The San Francisco call., 1897-02-10
Perils and Hardships of
Miners in the Yukon
Country.
Residents of Forty.Mile Find
Their Flour Supply Almost
Exhausted.
One Party Reaches the Coast Aft. T
an Adventurous Trip From
Circle City.

SEATTLE, WASH, Feb. 9-The steam
ship Topeka arrived from Southern
Alaska ports early this morning, bringing
the latest Yukon advices. Among its pas
sengers were P. C. Richardson, A. {. Carr,
J. McComber and \. GiIlis. who have just
completed long winter journey from the
interior, having left Circle City on the
18th of November They travelled with
the mercury at 10 degrees below zero-7O
degrees below the freezing po;nt-snd
reacned Dyea or the southeast Alaska
coast on January 2S.
The Yukon country is prospering. Some
new strikes are reported. but owing to
failure II getting sufficient supplies last
fall before the river froze up some kinds
OF provisions are scarce al several OF the
camps.
Forty-miie is short OF -four and not
over 100 pounds is solo 10 any one person,
while some miners procured none at all.
Professor Richardson, in speaking of the
trip. said:
"The second day out, at noon, on jan
uary l. we met II. Day and Mr.. Howe
on their way down the river, carrying the
United States mail. They were entirely
out OF provisions, and having turned their
dogs loose, were drawing their sleds them
selves. They had thrown away the greater
part of their outfit. We gave them enough
provisions TO last until they reached
Pelly, twenty-five miles distant, and they
left everything but the food where We met
them. going on to PelIy empty handed,
intending to recuperaie themselves and
their dogs and return for the sled and
outfit.
1--WE continued on our journey without
event until January u, when We overlook
al the mouth of tSe Hootalinqua, 30 miles
from Dyea, the Nash party, consisting of
Sash OF Portland, William McCowley of
Seattle and two Indians, who had left
Cloudyke on December 4, seventeen days
before our party. They were in an ex-
hausted condition, having abandoned
sleds, tent. stove-in fact, everything ex-
ceDt what they could pack on their backs
They had been on short ra.ions for two
weeks and had but two days provisions
left. Their situation was critical, for, ex-
hausted as they were, they were making
but few miles per day. Captain William
Moore, with Mr.. SPOTS of Seattle, Mr..
Burns OF San Francisco and an Indian, had
followed day behind all the way from
Pehy River.
Henry Hyde of juneau and Shorty
Big!ow OF Chilkat, with their own outfit
of dogs and provisions, had accompanied
the Nash party from Cloudyke
'At the foot OF Mud Lake We found a
party of eight 0aklsnders in winter quar-
tiers, having spent the past summer on the
Hootalinqua. They literally supplied Us
with needed provisions from their we'll
stocked larder.
THE latest excitement in the Yukon is
the discovery of gold in Cioudyke district.
1t was made on Bonanza Creek, a tribu-
tary OF the Cloudyke River, on August II,
uy G.. W. Carmack and two Indians
Skookum Jim and Takish Charley. A
second discovery of importance was
made on E. Dorado Creek. a
large branch of Bonanza Creek.
on August 25, by J. Whipple and
Messrs. Clements and Keller. A third
discovery was made on Adams Creek, an
other large tributary of Bonanza Greek.
on August 26, by Mr.. Adams, and fourth
discovery was made Oh Hunker Creek, q
tributary of the Cloudyke, on September
7. by Andrew Hunker and c. NJ Johnson.
At the time our party left, the principal
development had been on Bonanza and
III Dorado creeks, and all claims opened
up showed pay dirt. Some of them are
rich beyond anything discovered in the
Yukon country. In the new discoveries
the ma iority of claims are held by men
who went In last year.
Provisions are exceedingly scarce
While all have enough to avoid stsrva-