The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-08
THERE Is MUCH GOLD.
Facts Do Not Justify the Present
Stampede.

Stampede.
Washington, Sept. 1.-THE treasury
department today made public the fol-
lowing letter received from a govern
ment official now on the way to the
gold fields. stating at the same time,
that the writer, whose name is with
held. had been II years in the service,
and was thoroughly reliable:
''Dyea, Aug. "a deem it my duty
to write you on a subject that does not
come strictly within my line of duty,
as it trenches somewhat on the func-
tons of the treasury department. L
have had a long talk with Mr.. svey.
collector of customs for Alaska, VINO is
at present at Skaguay. three miles be-
low here. the Skaguay trail-is the
most largely used overland route
(though by no means the best) to the
Klondike. Mr.. IYey informs inc that
there are now between tide water and
the lake something like 1000 people.
and about 1000 horses.
1.-THE commander of one of the yes
sells now at Skaguay states that 16 YES
sells are chartered to land cargoes at
that place between now and the 18th
of September, and that the number Of
passengers will average 200 to each YES
sell making $500 people who Will at
tempt to 20 in this fall.
Il have talked with some of the most
experienced traders and miners in this
vicinity, and they are unanimous in
the prediction that not over 20 per cent
of this vast number Will get through
to Dawson before winter sets in. The
other so per cent viii camp on the TRAIL
and those who survive and get back to
tide water will have to winter at
Shaguay or return south. If the rush
continues two weeks longer hundreds
of people will perish.
The postmaster and Indian trader
at this place (Mr Heron) states that
more than 1000 men have gone up the
Chilkoot pass during the past go days.
and that 700 of them IRE still this side
Of the lake-24 miles from here. Yes
sells are arriving every day or two, and
at the present rate of influx another
1000 will enter the trail by Sept TO- Mr.
Heron is Of the opinion that not more
than 20 out of 100 will get through,
and he says this trail is far more dan
gerous than the Slaguay after the
SHOWS set in. He says if the rush con-
tinues another week, the resultant loss
Of life viii be appalling. 1t is difficult
to suggest way to stop this thrush of
people, but Mr.. Iyey intimates that if
the inspection rules of the treasury de-
partment were properly enforced it
would materially decrease the number
of passengers on the incoming vessels.
Nearly every vessel that arrives here
brings twice as many passengers as the
law allows it to carry, and many of
them are condemned craft which have
been fitted up for this trade.
81 have talked with several men who
have recently arrived here from the
KIondike. two of whom left there less
than so days ago. They unanimously
agree that there is a rich gold field
there, but the facts do not justify the
present stampede, and they say there
is bound to be much suffering and &C.
tual starvation. Provisions are al
ready scarce. and the prices of many
articles absolutely prohibitory in the
the case of a man of ordinary means
The mail facilities are very bad here
as the postoffice department has not
made any allowance for the rapid
growth of the postal business