The Cape Girardeau Democrat., 1897-09-04

SAN Francisco, Sept. 2.-The Bull
letin has received letter from Charles
Haines. dated Dawson City, July 20.
Mr.. Haines is well-known newspaper
writer, and his letter is the first writ
ten by trained newspaper man TO
come out of the Klondike gold regions
He says:
THE rich diggings have been COM
paratively idle during the summer, al
though the output from Ell Dorado and
Bonanza creeks was famous, and there
was plenty of gold in sight. There is
every prospect of an immense out
put of gold from this district
next spring. The total output
this season is, as near as l can judge,
about 81, 900, 600, but very little ground
has been worked and the dumps Will,
like some of the tailings of old Call
fornia placers pan out thousands OF
dollars when worked with improved
machinery.
The placers are the most puzzling
and deceiving l have ever seen. I'm
agine man working on good color"
and finding the ground worth only a
few dollars per day, and then turning
to a waste of mud and moss with no
surface indications and unearthing
bonanza. That is the situation here
and all over Alaska. The man who
comes here to mine does SO at the ex-
pense of health and happiness, and it
is with him question of making
fortune quickly or take chances with
death. About me are scores of men
who can weigh their gold by the
bucketful and who value their claims
at millions. Four hundred valuable
diggings are stretched along creeks, and
every digging is fabulous mine of
gold, yet there are weary men who
have gone and returned to Dawson,
after searching the great country here
abouts and never nugget do they
show for their toll, their long weary
tramp over broken grounds and into a
country whose disadvantages are ex-
ceeded by no other place on earth.
This Alaska Northwest territory is
an odd prize-drawing proposition that
l can liIxen to nothing that admits of a
better comparison than a lottery. A
number of spots are selected on the
creeks, and for one year the miner Ia
bors. The year closes, the water runs
and the seasons output barely pays ex-
penses.
Nearly two miles away from the uu-
fortunate one is another who has taken
from an uninviting spot sack of gold.
The lucky one did not strike tho
pocket because of his ability as q
miner; chance favored him and that
was all. In short the miner guesses
at it and locates any and everywhere.
In 10 cases out of 20 he misses it, and
has to wait another year for a new
trial.
Dawson is merely collection of log
huts, saloons and mass of tents
about 900 in number. When the long
nights come and the glass goes down
to IS degrees below zero. there will be
intense suffering here and l shudder
to think of the results.
Provisions are going to be very
scarce, and there is little reason to
doubt that the entire town will have
to go on short rations during the win
ter, and that scurvy will be rampant.
The gold that will go down the river
for San Francisco and Seattle will
amount to about 81, 600, 900. There is a
lot of gold that will remain in camp,
for it is used as an equivalent of money,
and is legal tender at SIT per ounce.
OF the x, 900 or 1000 inhabitants only a
couple Of hundred at the most have
made big strikes. There is plenty of
work at from SIS to $50 day, and
many men have paid $3.50 or less for
living and saved the balance.
Reports of other strikes are con-
stantly being received here and many
are authentic so far as Stewart and
Polly rivers are concerned, but moth
ing like SO rich as the Klondike has
been reported.
Quite a number of people are prepar-
ing to leave here for Juneau, in case
the steamers cannot get through with
provisions and the outlook for
good grub supply is not encouraging.
In conclusion, the Alaska and North
west Territory gold fields will be de-
veloped slowly.
Ten thousand men may come here,
but they will be lost in the vast
country when they spread out to pros
pect. Not more than 500 of them will
strike mine. When they do strike
pay gravel their fortunes will be made.
In years to come, when, at the sacrifice
of human life and energy the treasures
of this great land are located, the
wealth of the north will be something
beyond comprehension.