The herald., 1897-07-21
SOME TRANSPORTATION TIPS
STEAMSHIP COMPANIES DOING
RUSHING BUSINESS
Prospects of a Hungry Winter-The
Homecomers Revel in Expen-
sive Luxuries

terday, says the.San Francisco Exarn-
iner. answering questions and giving
out maps and circulars descriptive of the
Clondyke mining region. While great
majority of the men who made nquif-
les were laborers, not few came who
occupy lucrative positions in. this city,
but who hope to acquire fortunes more
quickly In the famous Clondyke mining
district. The most prominent man who
declared his intention of going to the
years ago Mr.. Hatch owned immense
orchards in Soano county and other
parts of California, and was rated as
millionaire. Unfortunate investments
and the general depre ssion in business
swept his fortune away, and although
over 60 years of age he is going toetry
for another fortune along the banks. of
the Clondyke. When Mr.. Hatch failed
a few months ago he told his friendsthat
he was not downcast by his reverses and
that he would be in comfortable cir
cumstances again before he died. He
will sail for Alaska on the Excelsior on
July 2Sth. Although Mr.. Hatch is best
known as a fruit raiser he was interest
ed in mining in California many years
ago, and is thoroughly familiar with the
| business.
STEAMERS FOR ALASKA
There is room on the Excelsior for 200
passengers. From present indications
it is almost certain that applica tions
for transportation will be received from
twice that number. The Excelsior will
not make another trip this season. The
North American Transportation COM
pany, however. will run two steamers
! from Seattle to Dawson City this sum-
mer The steamer Portland, which
reached Seattle yesterday, will start on
the return trip in few days, and an
other passenger boat will sail about
! August 5th, reaching Dawson City early
in Septem ber Navigation is closed by
the ice in September, and those hardy
gold seekers who may wish to go.to
the Clondyke region after the sailing of
| the last regular steamer will be COM
PEELED to go either to Juneau or St.
Mchaers and make the long journey
through the interior on foot or on the
back of some sure-footed animal
The fare from. San Francisco to Daw-
son is $3.50 first class and 1925 second
class. The privilege of carrying $50
pounds of baggage is also given. No
freight will be carried. Miners wishing
to buy supplies will be compelled to
make their purchases at St. Michaeps,
and pay 10 cents pound for the trans
portation of their food ard clothing to
Dawson. 1t is customary TO obtain a
years supplies at ST. Michaels.. The
| food and clothing required by single
person weighs about 1900 pounds, SO Ar
| item of s120 for freight charges has to be
taken into consideration in estimating
the cost of the journey to Dawson.
The local agent of the North American
Transportation company says every
inch of space on the steamer Portland,
which arrived at Seattle yesterday, has
been engaged. The steamer will leave
Seattle for Dawson next week, and is
expected to reach its destination about
August Goth.
The booking of passengers on the Ex-
celsior has rot yet begun. -
LIFE IN THE BIG CAMPS $50
Robert Krook has been a practical
miner for many years and has spent four
winters in the mines of the newnorth-
west territory. In his comparisons with
mining in California camps nd new dis
tricts in other parts of the United States
he says the most striking feature Is in,
the degree of order maintained In this
Mr.. Krook is corroborated by such men
as Joseph Ladue and Thomas Cook. The
latter has been in almost every mining
| town in California. Washington and
Montana. He is almost 60 years of age
He has this to cay OF Clondyke: -
I'm any other camp but Clondyke
was never without a bowie knifs-and a
gun If Llppy had made that strike
anywhere else there would have been
at least fifty men shot In fighting over
claims There has not yet been a shoot
Ing or cutting ARRAY in Clondyke, and as
an American I want to give the Cana
dian government credit for the manner
in which the new district is controlled. !"
| All of the men speak in the same strain
and seem 10 attribute this almost un-
| heard Of state OF affairs in new mining
region to the system Of granting claims.
Cook says that when the poor mans
readymoney mining is done there will
be found a great government credit for
shat.
MINERS LAWS
Mr. Krook tells how order was ma IN
tanned long before the Canadian survey
ors and mounted police reached sClon-
dyke. He said:
Until this spring the men never put
locks on the doors of the cabins and
nothing was stolen. You might go into
any cabin and see glass or tin or two
on the shelf full of gold and no one would
think of touching it. Any one could
steal IL he wanted to do so, but there
were good re asons why they did not. It
was only after the mounted police ar
rived that locks ard bolts became a ne
cessity. Before that there were what we
called miners laws Forty or fifty of
the miners would call meeting select
a chairman, and then if man could
make his own talk he did so or he would
get some one to make it for him. When
both sides of the case had been heard
the chairman would call fcS a vote. The
decision was final. If man gave trouble
he had to go. Now they do not have
miners laws any more. We had no trou-
BILE during three years because all cues
tons were settled at these meetings of
miners. All disputes about claims were
argued and adjudicated in the same
| way"