The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-29
Prepared BY One Familiar
With the Country.
JOURNEY A PERIL0US ONE
SHOULD NOT BE UNDERTAKEN
AT THIS SEASON.
A Letter Just Received By George R.
Proper From Frank E. Howard,
of the Juneau Mining News-Ts
Just From the Klondike.

The following article, prepared es
pecially for The Herald, will be read
with interest just now, when the Klon-
dixie fever is at its height:
For the past two months all sorts of
stories of the fabulously rich Klondike
country in Alaska have been published
throughout the press of the country,
until now the mining world from hemi-
sphere to hemisphere is wild with en-
thusiasm, and from all parts of the
globe men of all occupations and finan-
cal circumstances are preparing to go
there next year, as well as this fan.
In spite Of a crisis for the want of
provisions and the necessities of life,
these throngS of fortune seekers, seem
ingly go blindfolded and unconscious
of the many hardships with which
they have to contend and the utter
impossibility of their getting there at
this season of the year Were they
fortunate enough to overcome the per-
lis of the long trip overland from Dyea,
they certainly will meet with nothing
but disappointment this winter, unless
abundantly provided with money and
provisions 10 keep them through the
long winter until next March, when
they find ii somewhat easier to get
and rivers 10 Dawson City.
1t is simply suicidal for one to start
for that country now, unless they are
prepared and contented to remain over
al Juneau, Skaguway or Dyea. 1t is
an expensive undertaking to live at
either of these places until next spring,
while they can remain at their homes
in civilization and then start out in
the spring. The route to either Juneau
or st. Michael is open lie year round,
and from all indications the steamship
companies viii keep a regular line of
boats going all winter to these points.
Juneau is a pleasantly located little
town on the coast with a climate SIM
liar to that of Washington or Vancou-
yer cities st. Miehaels, 900 miles
north, is also quite pleasantly located,
but extremely cold. The Yukon river
freezes up in October within about so
miles of its mouth, the depth of The
ice averaging from four TO % feet. AT
Dawson City the river freezes to
depth of 10 feet and breaks up in the
spring, during the early part of June.
The distance from Seattle by steamer
is 2170 miles, and from st. Michaels to
Dawson City by steamboat the distance
is 1,7S0 miles. The best boats on the
route between Seattle and st. Michaels
are the Topeka, Al-Ki and Willamette,
and it takes them II and is days to
make the trip. The river boats from
St. Michaels to Dawson are very for
tunate if they get through in 26 days.
The Yukon river for about 200 miles
up from its mouth is from Is to II
miles in width, very sluggish stream,
but not of sufficient depth and rGt safe
for ocean vessels.
1t is all very well for people to sit
around the corridors Of hotels and at
their homes here in Salt Lake and
speculate upon the vast riches of Alas
ka and view prospective fortunes, but
to one who has been there, experienced
the trip, viewed the surroundings and
conditions of Things the enthusiasm OF
a chance to gain a fortune in few
months becomes very mild. Those who
have been fortunate enough TO make
big stakes out of the Klondike coun-
try were in there early last spring and
had acquired most of their gold before
the rich finds were known in the United
States They are men who have been
there for several years. and who opened
the diggings on Forty-mile creek sew
erai years ago Miners were quietly
al work on the Klondike side last sea ]
son and kept it quiet. knowing full well
that it was on British territory and
the consequences that would 1olloW
when it was known.
Those who have gone there since the
excitement started in this country
about 5000 people-have not as yet
been successful in one instance. Many
have acquired good property in good
localities and will come out next spring
with some money, and the amounts OF
their pile will reach less than $4,000
each and a large majority of them Will
have less than $1,000 each. While at
Dawson City the writer visited the d g
gings up the Klondike stream for ~
miles. where every foot Of the ground
has been located and in shape for work
this winter-the best season of the year
20 do systematic and profitable work |
The farther up the gulch you go the |
deeper the ground is frozen and the |
gravel more shallow. At Emerson !
creek. 40 miles from Dawson, the |
ground is continuously frozen to a |
depth of five feet. leaving about four
feet of loose gravel between the frozen /
ground and the bed rock. Here the /
miners run drifts and take out the |
gravel, placing it on the surface until |
spring, when it thaws out and IS
washed in boxes when the water begins /
to start. Many resort to the slow pro-
cess of banning and melting snow for |
water. while others more blessed With |
a. small stream use rockers to wash |
their gravel. Very few pans or griz- |
lilies in rockers yield big results as the |
ground is Spotted" and the gold |
mostly of a fat or leafy nature. The |
bed rock in every claim thus far opened !
on the Klondike side is a rough, jaggy !
lime stone and the best pay is found |
near the rim rock than in the main |
channel of the gulch. 1t is seldom |
that a nugget weighing over SS5 is |
found. most of the gold being fine
from the size of pin head TO pea. |
The general formation of the country |
is dolomite lime and granite. Very few |
Quartz veins have been found in the |
Klondike so far, but it is the general ,
belief of all experienced prospectors |
that when the .headwaters of the klon- |
dixie have been thoroughly prospected !
they will have found immense veins |
from which all this gold has been I
washed and dragged down by immense
glaciers. The general formation where |
the placers are so rich has no signs |
whatever of gold-bearing lodges.
Several quartz claims are being |
worked along the gulch, but they are
badly broken up with seams of ice from /
two to four inches in width, and it is (
almost impossible TO mine the quartz. |
While mere, the writer was shown pan |
of dirt taken from a cross drift to the
rim rock from which the owner of the !
ground realized $3.50, but the next three
pans contained less than $40, showing
plainly that the ground is very pockety- |
A miner is only allowed to take up 100 |
feet along the gulch and from rim TO
rim, the width of the gulch. He lis not |
allowed to locate an extension unless
associated with a partner. A miner is |
required in the first place to take out |
a miners license in British Columbia |
territory. costing him 500. If caught I
or mining without this ex-
pensive document, he is liable to a |
heavy fine. He is not allowed TO locate |