too much had already been said
about the country, and that too
many were going into it unprepared on
that account. Frank Dinsmore and A.
Andrews are reported to have made at
least 500, 900 each during their resi-
dence in the Klondike region, but both
declined to deny or affirm this report.
Dinsmore, who has spent 16 years in
the Yukon country, says this is his first
return to civilization in IL years. He
and his companions are of the opinion
that the rush is Unprecedented, and,
none of the trading companies being
prepared to meet it, they predict great
hardships for all who stay there during
the coming winter. They confirm the
stories already published of the scarcity
of provisions, and sound their notes of
warning to intending prospectors to
stay until spring.
The Excelsior's passengers are united
in saying that the Klondike region is
richer than at first supposed.
Louis Sloss, jr., of the Alaska Com
mercial Company, was one of the pas
sengers on the Excelsior. Sloss says
the Alaska Commercial Company's
store at Dawson City was closed one
day to transfer freight from the river
boat. He thinks that provisions will
be scarce, but hestitated to say that
there will be actual starvation. There
is plenty OF provisions at st. Michaels
and every effort is being made to get
supplies up the river.
When the vessel left ST. Michaels,
the steamship Humboldt's crowd was
camped on the flats. They were very
disappointed lot, for none of them will
get through. The story that the pas
sengers held an Indignation meeting
and were going to lynch ex-Mayor
Wood, of Seattle, is denied. The Hum
boldt's passengers were very much put
out at the poor show offered for getting
to the Klondike, but they had made up
their minds to make the best of the sit
uation and ''hold down" the fats until
next spring, when the water is high in
the Yukon.
River pilots reported the water very
low in the river some time before the
Weare sailed from Dawson, but some
weeks later after that the water raised
little and the early rain swelled the
torrents considerably. However, the
water is still at what is called "the low
STAGE" which means that the Hamil-
ton, Belle and other steamers will be
delayed on their trips up stream, be-
cause of the necessity of going ahead
slowly, picking way over bars and
through new channels.
The passengers brought word that
there were 5000 to 1000 people in
Dawson, and near there. There are
only about 5000 people at the mines,
about 1900 of whom arrived at the
town since last April from all parts OF
Alaska, and about 500 from Juneau,
from Puget sound and other places.