Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-09-01
NO MORE KLoNDikE CLAIMS.
People Who Go in Now Must Work for
Wages.


Wages.
Seattle, Wash, Aug 3o.-H A. Stan
ley who went to st. Michaels for the
Associated Press, returned to this city
on the steamer Portland. He says:
II have been seven weeks at the
mouth of the Yukon, at St. Michaels,
where | saw nearly all of the miners
coming out, and interviewed them. As
result, | feel it my duty to advise
every one to stay out until next spring.
Wild, in many cases, exaggerated re-
ports, have been circulated since the
first discoveries were made. The
strike, however, was, and is one of the
greatest, if not the greatest in the
worlds history. Probably $4,000, 900
was cleaned up this spring, and next
spring | look for from 81, 900, 900 to ST.
600. 600
The field is hardly opened up as
yet, but those going in now must bear
in mind that everything in that region
was stalSed long before any reports
reached the outer world, and that they
must prospect for themselves, buy
claims from the present owners or
work for the owners.
mo new strike had been reported up
to the time of my leaving, and another
may not be made for five years, al
though Alaska is an enormous country
and will yet, | believe, produce more
gold than we dream of. But it is also
in many ways a bleak, barren, DESC
late country-a country incapable of
supporting any great amount of ami
NAL life and country Of such rigor-
ons climate, both winter and summer.
that none but the most hardy can pos
sibly live in it. Even they must have
an abundance of food and warm cloth
ing
II am aware that there is popular
impression that supplies can be bought
IN the vicinity of the mines They may
at present buy at six times Seattle
prices, but they are taken at even
those prices faster than they can be
got in, and before winter is half over,
II even the present population stays in,
there will be actual starvation.
The average man requires about one
ton of carefully selected food and
clothing for years supplies. In the
summer of 1896 about 3, 500 tons of sup
plies went up the river and the popu-
lation of 1,50O to . 900 suffered from
want. OF the $500 tons probably 800
tons were rum, tools, furniture and
supplies 'other than provisions. This
season, allowing for most favorable
circumstances, not more than 200
tons of supplies can be got up the river,
fully half of which Is rum and tools as
we'll as supplies other than food. There
are more than three times as many
people in there than last winter.
Figure it for yourself.
Grub was completely cleaned out
this spring, and if last winter there
was such scarcity that moose hams
sold for $50 each, flour 81 20 per hundred
bacon 81 pound, what will not hap
pen this coming winter? Why will
not people actually starve to death?
As to shelter, 90 per cent of Daw-
son was living in tents in July; timber
is scarce and houses cannot be built.
How are several thousand people to
Withstand the rigors of nine months
winter of semi-darkness, when the
mercury goes to seventy degrees below
zero?
As to labor-it is true that last win
ter, the winter succeeding the great
strike, when men were scarce. wages
We're SIS per day. but If no new strike
IS made, what is to keep wages up this
winter There are but $40 claims on
bonanza, Eldorado and Hnnker creeks
that will probably be worked this win
ter an average of eight men to each,
Is, think liberal. If but a,7oo men
are employed, and there are 5000 or
more seeking work, what must be the
result? Wages must 60 down. | am
told that much grub has gone over the
divide, yet from what | know | would
wager my last dollar that not to ex-
eeed 500 tons of surplus over and above
what the carriers ate, will reach the
diggings. No man going in can arrive
with more than four months supply.
The klondike is land of ice and
snow. as well as land of gold
Let it not be made land of paunt
hunger, wretchedness and death.
There will be as good chances for min
ing in the future as now. Let the
people wait. This is not a Cripple
Creek or Deadwood proposition. If
caught, they cannot walk out
j L..a. l. In