The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-09-11
MANY TALES OF WOE
Distress and Disaster the Princi.
pal Topics of News From
KlOndike,

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1.-THE Elk.
aminer prints an extra editic- ,ontain-
ing the following news from Dawson
City:
The steamer Cleveland has arrived
from st. Michaels, bringing with her
from the Yukon gold fields a story of
distress and disaster.
The miners she has on board and
officers in charge Of the ship tell the
story of disaster and distress at Dawson
City.
The winter has set in at the city of
the frozen north, and the two great
stores Of the place have closed their
doors, for they have nothing to sell.
Those who have been seeking gold now
must seek for food or starve. While
there may be a tendency to exaggerate
the actual condition Of affairs, there
can be ne question that famine threat
ems the adventurous men and women
who made their way to the Klondike.
Hundreds Of unruly spirits are flocking
to Dawson.
Many Threats of Violence.
Threats of. violence are being made
On every side. Indignation meetings,
heavy with muttered threats of ven
geance are held at st. Michaels by
those who see little hopes of advancing
up the river, and less of getting back
to civilization.
The first signs of winter are apparent
on the Yukon river, which is beginning
to freeze and in a few weeks will be
closed. Enormous prices are now being
paid for fo6 at Dawson, and it is inn
possible that more than four vessels will
reach Dawson before the river is a mass
of ice.
On the Cleveland there are Sc pessen.
have come from Dawson City.
There are few miners in this party
that are able to tell of prosperity. Most
of them will seek to exaggerate their
possessions, and if one were to believe
their stories he would say that the
treasure ship in which they come carries
$1,000, O00.
Captain Hall, master of the Cleve.
land, says that he has 500, OO0 in his
safe. The purser says that he believes
he can account for Sl5O,00O Oh board.
Has No Food to Sell.
The Cleveland has some of the pas.
sengers of the P. B. Weare on board.
The Weare left Dawson City in time to
connect with the Portland had she not
met with a mishap and struck on the
fats above Circle City. They report
that on July % the stores of the Alaska
Commercial company and of the North
American Trading and Transportation
company found that they had no more
food to sell.
Three weeks before that the said com.
panies were unable to furnish outfits.
and when the announcement was made
that no nor goods We're available, con.
sternation resulted on the part of the
people of Dawson, with gold seekers
piling in at the rate of 20 to 80 a day.
Drunkenness, gambling and disorder
were rampant and the most conserva.
tive observers predict the most serious
consequences.
There is gold everywhere, but the
DCOplc Va Law SUI NAAV AOOO u1OTc Iudu
they want gold now At st. Michaels
there are not enough structures to &C.
commodate the crowd and scores of
people are living in tents.
EShortly before the Cleveland left St.
Michaels, two of the expeditions, those
of the National City and of the South
Coast, held indignation meetings threat.
ening dire vengeance upon those who
had brought them there and were un-
able to carry them further. They had
been left stranded at St. Michaels and
cannot possibly reach Dawson before
next spring.
If fortune favors, four vessels will be
able to reach Dawson from St. Michaels
before the Yukon river freezes. They
will carry provisions, but it is by no
means certain that they will reach the
Klondike. They offer the only hope,
however, for a renewal of supplies.
August 20, the Excelsior lett St. Mi.
chaels for San Francisco. Reports
were current that her treasure amounts
to 81, 200, 900, but there are none on the
Clorolo~I <1,o< n xyorsf~, this occo~<;o,