Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-02
PROFIT TO SEATTLE
The Klondike Rush Stirs a City to
Activity.
Citizens Who Have Made a Good
Thing-An Interesting Statement
of the Gold Country.

Mr.. Everett Smith. prominent attorney
at Seattle, Wash, writes in an interesting
way to F. H Smith of this city. who is
a relative, in regard TO the Klondike ex-
element In his letter Mr.. Smith says:
This klondike excitement is very in
, teresting. also profitable to the merchants
of this city A year ago there was small
rush to Cooks Inlet, point on the south
shore of Alaska, but it proved disappoint-
ing. Many of the gold hunters then pressed
on 10 the upper waters OF the Yukon. All
through the winter and spring came rumors
of marvellous diggings. We heard of men
that had oil cans of gold nuggets, old rub
Der boots filled with dust and that the
diggings paid hundreds of dollars to the
pan. Few credited the news. yet a good
many started off to discover the truth for
themselves. / have not the figures be-
fore me. but believe that it is some 500
miles by water to the starting point for
the overland route-Dyea and Skaguay-and
then some 6V miles down series of lakes
and rivers to Dawson. the center of the
diggings- Early in July two steamers
came down from st. Michaels, the mouth
of the Yukon. That point is some 1000
miles by boat from here. and 1t is about
the same distance by steamer up the Yukon
to Dawson. These two steamers brought
down the first installments of gold that
ABOUT
S1.SSWO- This news set the country wild,
and from that day 70 this there has been
the widest scramble 10 get to the placer
fields by any route.
1t has been only about seven weeks
since the steamers came down, not long
enough for a return trip since. yet in that
short time it Is estimated that about 5000
men have left the coast for Dyea, Skaguay
and St Michaels- Only a few have gone
by the river. owing to the greater cost
Anything that you have read. however
absurd. pathetic. marvellous atrocious
regarding this rush is probably not exag-
gerated- Every old steamer on the sound
was pressed into service. A steam collier
was in about a weeks time converted into
passenger steamer. and left Seattle with
so men. besides immense quantities of
freight. day later another steamer left
Victoria with /. loo, most of the people be-
ing from this side the line. Every day for
two or three weeks a steamer put off for
Alaska. The rush is now about over, as il
is well understood that those leaving after
this date will be showed under or frozen in
during the long winter. The scenes at Dyea
and Skaguay are simply indescribable
Punched together are about 600 men, all
trying TO cross an almost impass pass
at the same time. Most of them are likely
to be caught right there for the winter
Hundreds will likely return to the sound
Locally IL has been a big thing for Sc
attic. IL has proved the salvation of MANY
of the merchants. A member of one of the
hardware firms told me that his company
spCh III oNti Si.VtV Udy Tor nearly
month from the Alaska argonauts One of
the large grocery firms employed forty
Clerks during the rush. All of the hotels
and lodging houses were crowded There
Is little doubt that the rush will be i'm
mense next spring 1t will be certain II
the steamers bring down few millions the
next two months The boom has not AZ
fected real estate values yet nor the Ia W.
practice. though the Improvement is marked
in all lines. We were never more honefuI
| have not yet caught on to ANYTHING 7
hope 10. and believe that ! shall another
year | do not intend to go myself 10 the
gold fields Over twenty LAWYERS have
given up their Offices and gone from Seat
tie.
There is plenty of gold along the rivers
near the Klonoike- am prepared to he
heve almost any story of their richness
Men who have been there and are reliable
corroborate the stories Eippy our Y M
e A secretary, two years ago resigned
and went up with his wife They endured
many hardships then in prospecting abost
He happened to be on the Klondike last
winter when the strike was made He took
up about the thirty-sixth claim on the
river. All were bonanzas. He and his Wife
picked up some $Ss. 600 of gold and brought
II out this summer. He sent back his
father and brother, and they are at work