The Red Cloud chief., 1897-08-20
ADVICE FOR GOLD SEEKERS
Canadian Government Gives Counsel
Onicial Documents Out.

Omcial Documrnts Out.
WAsnINaroS, Aug. 1L-Secretary
Gage has Just received from the min
lister Of the interior OF Canada an Off.
cial report Of the Yukon mining dis
trict. Az the outset the minister
states hat the report Is published in
response TO numerous public demands.
'The object" he says, 'is not to in
duce anyone TO go to that country at
the present time. Until better means
of communication are established q
man undertakes serious risks In going
there unless he has su Efficient
to tide him over the long winter.
After September egress from the
country Is practically impossible.
until the following June, and
person who has not been
successful In locating q paying
claim has to depend for his subsistence
upon finding employment. Wages
are at times abnormally high, but the
labor market is very narrow and east
ly overstockcd 1t is estimated that
up to the middle Of May 1900 or 1 900
persons had crossed the Dyea this
year. Several hundred more will go
by steamers up the Yukon. Whether
employment will be available for all
and for the considerable population
already In the district. is somewhat
doubtful. II will, therefore, be wise
for those who contemplate going to
the Yukon district. TO give serious
consideration To the matter before
coming to a decision.
AN extract from the report Of A. +.
Willis, assistant surgeon for 1895, is
given to indicate the climate Of tho
Klondike, characteristics OF the in.
habitapts and the mode Of living. Hc
also describes the kind of men that
should go to the Klondike. He says:
'The climate is wet. During the win
ter months the cold Is intense, with
usually considerable wind. A heavy
mist rising from open plains In the
river settles down in the valley In ex.
IRENE weather. This dampness makes
the cold felt much more and Is con.
ducive to rheumatic pains and the like.
In selecting men to live in this
country, ! beg to submit a few re.
marks, some Of which will be of as
sistance to the medical examiners in
making their recommendations. Men
should DO sober, strong and healthy.
They should be practical men, able to
adapt themselves quickly to their sur.
roundings Special care should be
taken TO see that their lungs are
sound, that they are free from rheu
matism and rheumatic tendency, and
their joints, especially knee joints,
are strong and have never been weak
ened by injury or disease. 1t Is i'm.
portant TO consider their tempera-
mcuts. Men should be Of cheerful.
hopeful dispositions and willing work.
ers. Those Of s%ullen, morose DISPOSE
tions, although they may be good
workers, are very apt, rs oon as the
novelty wears of, TO become d~issatis-
fed, pcssimistic and melancholy
Mr.. Ogilvie, chief Of the boundary
survey, in tho report OF n trip down
tho Yukon. says, regarding the wealth.
er: 1t Is said by those familiar with
the locality that the storms that rage
in the upper attitudes of the coast
range during the greater part of the
time from October to March are ter.
rifle. A nan caught in one Of them
runs the risk OF losing his life, unless
he can reach shelter in u short time
MIR Ogilvic, on this same trip, had
much difficulty with the Indians, and
they demanded $50 per hundred
pounds for carrying his goods. On be-
ing told that the party had a permit
from the Great Father in Washington
to pass through the country. and that
the Indians would be punished II they
interfered, they reduced the price to
$40, Mr.. Ogilvie estimates that there
are about 400, 900 acres Of land along
the Yukon aud It's branches that
might be used for agricultural pur.
poses.
Mr.. Ogilvie gives the miners a bad
reputation, He says: 4 may say that
it is generally very difficult to get any
exact or even approximately exact,
statement Of facts or values from min
ers. Many Of them are inveterate
jokers and take delight In hoaxing.
The higher tho official or social posi-
ton Of the person they hoax the bet
ter they are pleased. have several
times found that after spending hours
getting information from one Of them
it would be all c~ontradicted by the
next one l met, Another cause OF
difficulty in getting trustworthy In.
formation from them is that In a GER
tain sense they consider every govern
ment official or agent their enemy,
and that he is in the country to spy
upon their doings and find out things
which the great majority Of them are
gary nuch alyarsa 70 haya L,,u,o ~