Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-09-04
Klondike Letter .
A Description of the Trials and Hard
ships the Gold Hunter Must
Endure

People want to know when to go to
Klondike.
They want to know how to get
there.
They want to know what it will
cost
Nobody wants to know how to get
back from Klondike or how much
money will be made there. They all
expect to get rich and they will not
begin to think about getting back I'M
til the shoe pinches.
In the first place, no matter how
much gold comes out of Klondike this
season, don't go there until spring.
Simply make up your mind to play a
waiting game Don't go until spring.
And don't go at all unless you can
stand a hard mountain tramp. Of
course ii you have plenty of money
and can afford to pay your way re-
CARELESS of expense, you can go any
where, any time, with more or less
comfort. But the ordinary man who
expects to get his share of the klon-
dixie nuggets and who does not pro-
pose to spend one fortune making
now and keep it up, without chang
ing his base of operations, for about
four months.
When four months rolls around it
will be about New Years and the
Klondikers should then begin to get
into marching trim. February 18th
is early enough to start over the
mountain passes back of Dyea and
Skagway, in Alaska. 1t will be good
Sleding then and half ton outfit can
be hauled over the mountains with
out much trouble. To go to Klon-
dixie via the Yukan river would bring
the gold seekers to the diggins pretty
late in the season. Those who cut
expenses will go over the mountain
passes. Those who have plenty of
time and wish to see the country can
go aboard steamer here and ride in
ease and comfort to st. Michaels and
then go up the river to Dawson City
and the klondike district.
by, the way, how far is it from Ia
coma to st. Michaels?
How far is it from Tacoma to Daw-
son City via the all water route.
To either point is Il much longer
journey than to Europe. ST. Michael
is $500 miles from Tacoma and klon-
dixie is LOO miles from St. Michaels
Before this season there have been
but three or four steamers that
reached st. MichaelS each summer
Now the Klondike excitement is
bringing many new lines into service
los
headed for St. Michaels at one time
These ocean steamers have bargeS
and river steamers in tow, which will
be used on the Yukon river next sum-
mer. They will bring down from
Klondike the lucky miners who wish
to return home to civilization if by
that time some enterprising Yankee
has not built an electric railway or
tramway of some kind over the noun
half the distance from Tacoma. being
1850 miles over the Dyea, Chilcoot
and White passes, and so miles longer
over the Stickeen river route.
Today hundreds of hardy men with
blistered feet and aching bodies are
toiling over these very passes. A few
of them will reach Dawson City this
fall but most of them will not make
much progress until the snow comes.
And yet, with these conditions known
to people now on the mountain passes
and trails. many gold seekers are still
going north. They have made all
their arrangements to go and they
are going. With them it is klondike,
right away, quick, or bust. Most OF
them will bust so far as getting into
the new diggins this year is concern
ed. Those who wait until the begin
ing of 1898 and start with fresh
stock of provisions and supplies will
get to Dawson City as quick as many
who are only just startiug now.
At present the mountain passes are
almost impossible. Heretofore only
a comparative few people went over
Them They went during February
and March and on top of the snow
They made no trail worthy of the