The herald., 1897-10-13
THE MINERS At ST. MICHAELs
ARE LIKELY TO STAY THERE
TILL NEXT SPRING
One Expert Whose Head Is Fastened
on Doubts the Richness Of the
Klondike Claims
Associated Press Special Wire.

from Captain Tuttle or the revenue cut
ter Bear, now cruising in Alaskan wa
ters, does not paint rosy description
OF scenes and prospects in the Klondike
region. Writing from st. Michaels Sep
tember 10th, Captain Tuttle says:
There are in port seven ea-goiug
vessels and six river steamers, with one
steamer and one barge in process of con-
struction on the beach. About 300 peo-
pie are encampeo on the beach, awaiting
the completion of these vessels. AT least
seven vessels are expected to arrive,
macy OF them with passengers. There
Is no possible chance of these people
reaching the Upper Yukon this season,
and they must winter here or at some
point inside the mouth Of the Yukon.
While there will be an abundance OF pro-
visions, the trading companies having
their main depots here, trouble is likely
to arise from those who have rso pro-
visions and no means to purchase them.
This, however, is a small matter, when
taken into consideration with matters
above Fort Yukon on the Yukon river.
ION September 18th the river steamer
Milton returned from its up-river trip,
having been unable to reach Circle City.
Captain Hill reported the river so low
ss to prevent his reaching his destina-
ton His cargo was landed, on the river
bank The steamers ]. ]. Healy. +. q.
Weare. Alice, Bella and Marguerite are
now up the river, but the prospects are
that they will not be able to reach Circle
City or Dawson.
Laws in regard to the inspection of
steam vessels are entirely disregarded,
as no Inspector of Hulls or Boilers has
visited this place. At least sixteen OF
such vessels are now running in this
part of the Yukon If I should seize
them. starvation would ensue to those
who are depending upon these vessels to
bring them provisions. At the same time
hun dreds of people are travelling on
these vessels, which are without the
safeguards to life that the law provides
they shall have.
IA Deputy Collector of Customs is sta
toned at st. Michaels. who is required
to attend to all customs business FIRE.
ouently there are several vessels in port
discharging bonded goods at the same
time. 1t is impossible for one man to
attend to all this business. After leav-
officer in charge of these goods. Vessels
frequently get aground and 1t is neces-
sary to discharge the cargoes before they
can be fioated. Great opportunities are
AFFORDED to d,sfraud the customs. There
should be customs officer on every YES
sci carrying bonded goods, and provis-
ion should be made to have the vessels
inspected as the law requires"
SOME RICH CLAIMS
MARYSvILLE, Mo-, Oct. IAN in
tereetirg letter has been received by
Henry Alexander of this place, from his
son. E. G. Alexander who has been III
Dawson City since 1895. The letter is as
follows:
IT have been spending most of this
summer at Dawson City, but will leave
shortly for the mines on Bonanza creek
where will remain until next spring.
A new creek was struck this summer,
known as Dominion creek. 1t is tribu-
tary to Indian creek. l succeeded in To-
eating a claim on it in very favorable
location. There were two discoveries
on the creek and my claim is between
them. succeeded in holding my Davis
creek property this summer. The ground
averaged after bought it one ounce. o.
81, day to the man for shoveling in.
''They are getting as high as $25 to
the. pan on Eldorado creek and 5000
ounces, or $51, 900 was taken out of one
claim alone in about weeks shoveling
at a total cost of perhaps $4,000 At that
rate there will be at least $4,000, 900 in the
claim"
A CAUTIOUS EXPERT
Bratnober, the mining expert who is
known throughout the United States
from his connection with the Explora-
tion Company of London, has returned
from the Klondike. His mission was to
ascertain II an opportunity presented it.
self for investment. He says: II found
some very good placer mines, but not
as sensational in their richness as has
been reported. In many cases the claims
are comparatively poor, although most
any of them will pay wages.
because one claim Is very rich is no
reason why an adjoining one should
be equally good. On the contrary, the
near neighbor of rich claim is gener-
ally not worth much. There are few
summer diggings in the Klondike: that
Il, those which can be worked by the
ordinary sluicing process. Most of the
bed rock is eighteen or twenty feet below
the surface and the ground is frozen
solid, except that eighteen inches or
two feet thaws in the summer.
ION the whole the Klondike may be
classed as very good diggings. and I
should say there is a good chance for
other discoveries this fall As to quartz
mining, I consider it impossible at the
present time. owing to the difficulties to
be overcome. ] do not think there is
much danger OF starvation at Dawson"
SHEEP FOR DAWSON
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. &c. w.
Matthews ex-Sheriff of Ashland Wis,
has returned from trip to the Klordike
made for the purpose of ascertaining
whether sheep and cattle could be ship
ped to the mining districts of Alaska
and the Northwest Territory with profit.
and he Is now on his way East to perfect
arrangements for sending a flock of 1000
eheep to Dawson in the early spring.
Matthews Is associated in the under
taking with John Rea of the firm CT Rea
Bror. Of Chicago, extensive shippers of
stock.
THE LAST ARRIVAL
Z gEATTLE, Wash, Oct. 1.-THE
schooner Berirg Sea arrived here today