The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-28
SOME GOOD ADVICE.
ALASKA MINER THROWS OFT A
FEW HIyTs TO pRosPEcToRs.
n CounensfnS en- the Large suH-
her Of Miners PfocSfnG TO the
ruken Il. warns Inexp~rienced
Men That Want of Knowledge "f
the Country ssd Insufscient Sup
pIfes Cause Much ssGering-Ad-
risss n Later start

TIE Aiasso Miner o. April II. Ia COM
raeating on the rush 20 me YUKON gives
she folsowiux good advice 70 those inten j.
Ing 80 make the TIP n k.arch o. ne eAA-
slvs gold dust
"a careful examination % the crowd On
the deck os an incoming steamer VIII
reveal the fac. that there are many
snonxst them who have no idea Of the
magnitude og the journey that awaits
them before their eyes rest upon the Dis
trsct for which raey are bound
rye have fFom time 70 time warned
fh0se who intend to make the trip that
there was nothing 20 be gained By start
ing too early. and II h. with knowledge
Of the suffering IL viii entall II these seq
sextious. given in good faith. are dtSre-
farded. that AZ the rfgk % repetition Se
will trByerse the matter again.
AT the present time the Yukon from
ffs source 10 the Bering sea Ia frozen up
soiid. FOR distance 81 2,ho miles. ana
as the Ice must find an outlet before the
river is susceptible 10 navigation. IL i a
scIf-evident proposition. mat allowing
lime FOR the zee 70 travel down the river
after g first breaks up the opening Of
navigation dates from the time me river
breaks up in Boring sea
Experience OF the past few years
proves that by about May Is Lake Lin
derrnan. the frzt lake across the summit
f. open for navigation II vii take a
few hours 20 make the trip 70 Lake Ben
nett. about niue miles. at which place IL
Is necef nary % make a portage, there = a
small stream between Linderman and
Bennett. bat az Il Is filed with boulders
NAVIGATION il unsafe. Competent boat
builders with the experience necessary
20 build boats suitable for Yukon navi-
CATION are established there. The out
II can b. put on board. and then assisted
by a current Of from two to ten miles an
hour the journey to The klondike COM
mences
what will be the experiences OF those
who have started now This experience
is being obtained at this very moment by
a thousand men who are toiiing over the
tran from Dyea 70 Lake Llndsrman. As
far as we can learn a large proportion 81
those who came from below. total strang-
erH 10 the country. and some OF whom
have never known what IL Is to cross a
mountain range in the winter, have oaly
taken supplies to last for two or three
months.
What position will these men find
themselves In when travel over the ice
becomes impossible. and they are COM
PEELED 10 suspend their journey until
such time as the river IL free from slush
Ice? In the frst place the delay occa-
stoned In crossing the summit will make
great threads In their slender OUTFIT. bat
this Will not 20 circumstance 20 the en-
forced idlenesa OF several weeks when
their mode Of travel will be changed from
winter sled 10 4 summer boat or raft.
'.How many OF the men who are now
or their way know anything at all about
this We venture 20 say that there are
hundreds who think that they can 70
marching down the river TO the Kiondike
on the ice. and be comfortably en-
cart?ed on some gold-bearfng stream
before the winter breaks up. This IL all
dsiusson. and II they had spent a
little time in conversation WITH men here
who have made tho journey many times
both IN winter and summer this Illusion
would have been dlspelled.
Then. again. what provision have they
made for building boats or rats? They
cannot tell at what moment they may be
compelled 20 abandon their sleds. When
the Yukon commences 20 break up u
hreaks very quickly. and experienced
n~n who know the country. and who
prefer 90 start early over the ice. know
Iust where they wiil make \ camp during
TIE Interim between the closing OF win
ter traffic and the opening or summer
trsflc. Rs this We mean that there are
certain places on the river where good
timber may be had and " Is such Spots
that these oid-timers make for when they
set over the summit"