The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-02
ELONDIKE IS A LOTTERY.
there Are Many Blanks, Dame For-
tune Having Few Favorites.
GOOD STORY WRITTEN IN ALASKA
CHARLES Haines Relates the condf-
lions ~ They Are-Therc In Great
wealth, but Who VIII Get its

San Francisco, September 1.-The Bulle-
lin has received letter from Charles
Haines, dated Dawson City. July 26. Mr..
kIaines is well-known newspaper writer
hnd his letter is the first written by
trained newspaper man to come out Of the
kxlopdike regions. He says:
.aThe rich diggings have been compare
lively idle during the summer. although
khe output from Eldorado and Bonanza
hreeks was famous and there is plenty of
kod in sight. There is every prospect of
immense outputs OF gold from this district
hext spring. The total output this season
Il an near as l can judge about $1,000 900.
but very little ground has been'xorked and
The dumps will, like some OF the trailings
81 old California placers, pan out thousands
Ii dollars when worked with improved ma
khinery. The placers are the most puSzlng
Md deceiving l have ever seen. Imagine
man working on good color and finding
he ground worth only few dollars per
lay, aud then turning to waste of mud
Ind moss with no surface indications and
Anearthing bonanza.
THAT is the situation here and all over
Alaska. The man who comes here to mine
Ioes SO at the expense Of health and happi-
less, and 1t Is with him question OF max
hg a fortune quickly or chances with
eath. About me are scores of men who
Ian weigh their gold by the bucketful and
Who value their claims at millions. Four
hundred valuable diggings are stretched
long creeks and every digging Is fabu-
BUS mine Of gold. yet there are weary men
Iho have gone from and returned to Daw-
on after searching the great country
ereabouts and never a nugget do they show
br their toll, and their long tramp over
roken land into country whose disad-
|antages are exceeded by no other place on
Rrth.
This Alaska Northwest Territory is an
Id prize drawing proposition that / can
ken to nothing that admits Of a better
bmparison than lottery. number Of
pots are selected on the creeks and rivers
bid for one year the miners labor. The
Ear closes, the water runs and the sea-
bn's output barely pays expenses. Not
NO miles away from the unfortunate ones
orks man who has taken from an I'M
viting bit of earth a sackful Of gold. The
cky one did not strike the pocket be-
use Of his ability as miner; chance ia
bred him and that was all. In short,
e miner guesses at It and locates any and
Ierywhere, in nineteen cases out OF twen-
and has to wait another year for a new
lal.
Dawson Is merely a collection Of log
ITS and mass Of tents, about 600 in
lmber. When the long nights come, and
e glass goes down to IS degrees below
ro there will be intense suffering here
ID shudder to think of the results. Pro-
Bions are going to be very scarce and
(ere is little reason to doubt that the en-
10 town will have to go on short rations
bring the winter and that scurvy will be
|mpant. The gold that will go down the
yer for San Francisco and Seattle will
Mount to about s20OO.Ooo. There is lot
gold that will remain in camp, for 1t
used as an equivalent OF money and is
gal tender at SIT per ounce. or the 5000
1000 Inhabitants only couple Of hun
ed at the most have made big strikes.
here Is plenty Of work at from SIS to
per day and the men have paid only
80 or less for living and have saved the
lance. Reports OF other strikes are con-
hntly received here and many are au-
entic, SO far as Stewart and Polly rivers
concerned. but nothing like SO rich as
klondIke has been reported.
Quite number OF people are preparing
leave here for Juneau in case the steam
can get through with provisions and
70 outlook for good grub supply is not
couraglng. In conclusion, the Alaska
ID Northwest Territory gold fields will
developed slowly.
Ten thousand men may come here, but
icy will be lost in the vast country when
Icy spread out to prospect Not more
an 500 OF them will strike mine When
ey dn strike pay gravel their fortunes
II be made. In years to come when at
& e sacrifice of human life and energy the
easures OF this great land are located the
Palth of the North will be something
yond comprehension"