Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-29

convince the most sceptfesi that minins
in the Klondike Is no child's play 90
sButI, say the gold-see.ers. II -
,,eoer mining and thint they have an
ewered the eroaksrs- And so they aa'e
IN a way. For placer mining ~ on az
forms OF gold hunting the most exeit'hs'
and. provided luck 10 be with the seeAe-'
The most rcmnnerative. man may ~
ont 10 work one morning hit on rich
.poeket.' and wash out b. dinner uli'e
enough gold 70 keep MIN In comfort 10.
the remainder Of his NATURAL life.
'Yn the early days OF the Californian
and Australian placer mining men nave
been known TO earn $4,000 and iSo'v' III
a single week. In the summer OF is's,
within a half dozen miles OF where Sah
Francisco now stands. two men, nainsu
Ayres and Thomassen. uneaftheh, III uHc
space OF three hours, thirteen nuggets VI
nearly pure gold, aggregatlng 80 pounpS
weight Troy. At Ballarat, In the summer
az 1851 new chum' stumbled across
nugget weighing 146 pounds avoirdupois'
IL IS stories such as these that spur on
the Klondike gold-seeker. 1t Is all
gamble. and the gamblers In most IN
stances stake their lives
But Why all the hurry asks the un-
initiated. IN surprise. why not wait
until the country has been opened up
M trails cut over the mountains, and
the initial roughnesses OF camp lie IN
the wilderness toned down? All. there's
the rub. Placer mining cannot, In the
very nature Of things, last for long. Pay
gravel il very soon exhausted and bed
rock reached Then commences the era
OF scientific mining Of the capitalist; OF
extensive crushing, and separating ma
chjpery. of true assure veins. OF high ana
low grade ores. % shafts sunk at IN
credible cost In money and labor, deep
down through the virgin rock.
"All OF which tends, necessarily and
Inevitably. to the extinction of the placer
miner. with his SLOUGH hat, red shirt.
lack boots. and his belt filed with gold
dust Therefore, this unprecedented rush
10 the banks OF the Yukon to share in
the glorles OF a boom that must neces-
sarily be as brief as up TO now it has
been brilliant"
HOW THE MINERS LIVE.
What sort OF a prophet this corre-
sponGent will prove, OF course no one
knows but /. from my own experience
in various parts Of the world in mining
camps. am inclined to think that he
knows whereof he writes. In any event,
his view of the case il worth consider
ing.
The most intelligent feature OF the at
titude Of the British public in the matter
OF the Klondike however, is their reall-
cation Of the necessity OF providing
means of existence and OF gaining
knowledge OF detail as to what they will
be forced to endure before they set out
for this new Eldorado. l have seen no
thing I'm the way OF Kiondike information
in the papers Of the United states more
cogent and logical than the following, |
quote from one OF the leading newspapers
OF England:
READERS in this country have already
been led TO wonder. from the accounts
flashed over the cable from the other
side OF the Atlantic. how men will
manage 20 exist i'm the new Eldorado
during the coming winter. So far as a
is concerned, there need be
title difficulty. IN a few hours cou-
Die Of men can easily run up shanty
f pine logs, or scrape what is techni- |
,ally known as a 'dus-out,' which is !
nothing more pretentious than a hole in !
he side Of some hill, with a few bushes !
n front for door. and a hole at the side |
o assist the departure OF the smoke.
80 far as provisions CO. the govern
nent is making every effort 10 ship
Which, it must be remembered. is one
( the great shipping ports Of the Paci-
C. Then there are always numbers OF
individuals, who suddenly
ppear upon the scene of a mining |
amp with a load Of provisions, for
-hich they naturally demand and OBJ
ain a most exorbitant figure. More
yer, the winter in Northern Canada
zones on with awful suddenness, and
nis year must inevitably catch hum
reds from the warm South totally un-
repaired. Gold will give nearly every
hing to man when he is In civiliza-
Ion, but it WIFI avail him little il the
reat Northwest when the sun goes out
nd the aurora rises for the long Arc
Ic night.
ADVICE OFFERED.
at is never too early to offer advice,
md a little here, the fruit Of expert
nee In that land, may not be out Of
lace. Doubtless, there are many in
,ngland who, having read the highly
olored reports Of the resources OF the
northwest, will feel a strong desire 10
o out and try their luck They must
enforce know that all gold-mining is
population but they may be reminded
hat gold-mlning in Klondike settle
lent, or at any point beyond the six
Ieth parallel Is speculation added to
airing. This, and the knowledge that
he scum of all nations. made more des-
crate than ever by the lust Of gold,
riffs with the tide to every Eldorado.
hould make any one pause before sail
~ for the Yukon river"
/ feel that / am not exaggerating in
he least in stating that next spring
ully 5000 Briton5 will start from here
0 the Klondike. That may be an under
II is not an over
stimate. one thing is absolutely GER
ain. however. The English seem to
hinls IT ia their right 10 control that
ountry in combination with their Cana
ian brethren, ana they will go out
here with that idea in view.