The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12
LYuCHED
AT LAKE
BENNETT
Continued from First Paqe.

lion dollars aboard is the veriest nonsense.
1t is not every man by any means who
comes out from the mines with small
fortune
Regarding the situation at st. Michael,
Mr.. Lea said: 1.-The accommodations are
miserable and the outlook is anything but
bright. There is one thing, however, that
l was pleased to see before left, and that
is the effort which is now being made to
get food in to the miners before the river
closes up. At the last moment every one
seems TO appreciate the necessity OF Strain
ing every possible effort to prevent a
famine in the klondike this winter.
The steamer J. J. Healy lett 81. Michael
a week ago last Saturday, loadeJ to the
guards with food supplies and provisions.
Passenger space was forfeited to make
room tor edible freight, and very large
cargo was started lor Dawson. To my
knowledge this is the first boat that has
carried food chiefly. or has sacrificed pas
>enge- space in order TO carry necessaries
into the mines. Ii is understood that ev-
erything possible in the way OF boats, big
and little, will be used to carry food up
the river before the cold weather"
Messrs. Lee and Howard tell hard
story of the National City expedition
which was sent out by HERMAN q Mills
Of San Francisco. They allege that they
TOOK passage under a contract 10 be landed
in Dawson City this winter or be properly
cared for until the river opened next
spring They say that they were notified
upon reaching ST. Michael that the terms
OF the contract had been fulfilled and that
they mus. shift TOR them selves from tEat
time on Both men left for San Francisco
on the Walia Walia to-day, and declared
their intention of bringing suit against
the projectors of the heexpedition for breach
of contract.
The assertions were borne out in part
by the statement of Captain Hall OF the
Cleveland, as published in to-day's CALL,
and by Captain f. Zaddert of the South
Coast, who said to-day that no attempt
whatever had been made to carry the
National City's passengers up the river.
The little launch Hattie Gage that was
taken up on the National City's deck 10
low passengers On a barge TO Dawson was
ridiculed by Captain Zaddert, who said
she was unable 10 tow the empty lighter
from the steamer to the shore, and that
with the passengers and their effects on
board it would be imI ossible for her to
hold her own against the current OF the
river.
Just before the South Coast left st.
Michael the steamer Weare arrived, hav-
ing been dragged from the sandspit be-
!ow Circle CITY. where she had been hung
up for several weeks, after great difficulty.
1t was announced that the Weare would
proceed to Dawson at once with full
cargo of provisions, but a report was in
circulation that her boilers were in such
condition that she would be unable to
start until new boilers were put in.
This rumor was denied by the company,
however, and if the Weare succeeds in
reaching Dawson hers will make four car
goes of supplies to be landed there this
fall. This will relieve the distress to a
considerable extent. but the passengers on
the South Coast we're a unit in the state
ment tha at best there was bound to be
privation at Dawson this winter. One of
the passengers on the South Coast was
Robert Wigg, half. breed Indian of Ju-
neau, who owns a haif-interest in claim
% above Discovery on FL Dorado Greek
hat will make him rich. Wig is here
for the purpose of purchasing supp les. as
he was unable to obtain pound OF pro-
visions at Dawson at any price He Will
endeavor to take his outfit in over the
trail this fall Last winter Wigg and his
partners took out $40, 900 from their claim
in a short time, and they expect 10 clean
up half million in two years.