The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-08-12
FROM THE
KLONDYKE.
Chas. L0veland, an Ellsworth
Boy, Returns From the KlOn-
dyke. ~ -. a e. .

He Gives Some Good Advice to
Persons Intending to go to the
Gold Fields of Alaska.
Last weeks Adrian Democrat con.
tanned an interview with Chas. Love.
land, OF Ellsworth, who lately return
ed from the Klondyke.
He says the people of this country
have little conception of the rigors
and hardships of the Klondyke region.
People who expect to get out there
must have little capital, and he ad-
vises no one to start on the journey
without atleast 81 900. The fare from
Seattle is $3.50, and clothing and nec-
essary tools will cost $500. 1t is nec-
essary to take enough provisions to
last year, or as longas the gold-seek-.
or intends to stay, as it is next to i'm
possible to buy anything in that cold,
torbidding country. Flour costs $55
per cwt., ham and bacon sells for 81
a pound, and other eatables in the
same proportion. The supply is very
limited, and it is often impossible to
buy anything to eat. Mr.. Loveland
says that all the talk about there be-
ing plenty of provisions is untrue.
There is a store at St. Micheal's,
where a great many ordinary wants
can be supplied, but considering that
st. Micheal's is 1900 miles from the
mines it is little inconvenient to run
over before breakfast and lay in a
supply of provisions.
1t is mistaken idea that a man
can get mine of his own or even So
cure employment at once. There are
at present only 16O mines in working
order, and only 1900 men can find
work in them. By fall there will be
at least 10000 men attracted to that
country by the gold discoveries.
Many ofthem will be without money
and no work in sight, with an Alask.
an winter at hand. There is no doubt
that thousands of them will die of
exposure and starvation, and even
those who are fortunate enough to
have on hand a winters supply of
provisions will hardly survive in a
country where 'every man is a law
unto himself" and starving men are
not angels, even in the refined at
mosphere of civilized community.
Wages are being cut down even in
this golden land. Miners now get
$40 per day in summer, and 81 an
hour in winter. A man can only work
six hours a day, andat the price of
commodities, it would take a long
time to "make stake2 at these wae.
The Yukon river freezes up about
Oct. Is, and does not open until NAV
u, and in the interval the people
must walk and do their hauling with
dogs. A man with a dog team can
do a thriving business, providing he
can stand the weather, as they get Is
cents pound for hauling across the
country. You pay that price or pack
the goods over yourself, which is a
harder task than an unsophisticated
person would imagine. TO illustrate.
Mr.. Loveland asks the reader to tie a
sack of wheat on his back and walk
20 miles day. It will not take many
days to reach the conclusion that It
is hard work.
The winters are extremely cold,
although the last one was mild az
one, the thermometer going no lower
than 60 degrees! In the summer it
gets as warm as it does here, and
several days during Mr.. Loveland's
stay it was 81 above. The flies and
mosquitoes are so bad that the men
are compelled to wear wells all the
time.
The digging is done in winter, and
it is very hard work, as the soil is al
most like India rubber. The dirt is
thrown in huge piles until spring,
when it is washed OUT that. in
mining terms, is called "placer"
mining.
It is impossible to leave here now,
and get up there before the river
freezes. Since arriving at Seattle
Mr.. Loveland says that he has not
seen true account of the Klondyke
country, and that the idea that every
man going there is going to get rich
is a mistaken supposition. It is a
boom for the coast, and the railroads
and out6tters. It is surprising the
way things have picked up along the
coast in the last two weeks, and it is
the duty of everyone who comes from
there to give the newspapers a true
account of affairs at the Klondvke
for there is bound to be vast number
of people sadly disappointed. MANY
of the miners have been up there 70,
years and are not worth a dollar. and
and large per cent. of the men who
60 there with money come away
"broke." Some have done we'll. lust
as has Mr.. Loveland, but thev are
the exception rather than the rule,
The reports sent out that everyone is
getting rich are not only exaggerated
but in thousands of cases untrue In
every particular. IF you have good
job, stay where you are, but out of
employment and have 500 or $500
it might be alright to 70 up there
and try your luck-and It is all luck.