The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-17
OFF FOR THE KLONDIKE.
1900 OR MORE CALIFORNIAN zrAr
START NExr MONTH.

GoId-Dawson City a. the Ren aezvous OF
80. 900 or 90, OOO-stertes Or Tnese Who
have ives Hevtuno In TIE New Rlaernao.
SAN FRANCISCO. July 1e-san Francisco has
not been stirred by any mining discovery since
the opening mp Of the great bonanEas on the
Comstock Lode In Nevada. nearly thirty years
ago. as II has been for two days by the stories |
Of twoscore sun-tanned and hard.featured
miners who have just returned from the new |
Klondike camp on tho Yukon River in far
Alaska.
These stories would have excited derision were |
itnot that all these men were able to furnish ocu-
lar proof Of their tales with pounds of yellow gold. |
Not one of the party went into this camp last
fall with anything moro than his outfit and o
few hundred dollars. Not one came out with
less than $4,000, . dozen cleaned mp from
eli 1000 to $40, Doc. while half q dozen averaged
from S2o,oOo to 100000. Scores Of them
left claims that they valued at S2o.-
600 to 81 o 900. which are now being
worked by their partners or by hired
laborers. They are not boosters or boomers.
In fact, they are careful to warn any one about
venturing into the Yukon country unless he 10
young. vigorous. and brave. able to bear hard
ships. and has from $500 TO 81. 900 for outfit
and current expenses after reaching the new
gold fields Perhaps IL 10 these very conserve
tive views which have made their talk take
such powerful hold on the popular imagination.
OF course. this first keen enthusiasm may fade
and next spring may see few 20 to the far North,
but no one who has observed the popular feel
ing here will be surprised to see 5000 men go
from this city. and perhaps 1900 or moro
will start next month. The blood Of the
ArgonAuts lows in the veins OF half Of the Cali
fornians, and stories Of rich mining strikes stir
them as . blast Of trumpets. Every one here
knows tho history Of the far northern bonanxas
and is prepared to discount the extra enthusi-
asm OF returned minerP, for all remember the
hard fortunes OF the thousands Of CRlifornians
who rushed to Cariboo and Fraser River placers
nearly forty years ago. only TO find that there
were fifty men for every claim and that the pay
ing district was so email it could not support
5000 men.
Klondike may be O repetition Of Cariboo. but
from what 10 said by hard-headed old miners
with whom THE SUN correspondent has talked
there is gold-bearing country enough around
Dawson City to support Q great population, and
the only danger lies in the scarcity of provisions
during the long winters, when fresh supplies
cannot be brought in. Should transportation
companies do no better than they have done for
the last two years. and should 20. o or 80 900
men crowd into Klondike. there will be actual
starvation with abundant crime.
All returned miners agree that tho best why
to reach the new eold fields 10 by way Of Juneau.
The journey 10 mainly by land over q snow
covered trail, down numerous streams and
across lakes. The only very dangerous place is
Chiicoot Pass, which il dreaded because Of the
sudden snowstorms that come up without
warning and that have proved fatal to many
adventurous miners Tho distance 10 $50 miles,
and Ii takes an average Of twenty-five days TO
cover 1t. James Ladue, one of the miners now
in the city, gives an interesting account Of the
trip, and also Of his experience in the great al.
r--.% u.En-r. pa-fnn IA1nA has hoon In
Alaska for fifteen years, but it was not until
the discovery of gold in Bonanza Greek that
he struck IL rich. Incidentally it may
te mentioned that he is the founder
OF Dawson City, though the bonanza find was
made by Robert Henderson,. who had been Dros
pectipg for years in the great Northwest Ladue
is a hard-visaged man with q keen eye and
heavy dropping mustache. To-day he gave this
description of his journey to the new camp:
The most dangerous part of the trip is cross
ing Chilhoot Pass. Even as late rs May and Junt
snowstorms occur. and woe to the traveller who
Is caught. Chilhoot Pass is itself $500 fee
high, but il the only opening In a mountain
range whose peaks reach an average altitude o.
10000 feet. The snowstorms at the pass arr
sudden and furious, and many lives have beer
lost there. People who have been caught hav'
saved themselves by crawling under some over
hanging rocks, where they have been forced u
remain two or three days without food.
Dawson City Ii not unlike some OF thu
mining towns here in this State and elsewhere
with the difference that no lawlessness exists
The people realize they must depend to q certaiI
extent on one another, though the CANADIAN
Government has been o powerful factor II
keeping down the unruly. The history Of Daw
son City is interesting. I built the first hous
in it and raised tho first American flag. Tn
discovery OF gold In that immediate localit
was made by Robert Henderson at a plac
called Gold Bottom. though George McCormacl
brought to light the riches Of bonanza Greek
As soon as news of the great find reached Circl
City and Forty Mile men threw up their claim
and fastened to the new fields. There wa
promise Of trouble at first because the mon wer
crazed over the prospect, but cooler heads fna
ly prevailed and a meeting was held on tn
banks Of the creek and ground was allotted {
each man. The claims were cut from 500 I
100. and there was again a threat Of troubl
until the Dominion Surveyor. William Ogilyi'
arrived and resurveyed all claims. Under tn
new ruling each claim extends 500 feet alon
the bottom of the creek. the width being go'
erned by the distance between mountains. TIL
will average 900 feet, though there arc som
claims 200 feet wide"
Dawson City has now . population OF nearl
5000. 1t Is beautifully situated on the banks
the Yukon near the mouth OF the klondik
River, and seems destined to become the mimi
centre OF the Northwest Territory. The peop
now live in shanties each built Of a few strips
Misunderstanding and canvas. Ladue has
sawmilli in operation day and night, but he cal
not supply the demand for its products. Lumb'
sells at the mill for $3.50 per thousand, but WHIT
delivered at mines the price jumps TO S4b0.
10. Hestwood l. OF Seattle Is a typical returnt
argonaut. He is a small man, weighing n
over l4O pounds. and has a light blue eye. cle'
skin, and firm. square Jaw. He has been
preacher, teacher. and lecturer, having deli
cred lectures all over the coast OF Alaska to pt
his way up there. He spent three years In q
territory before his great opportunity cam
lie was at Glacier Creek when the news vi
brought down OF the immense strike on Bonan
Greek. Here Is his story In his own wore
which gives an admirable idea of the way q
mines are worked: