The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-30

with its few minutes of daylight Is in
describabe Out Of the 1900 men who
went in the stampede of IA but two
attempted to brave the winter. / don't
know their fate. There were no trails,
no comforts, no ccnveniences: only
the strongest constitutions could sur
Vive the seventies of the season. The
heat of summer did not rise above so
degrees, but the mosquitoes were
something terrible; Jersey mosquitoes
are not to be compared with them.
The miners were obliged to work with
their heads completely covered by net
ting and there were odd little flies that
never stung without leaving a blood
blister on the flesh"
At that time sugar was one dollar
a pound, the Indispensable bacon was
$l.25. AS the provision dealer at the
camp had to pay the Indians so cents
a pound for carrying in the stores.
His rates were not unreasonably high.
A colored man who had managed to
reach there with 100 pounds of potatoes
receiv cd $500 a pound for these vege-
tables which were grated and bottled
by the purchaser and used as a specl-
fic for scurYy.
The conditions today are the same
that they were twenty years ago. II
anything more money is needed as
greed has not lessened since that time,
and both voyage and postage expenses
have increased. Then it cost but $500
for a mining license, while now rumor
seems to indicate a sliding scale of
rates, always upwards.
ADVICE OF A PRACTICAL. GOLD
MINER.
Mr.. Rice declares that if he were a
young man with his fortune to make he
would surely go to the Klondike. By
his knowledge of the country he is GER
tain that gold in vast quantities is to
be found throughout the entire region
But he would not advise anyone to un-
dertake the expedition unless he pos
sesses excellent health and strong con-
sttutiOns. The folly of joining a large
party would soon be discovered. Large
parties as a rule do not hang together
in a mining camp longer than q few
days. One partner with a joint owner
ship of a claim with two other men
enough to work it, compose an extern
sive enough party. Every man has to
be accomplished. He knows how to do
things from necessity. He must be his
own surveyor, civil engineer, black
smith. carpenter, toolwright, cook
laundress, seamstress, clergyman,p phys
iciar, lawyer and everything else. AS
his kit of tools consists of the elab-
crate outfit comprised in a pick, shovel
gold pan and hatchet with a sheath
knife, as an additional frill, the need
of a blacksmith is small. He mends
II 4, H. \,
fire as the handle is guarded by two
green sticks of wood. He has no anvil
nor bellows since he could not carry
them !, to the interior. The great re-
quisite is to take along as little as
possible, as even a light pack grows
heavy in the long march.
ADVANTAGE OF MINING IN THE
DOMINION.
Mr. Rice declares that while he is a
patriotic American, he would prefer to
enter gold mining under the flag of
Great Britain, as England treats the
miner far better than does Uncle Sam.
When he staked a claim in Alaska the
gold commissioner went out to verify
the location and the government pro-
tected the legal rights by mounted
pOllCt. DuCn ii NIllHS dS al
claim was unknown. In the United
States a wrong done to miner can
only be redressed through a long legal
process in the courts, and tragedies,
outrages and unlawful seizures were
frequent occurrences in the days of the
gold fever.
In the Alaskan expedition that sum-
mer a band of toughs from an Ameri-
can mining camp were dissatisfied with
their claim and moaned loudly and
long over the fact that they were not
back in Phoebe, where they could have
done as they pleased. One of these
cut-throats was drunk one day and
rashly drew a revolver. but was i'm
mediately disarmed by the authorities
and fined one hundred dollars. Cabins
were not locked in that region and a
mans gold, his claim, and his person
were safe. Mr.. Rice went unarmed
from the hour he entered the dominion,
an inconceivable condition in a west
ern mining camp in this cOutry.
A miners outfit should contain the
Indispensable pick, shovel, gold pan
and hatchet, or small hand-aXe. Then
frying pan, of course, is a prime
necessity. You have to bake your
bread in a frying pan, after setting"
it in your gold pan, and everything else
you cook must also be located in that
frying pan. Two strong metal cups,
two spoons, a knife and fork must go
in the miners pack. Probably he will
not use the fork as much as he does
now, but it may be handy to have.
Canned goods should be left behind, as
being too heavy for their value. Dried
fruits, beans and oatmeal should be
taken, but only enough of these pro-
visions for the trail. afterward de-
pending on the camp dealer.
An experienced placer miner might
go with $1,000, but a greenhorn should
not start with less than $4,000
a SCHEME FOR THIS WINTER.
Mr.. Rice is Of the opinion that if any
one is disposed to go out this season
he should stop at Juneau for the VIM
ter where he can be sure of finding
work at good wages in the great Tread
we'll mines, which are being deserted d
for the gold fields. These are the most
wonderful quartz mines in this country
in some respects, although the ore real
ICES hut 81 to the ton. Yet so great is
the capacity of the stamping mill that
26. 900 tons of ore were mined in May
two years ago, when Mr.. Rice visited
It.
The would-be miner by spending the
winter ct Juneau among miners in
close touch with the interior, will find
the experience invaluable for his spring
campaign. Then too, he may when
shedding is good, take little spin a
few hundred miles after the dogs and
visit the camp. BY the way the dog
industry is booming up there dogs come
J,nao,,. about az apiarC &c tbo