Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-18
OSCAR ELLIS RETURNS
One Of Party Which Left Here in Jul,
for Gold Fields.
His Account of the Death Of samuel
George-Goid Stories Greatly
Exaggerated.

Oscar Ellis, orc of the party OF four Ital-
ians who left Washington July &c for the
klondike. has returned here. He brings
back with him narrowing story of the
misfortunes and difficulties which encoun-
tered the would-oe prospoctors IN that
country. Samuel George one of the party,
VINO Kept a fruit stand at llth and q
streets. died on the way up the Yukon riv-
er, as heretofore stated in The Star. lie
died Of stomach trouble. with which Ellis
says that at least one-thiri of the persons
up there are afflicted. lie said that he saw
forty or fifty persons who had died from
the disease.
The party Of four including Ellis. Samuel
George. Jack Otto and Rushed SleeIn lid
not reach The KIondike. They got no fur
Their than point about loo miles up the
Yukon, where the steamer Charles n.
Hampton on which they had taken passage
from st. Michael's was forced 20 turn back
on account of low water. George died two
days before they reached the point whore
they turned back. about September IL.
There were l63 persons on board the side
wheel steamer. All except twenty-eight
men and seven women were landed ON
shore with their goods. intending 10 push
on to the klondike if possible.
Ellis Makes n Statement.
Speaking of the trip. Ellis said:
we 81 Mlcfiiael TO up thc \ dkon
August &c, although We We're advised ret
to DO so by the persons in st.
Mfchaefs- My friend. George who was
The head of the party. was taken sick and
died in a very short time. We buried MIN
September .. at the Russian mission. at
which stopped. The boat was forced to
make frequent stoppages to take on wood.
OF which IL used great quantity.
1T was thought when we started that
we would be able to reach Circle City.
which was said to be about 100 miles from
where we had to tern back. but the water
became very low. there being only about
two and one-half feet. on account of the
sources which supply the river freezing
up. | never saw such q demoralized crowd
in all my life. 1t was pitiful to see tie
people who had sold everything they had
and started out in the search for gold
Il know positively that nearly all OF the
stories published in the newspap ers have
been Congregations On the steamer Cleve-
land. which passed us coming down
went up, there was not over 81 ,tsU in gold, 4
am positive We were greatly surprised on
our return TO St. Mchaei's TO learn that
the CleN Gland had taken down a half ton OF
the yellow metal.
Results Very Poor.
81 saw people up in the Yukon district
who had been there for five, eight and ten
years, engaged in mining, and they had
hardly enough money to bring them back
II was told that all the stories of the rich
ness of the strike at Dawson City and
the other points were greatly exaggerated
From what L saw all the money that was
UP there was taken by the prospectors and
was not dug out of the ground.
When We reached St. Michaefs on our
return trip we found 800 persons there
waiting to go 10 San Francisco. They were
terribly worked up over what they consid-
cred Misrepresentation which had been
made them regarding every point, and the
majority of them SAID If they could only
reach home they would never start out On
such wild goose chase again.
THE largest amount of money L saw
any man have was about $1,000. and this
was exaggerated into five or six times that
amount.
Cold I'm September.
when We reached st. Michael's which
L believe was September Il, the Their
mometer was four degrees below zero.
| There were plenty of provisions in the
| town-enough, / heard, to last ten thous-
and people eight or ten years. The prices
WERE of course, immensely high We had
| to pay 81 for a pair of socks and s. for
sweater. Our outfit sold at 800 OF 4oo
per cent advance, so that We did not come
out so badly on the trip as We would have
done otherwise. My friend, Rushed Sleem,
was so determined to visit the klondike
| that he took his stuff. when the boat stop
ped and pushed on with Ii. Otto and my
self had become so discouraged at the
death of our friend, and at what We saw
and heard, that we got back as soon as We
could