The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-02

made contracts to get freight over
the pass at cents a pound, which is
decided reduction from the rate
charged by the Indians of IA cents for
getting outfits from the steamer land
ing to Lake Linderman.
The last party out from the interior
which got into Juneau late last month
brought news of increasing excitement
about the, strikes on the klondyke.
The party had an unusually severe
trip Gut. from Circle City; they had
such bad weather that they were sew
enteen days in getting from Circle to
Forty Mile; supplies mad nearly run
out along the upper river, and they
were obliged to take such heavy
outfit that their dog team was over
loaded A few days out of Circle City
they ran into a terrible blizzard; the
thermometer went down to 81 degrees
= below zero, and the dogs refused to
face the storm. For two days the wind
blew a hurricane, and the only thing
they could do was to get into their
tents and devote themselves steadily
to the business of keeping from freez-
ing to death. Above Forty Mile they
making pretty bad work of getting
out Fifty miles below Pelly river
they fell in with two men who had
Travelled for twenty-four hours with
out anything to eat, pulling their own
sleds These men had only one dog
left. One of the men was suffering
from what seemed to be scurvy.
This party reports an unpleasant
state of affairs as regards supplies,
particularly along the upper river. The
steamers did fairly well last season
and landed great many goods, but the
population dependent upon the Yukon
stations for supplies was larger than
ever before, and the increased amount
brought in by the steamers was not
sufficiently greater than usual 70 meet
the enlarged demand. The result was
that flour particularly got very scarce.
Early in the winter it was selling for
Sc a sack; when these men left Forty
Mile it was difficult to get for $35 a
sack. Potatoes were very scarce; there
was very little fresh meat to be had
all winter, and what little moose meat
was brought in went very quickly for
3 cents pound. The situation might
have been worse than it is, but that
late in the fall after the river had clos
ed there came warm spell and 1t
opened again, allowing the steamer
Bella of the Alaska Commercial COM
pany to get up to Circle City. The
Bella had been towing some barges,
but she was obliged to leave one of the
barges some distance down the river.
Goods from this barge were freighted
IN afterward at Is cents a pound. The
new steamer of the North American
Trading and Transportation company,
the John j. Healy, was caught down
the river near the mouth of the Tanana.
1t is expected that her cargo will be
put into Circle City very soon after the
Ice goes out.
This party reports that there is great
excitement all along the Yukon over
the wonderful finds on the KlondylSe.
Miners wages in the interior have been
$40 day, but the Klondyke has sent
them up to an ounce of dust a day.
THAT is between $3.50 and SIT. Placer
miners say that gravel which shows a
color to pan is worth working. Fabu-
lous stories are told of the richness of
the Klondyke diggings. 1t is reported
that one miner got $207 from one PAN
They are talking of claims on Eldorado
creek, branch Of the Klondyke, where
the average is running from $40 to $40
TO the pan. Reports are common of
20 and 60 cents to the panin the gravel
and it is no infrequent thing to hear
of it running as high as 800 on bed
reck
The best information that can be had
here from trustworthy men is to the
! effect that there are claims on the
KIondyke which will average dol
D