The San Francisco call., 1897-10-10

ne returned to Juneau with several DUCK
skin bags full to the neck with as fine
samples of dust and nuggets as has been
| brought out of The klondIke. These mug
gets vary in size from the lid of an ink
stano 10 a lima bean and thence down to
flake gold. Had these samples been picked
out as an average for exhibition, no better
choice could have been made. The Judge
says Henry Bratnober, confidential agent
of the Rothschilds, and also said to be au-
thoriZed 10 negotiate for the London EX-
ploration Company, made an opening pur-
chase or two for his people in the Klon-
dixie.
Mr.. Bratnober told him hat the Klon-
dixie is the greatest placer camp the world
has ever known.
Mr.. Bounds owns an interest in No 8
El Dorado. He says be would not take
$50, 600 for his interest. He was the first
man who ever took fresh beef into the
YUKON and he cot from 80 cents TO 81 per
pound nearly year ago for steaks. To-
day at Dawson fresh steaks bones, gristIe
hair, hide and all bring 81 80 per pound.
He met the Thorp cattle Train ten days
ago on the Dalton trail and he did not
think they would be bic TO get through
20 Dawson with the cattle.
On the ridges on the Dalton trail the
party ran face into furious snow storms,
and in the valley the snow has already
settled to depth of from one to two feet
As many people are leaving Dawson as
can possibly get away. They are goin 9
down the Yukon to ST. Michael, but more
are coming over the inland trails to
Juneau. From the mouth of the Pelly
ha bal
assist them 10 tide water. Along the
route they passed at least $50 haIf-starvea,
unfortunate men struggling 10 escape from
starvation 10 the plenty that abounds on
the coast. 1t is their opinion that many
of these fugitives from famine will fall by
the wayside and heir bones be bleached
by the SHOWS. Every day disappointed
klondikers are leaving Dawson for the
coast, with only about hall enough pro-
visions to last them through, depending
for The other half of their necessary sup
plies upon their guns and fishing tackle.
Judge Maloney says that as great suffer-
ing threatens in Dawson City from in
sufficient housing as from shortage OF
provisions.
The demand for Lumbar greatly exceeds
the supply, the hills around Dawson hav-
ing been denuded for miles of all avail
a BILE timber, and it is i'm possible for all
the people who have money enough to
get lumber to build ca bins for the winter.
Even a tenderioot in the States can i'm
agine what comfort or safety there may be
in passing winter in tent with the
mercury skylarking in the tube back and
forth from 40 TO so degrees below zero
Every man of the party who came out
this afternoon said that there would be
great and prolonged suffering from hun
ger if not actual starvation in Dawson
City this winter.
The Canadian mining laws are very un-
satisfactory to the klondikers. The gem
eral opinion is that the assessment OF
from 10 to 20 per cent upon the output OF
small and large claims espectlvely is ex-
orbitant. If the Govern ment insists upon
exacting this percentage it may lose more
money than if it decreased the assessment
so per cent, for the simple reason that it
is difficult matter for the Government or
any body else to keep tab upon the actual
output of any claim.
Flour is selling to-day at Dawson City
for SIS per hundred pounds, kerosene $l2
per case, eggs 81 80 each, potatoes 81 per
pound, condensed milk 81 per can and
other provisions in like proportion when
they are for sale. The usual method now
at Dawson when one buys thing is not
TO ask the price, but to pick it out, toss
over buckskin sack of dust and let The
storekeeper take out as much of i. as he
wants to.
The new discoveries are panning out
well. Victoria Creek holds up as we'll as
Bonanza so far as prospected.
The latest discovery is Henderson
Creek, seventy miles up the river from
Dawson. This gulch has been prospected
from the BED of the stream to the noun.
Tain tops on each side as far as the sum-
NIT. No pan has been taken out which
has shown less than 10 cents, and some
pans go $40.
One year ago Alex Mcdonald, an old Yu-
kon prospector, had not enough money TO
pay MIR. Bounds for little fresh meat
which he purchased. To-day Mr.. Mcdonald
Is the richest man on the Klondike, being
worth anywhere from So, 600 900 to SIS. 000,-
0Oo and the surface of half of his ground
mas not been scratched. As matter of
fact Mr.. Med mad does not know whet her
he is worth $5.o00,0 600 or $2o, 900. 600, He
VIII not know until the cleanup comes a
year or two from now. No man who has
claim or an interest IN claim in the