The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-27

4
IS no possibility OF road over it. Blu;
from Taku Inlet. near Juneau. readiea
access can be had. This route was fol
lowed by Schwatka and Mr.. Hayes. o.
the United States geological survey, a
few years ago, and has been partially
surveyed with reference TO a RAILROAD
line, and was reported to be available
The only other way is by river, which
is open TO navigation only short time
each year and is a great way around.
! The general climatic cond' tons on the
north sides OF the mountains are much
better than those on the south. On the
| south side the snowfall is enormous, but
on the north side the air is dryer.Schwat-
ha and Hayes went in the summer
| down the Youkon Valley about 10 the
Klondyke region. and from there struck
off west, passing to the north Of Noun;
ST. Elias and down the Copper River.
They had dry weather all the time, in
which camping was pleasant. while Rus
| sell, the same season, was driven back
| by inclement weather from ascending
| ST. Elias on the south side 1t is there
fore not impossible that explorations
southwest Of the present gold fields may
be carried on with comparative ease.
But at present that whole region is bare
of means Of subsistence.
There is imminent danger that many
will get in there before winter with in
sufficient means and starve. An Eng
fish missionary and his wife have been
| in that general region for many years.
and report the people as being so near
the verge OF starvation that they do not
| dare both TO winter in the same village
lest they should produce a famine. So
they live in separate villages during the
winter. Eventually the reindeer which
Sheldon Jackson is introducing into the
lower Youkon region will be available
both for ransportation and food, being
much superior to dogs in that they can
procure their own food. But for the pres
ent every necessity must ether be pack
| ed over the Chilkoot Pass or brought
around by way of the Youkon.
F, AS to the ultimate yield Of the mines
or the prospect Of finding more. we have
| nothing but conjecture TO go upon. The
| biologists VINO have visited the region
We're not the ones who discovered gold.
What tn prospctors hav found points 10
| more. The unexplored regoin is i'm
mense. The mountains to the south are
young. having been elevated very much
since the climax of the glacial period.
With these discoveries and the success
in introducing reindeer, Alaska bids fair
70 support population eventually of
several million. The United States must
on to her treaty rights with Great
Britain for the protection of our inter
ests there II England accomplishes her
unreasonable designs she would shut US
off from ali communication with the
klondyke region except by way OF YOU
kon.
GEORGE FREDERICK WRIGHT.
Professor Of Geology at Oberlin College.
Author of Man in the Glacial Period"
and Other Works on Geology
DAWSON CITY CENTER
Dawson City, the center of the new
mining region, although sixty-five miles
distant from the Klondyke. is said to be
a typical mining camp-minus the guns
The British government enforces it's
laws in Dawson, and those laws pro-
hibit the use Of firearms, so few men
carry guns. Though there are said 10 be
5000 people in Dawson, few houses have
been built, for the principal reason that
lumber is 500 per 1000 feet. The general
fear is. OF course, that there will be great
suffering there this winter, and It will
be increased, it is expected, by the rush
Of unprepared prespectors who sailed 70,
the new fields Immediately on learning
what luck had befallen those who have
but recently returned.
rr- 4
tial miners who returned on a San Fran,
cisco boat. :" that all the talk and ex-
element will cause such a stampede 70
the northwest that there will be great |
suffering during next winter and spring |
Still, If people are only ordinarily care
ful. there is no occasion for any such |
thing. There are many good things that |
can be said about Dawson City besides |
the gold that mas made it famous. In |
my own way l want to tell the people |
of some of these good qualities. as we'll |
as the business and social conditions, |
and how matters are conducted there.
Speculation IS already the ruling idea
A purchaser inspects claim that he
thinks he would like to buy He offers
just what he thinks It Is worth There
either accepts or refuses and that : the
end Of it. With this claim goes the sea-
sons work. By that I mean the great
pile OF earth that may contain thous-
ands or may not be worth the expense
necessary 70 run il through the sluce
That is a chance one must take however
and few have lost anything by it this
season.
I do not know in the whole Klondyke
region single claim that has not paid
handsomely. and there are still hun
dreds of claims that have not been
worked. In testing a claim TIE pros
pector sinks hole. say Is feet, and then
tries a pan Of dirt. II the pay streak
has been reached he sets 10 work in
earnest to gather in more OF the precious
metal. This process consists OF building
a fire around the entire circle. allowing
it 20 burn through the night. The mex;
there IS enough lose dirt lying
about 10 keep a squad ot men busy
Throughout; the day. I have known men
70 hoist in day as many as $50 buckets
II soil, each Weighing $50 pounds This
dirt is not disturbed until spring. when
il is washed out. and when a man buys
4 claim he buys the dump also. but ne
axes his own chances on the latter.
1T may be said with absolute truth !
that Dawson CITY is one OF the NOS;
moral towns OF its kind in the world /
Theme IS little q no quarreling. and no
orawls OF any kind. though there il con-
Siderable drinking and gambling. Every
nan carries pistol i he wishes .. yet
'ew do AMI II is a rare occurrence when
'ne = displayed.