The times., 1897-07-28
GOLD FEVER IS EPIDEMIC
More Than Five Hundred Wash
ingtonians Have 1t.
YEARNING FOR THE YUKON
Unnumhered Appeals to Accompany
the labor Department Expert
TO Alaslza-why the Name OF
Carroll Wright's Gold Ambas-
sador Has Been withheld.

A great many people have Doubtless
wondered why Hon. Carroll ID Wright,
Commissioners OF Labor, has not taken the
public into his confidence and told III the
name OF the gentleman who Is TO ieav e mere
next Saturday morning for the valleys
and gold fields of the Yukon. And the
wonder viii be increased when the public
is informed that the appo.n tment has been
made fur some time.
some peolle have asked is Commissioner
wright going himself, inasnluch as the
function tC be performed Is one or the
most interesting that has fallen TO any
Government officials share since 1919 III
was A fair question under the circumstances
and il was asked OF Col. Wright yesterday
aftcrnc1n. The Commissioner confessed
that he syeuId like TO be rich, to become
rich suddenly. inOriinaUely suddenly and
inurdinetciy opulent. but he drew the line
at winter trip from Juneau over the
mountains and into the valley of death and
god.
The state secrecy of the name of this
expert appointee OF the Department of
Labor renealeda more Important fact, how
ever, than the mere rowing OF the anne
1t has demonstrated that Washingtonians
have taken more interest in the gold fields
than the mere reading Of the gilt edge
literature on that subject. There are
more than 800, anJ possibly Geo, who
want TO GO and the interesting substan-
tial part Of the story is that they all
want TO &c with the mysterious unnamed
Ambassador of Col Wright to the golden
lanTe nrT 81 ag Alaska
No sooner had the announcement been
made in The Times OF the fact that an
expert woUld be sent than the office or
the Commissioner OF Labor was flooded
with mail, literally flooded. Hundreds Of
people knew a good thing when they saw
IT, and IL occurred 10 these great numbers
that it would not only be a good thing 10
get gold dust by the bushel in Alaska, but
that if they could only get out there under
the wing and auspices of the Government
expert 1T would be a good thing at both
ends Commissioner Wright cid not, of
courAe, read any of he letters, but from
what ne said most of them bristIed with
powerful and inslnuating arguments on
the line Of tho special advantage TO the
Government OF permitting the expert 10 be
accompanied by the applicants, severaly
Ing In. these appeals requests from news
papers for ''our special commissioner" as
the new phrase is, tn 90 along.
The department ct labor b as turned n
deaf ear 70 all these requests, so that
there isn't the slightest chance of any,
body riding iu this experts sled from
Jnnea- He VIII leave here Saturday morn
ing; VIII reach SanFrsncisco on Thursday,
IIa mill
and then set out for Juneau, from which.
with all expedition, under the auspices
or the Treasury officials, he VIII set ont
for the country Of the craze and the
luDatics-
There is every reason why this expert
should go and report as soon as possible
without the assistance Of accompanying
correspondents, who would begin 20 fur
nish the New York public with the facts
before the expert left Juneau or perhaps
San FRANCISCO. The scope of the expert s
work has already been statedin The Times.
Ae viii report on the oppo rtunities and
conditions If labor ont there, and in gen
eral whether it is a field TO which the
Department OF Labor can invite the citi-
zens of the United States. Such a report,
with cold facts literally and metaphors
cally, Is what is r3ost to be desired Just
now, in place of the romancing out Of geo.
logical reports. Commi ssioner Wright
said that the result of tire experts work
would he published early enough IN the
spring to give the public practical informa-
ton, 10y which it could guide its certain
spring movement TO the gold fields.
Around the Labor Bureau they think
that the expert. whoever he may he, has a
good thing an dthat if he doesn't come hack
with his hair fun of gold dust and several
tons Of the integral stuff he is not the ex-
pert they take him to be.