The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-11-29

stores. simply because they did not have
them. So long a. the stores had any
provisions prices remained the same.
want to say that the stores treated the
men all right and never advanced the
prices. Notwithstanding that they were
aware of the shortage ana knew that
they had but Ia ask for high prices and
receive. ] know Of an instance where A
private party sold 10 "a miner sack
of -four for SO and bacon at 81 a
pound"
II. A. Ferguson said: The situation
at Dawson was relieved by the exodus
TO Fort Yukon. doubt II there viii be
any actual starvation there, but there
viii be shortage The old-timers have
provisions enough 10 carry them
through. The stores are practically
cleaned out. All they would sell was
five pounds OF sugar L. the men. Flour
could not be bought al all. one or two
sacks were quickly picked up at $500 a
sack, Wages are still Sl5 a day, but
they are sure Ia go down To- s. by next
summer. and s. day there is no bet
ter than $3.50 n day outside. | cannot
say how much was brought out our
party carried practically little. havins
drafts instead"
They We're Warned.
Thomas Magee. sr. the well known
capitalist of San Francisco. in an in
terview with the correspondent OF the
Associated Press. said: THE excite
ment over the failure 0f the steamers
10 bring food up To Dawson continued
when the Dalton party left. The po-
lice took charge for two days Of the
stores and warehouses Of the North
western and Alaska Commercial COM
pany, as "A precaution only, Flour was
selling AT s. per pound. and one sale
OF 80 pound sacks at sl5o was made.
No plans had yet been formulated To
avert the starvation Of those who are
short OF provisions. Those well sup
Piled have not much sympathy with
those who are short. because Of the
fact that the majority of these latter
went in with little food although album
dainty warned at Lake Bennett In ad-
vance. great scarcity, II not fam
Inc. viii prevail.
1T had not been discovered up ~
October IL who shot the two men In
Dawson who were caught stealing food.
one was found dead and the other
fatally wounded. died at the Catholic
hospital. IL is believed that a secret
organization exists for the purpose of
shooting down thieves. The organ
ization ~ hunting parties for the Win
ter 10 hunt moose was talked IL and
will be carried out. Dysentery and ac-
companying fever were general at
Dawson last summer. They were
caused by miasma from the swamp on
which the business town is built and
the entire absence of drainage and
sewerage. These conditions viii be
greatly intensified next summer and an
epidemic is predicted. The river water
is bad. but there Is one fine spring of
wafer out at the Catholic hospital.
Nothing was talked Of but the grub
question. The solution viii probably be
"A public committee 10 gather up vol
untary or enforced contributions. the
food thus gathered To be publicly dis
p,nsed and paid for by Mork or cash
by those to whom Ii Is given. The
Yukon river practically closed twice.
about Sept. 30. and again about Oct.
25th. but the ice ran out again and
let the river free so that all the be-
lated parties who had taken such risks
must run short Of provisions too. This
reopeniug OF the river twice was "A
rhenomenon never known to occur be-
fore"
No New Mines roa,,.
There was no new mines excite
ment. With n persistence heretofore
unexplained many parties from Daw-
son city as well as newcomers went
up the Stewart river. Nothing what
ever except good bar claims have as
yet been discovered there. There II a
belief. however. that rich discoveries
Will be made there yet. Jack Dalton
and Mr.. Maloney. "A lawyer OF juneau.
have purchased of Hugh Ferguson
kInh fa.Ns
Nos. I and 2. for So 500. II is reported
that a large advance has been offered
10 the buyers. Skookum claims are
looking up because some of them have
yielded In Initial. work as large re-
turns as any found elsewhere. Thos.
Mage. Jr. has purchased IN efssi. n
some of the best creeks, In the Eldor-
ado, Bonanza and Skookum. He VIII
return 10 develop these claims very
early In the spring. Business In con-
ncction with them was what brought
him out. An agent OF the Rothschiids
who Invested $3.50 600 last fall has made
arrangements To return In the spring.
Because Of the failure 0f the soprcm-
bor steamers 10 take passengers down
the Yukon early enough 10 give reason
able assurance that ocean connections
would be made at ST Michaels. hun
drcds who were intensely anxious to
get ont of the country for the winter
will try later 10 get out over the ice
and lakes with dogs and sleighs this
winter Many Of them VIII suffer
greatly as competent guides and good
d'gs are both scarce. This busine ss
of the failure Of the steamer to get M
the river with provisions and down
With passengers will have to be rec.
tlncd. Lighter draft boats with NOR,
power and steam capstans for Use In
getting over bars will have 20 3,
ready next June. Hundreds of In.
tenscly disappointed persons are nov
In Dawson, who. Ike myself would
have given any pecuniary price IN thrii
power 10 get out by steamer. but could
not was better of In the wilder
ness and walking than In that hole ~
utter discomfort aud starvation this
winter.
4 Railroad Needed.
The people there are being largely
prevented from developing the cn1r-
mousiy rich country by nearly utter
isolation and scarcity ~ food. The
work to be done is sufficiently hard
and trying AZ best and it's great difil-
Culties should not be Increased. \
railroad is the real want. II steam
boats were run from Lake Bennett tu
Dawson they could not travel coutin-
unusly the obstacles ~ the Canon. the
White Horse and the Five Fingers
rapids are not 90 be removed nor sands
and gravel bars and snaes hg ar' sd
aud II they all could. river and lake
navigation would only be- FOR summer
a railroad would be for an year. The