The Springfield herald., 1897-12-03
DAWSON CITY'S PERIL
A PROSPECT OF STARVATION.
Evident That There Is Not Food Enough
for all and Many Miners Are Trying to
Get Away.

of Seattle direct from Dawson City.
They We're divided into two parties, the
last one of which left Dawson October
10Th. The party consisted of Thomas
Magee, Sr., Thomas Mngec, Jr., of San
Francisco; swift Water Bilr' Gates,
Joe Boyle. William Huskins. +. Eckcrt,
Ii. Robertson, ii. Raymond, Bert Mel
son, John w. Brauer, W. II. Chambers,
Il. w. Pond, II. Ash. J. Gillis, Thomas
Wilson, l.. McGrnw, Jack Dalton, Will
lam Leack. Arthur Celnc, Joseph Fair
burn, j. Smith. Il. Warren, Jim Steph-
enson. They came out over the Dalton
trail. They are reported to have be-
tween them 100000 in drafts and $780,
600 in gold dust All tell stories of
food shortage in Dawson that is almost
famine. The last person to leave
Dawson was Jack Dalton. When Dal-
ton left the steamers Alice and Bella
had reached there loadcd light. 1t is
said that the Belln's cargo consisted of
whisky and billiard balls She brought
no provisions.
The Canadian government mounted
police chartered tS.>Belln and gave all
who wished Il free pass to Fort Yukon.
The Bella Is reported to have left about
October 18th with 200 men.
According to the statements made by
members of the Dalton party there is
liable to he trouble of the most ser-
Gus kind this winter in Dawson. Billy
Leak told one of the men in n party
ahead of him whom he met at Dyca
that all the people talk about at Daw-
son was the food famine. Men were
gathered in groups and cursing with
might and main the newcomers that
were constantly coming into tls KlOn-
dixie. loaded with scarcely any provis-
ions. The mounted police We're offer
ing free transportation 10 the grub
piles further down the Yukon. but to
countless hundreds who had labored
hard all through the summer accumu-
lating II grub stake. The prospect was
uninvitng to say the least. These men
figured that il would take all their
savings in gold to pay their living eX-
penseS at Fort Yukon during the viii
ter. and thnt in the spring they would
not even have enough left to pay pas
sage money back TO Dawson. to say
nothing of purchasing enough food to
subsist until they could get started
again. TO these poor fellows the offer
of the mounted nolcc was no better
than the UroSnect at Dawson of being
compelled to live on half rntionS until
the supply boats could reach the dig
gincs in the spring
John w. Braucr, Tho United States
mail carrier, who left Dawson Septem-
her 9th. said
"'rhcrc is only one salvation for the
miners who are now nj Dawson CITY.
md that is for them TO undertake the
awful winter trim from Dawson to
Fort Yukon. n distance of $50 miles.
There is food mt Fort Yukon: there is
none n, Dawson. and Just rs sure rs
ihc stars shine terrible suffering will
he the fate Of the Dawson miner M
loss he leaves there before Sni'in".
will max" my statement conservative.
and saw that when l"ft Dawson the
mon who wnr" there had on an AVERAGE
four months fool Sluplv. Some did
not have n months sunnlv. some had
-four or five. The last restaurant closed
tho night | left 1t had been selling
nothing bnt i'o"f steak. for which the
HUNGRY pail $3.50
"Whcn thn ncoDlc realized that the
boats would he unahle to get IN tho
river thcv knew that starvation thrcat-
cnnd them. and the great stampede he
gan.
"'rle first TO leave went to Fort Yr-
kon | guess there were about ten in
the party that loft the first day. One
boat came m from Fort Yukon with
several newspaper men aboard among
them Correspondent sam Wall and n
Mr.. McGilrrav. They brought the news
that the Hamilton had mlondcd all Of
her cargo ana tried to get over the bar
light and failed in her efforts. though
she drew but two feet of water. This
news increased the excitement and
made the rush toward food ccntcrS all
the greater. On September 14th Bert
Nelson of Seattle and myself left Cir
Gle City and started to pole up the
river to Dawson City. n distance of 200
miles. At the time we started from
Circle City the miners had about all
taken their departure. II took MS elev-
en- days and three hours to make the
journey. arriving mt Dawson Scptcm-
her Goth. Captain Hanson. with two
Indians. who had left Fort Yukon. beat
us into Dawson hy about an hour ana
n half, Hanson Gathered the Dawson
City miners together and made n short
sDccch. in which he advised all who
did not have provisions to last them all
winter TO either get out of the country
to civilization or try and reach points
in the Yukon country where it was
known That food could he secured.
That night was the greatest one in the
history Of Dawson City. The miners as
soon rs they heard The news made
haStv preparations to get out. and
nightfnll saw these gold seekers and
men who can today sell out for MANY
thousands leaving hy The hundreds for
down til" river or mp the river points.
"The little steamer kuliuk. which
was to make the trims from Dawson to
Pelly. where lack Dalfon's trail starts,
was brought into play. She was be-
seired by would-hc DaSscnrcrs. who
offered as hirh as $3.50. that they might
he aboard while she m"de her journey
of ~ miles To Pnllv. The l<iulink left
Dawson on the afternoon of Sentembcr
2Ith. With twelve of fifteen rass 'ngcrs.
"'rhc ""vt day we made up n party.
inrluding Herbert RAYMOND of Seattle.
Bert Nelson Of Seattle. Harry Robert
son of san Francisco and myself. We
started up the river in n small river
boat. the same one We had used in
going from Circle CITY TO Dawson. We
left Dawson ahont u. IN. and We're
soon on our wav I'M the river.
"Whlo lack Dalton left Dawson n
couple of DAYS later the situation there
then was tho same MS n was when we
left. and | can tell Won that In n very
few words. The only thing vou could
POSSIBLY buy was sugar. baking pow
der. spiceS and some dried fruit No
f1our. bacon or ANYTHING of that kind
could he purchased from any Of the
stores simply because they did not