The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-08-26

Thus, all told, there are on their way
TO the Klondike today by the water
route 1892 passengers in Twenty-Five
vessels These figures have not been
exaggerated, but are taken from the pas
senger lists of the vessels whose names
are given. The LIST of vessels is AS
complete as could possibly be compiled.
Unquesti0nably some parties have got
away by the water route whose depart
are has not been reported to the news
papers. But, as 1t Is, nearly 10000 per-
sons have taken this method of reaching
1he land of gold.
SO contradictory are the reports which
come from those who claim to have
knowledge of what Ii will cost to reach
the klondike and the necessaries of life
one must have in his possession to AS
sure against starvation that 1t Is al
most folly to accept the word of any
one as absolute. Therefore 1t Is of in
terest to know what, on the average,
these gold seekers carry with them.
Not all. not even the ma or portion of
the emierants. will he able to make the
journey by water. Plenty of them will
have TO brave the dangers of Chicoot
Pass with its record of death and
starvation.
III we average the possessions of each
gold seeker, 1t will not reach the sum
s9f 500 per individual. This assertion
ivill, no doubt, be derided by those who
eoptimistically declare that almost every
eone of the fortune hunters has money
enough to see him through. That is not
true. Many Il man has started from
here TO the Klondike with barely enough
TO live on for n few days after he has
reached the mouth of the Yukon. trust
ing to good fortune to help him com
plete the journey to the promised land.
From the most authentic sources II Is
learned that the water front ut Dyea
and Skagu0y bay Is lined with prospec-
tors tents. Any number of those who
went north from here expecting to get
transportation over the divide. have
found that unless they wish to brave
the perils of the unknown without guide
or definite idea of the necessary knowl-
edge required to assure safe passage,
they must wait for weeks before contin-
tling their journey. Plenty of these
persons are beginning to realize that not
before next spring they will see the
head waters of the Yukon.
This will be the experience of at least
10 per cent of the persons now on the
water on their way to the Klondike
Now what will be the result? On this
point, at least, the ma jority of the eX-
perienced ones agree. 1t Is made up
in one word-starvation. The. British
government, or rather the government
of Canada, has stationed men at every
point where the emigrants make an en-
try into the Canadian portion of the
Klondike country. and no person with
out at least n years supply of provis-
lionsi is allowed to proceed. There is no
such regulation about going to the en-
trance to the land of gold and here 1t is
that a horde of hungry would-be pros
pectors must lnger all winter with no
money and no friends.
Then, when those who can not go by
the water route, but are well supplied
with provisions and fairly well off for
money reach the point of beginning of
the overland journey, they will learn
that II costs not less than $500 n ton
to transport provisions to the final point
of destination. How many of the gold
hunters can afford to pay these prices
There Is but one alternative. and that is
TO stay away until next spring unless
they send home for more money, and
even that means long wait.
Many of the steamers mentioned as
being on the way to the Yukon are heav.
lily loaded with freight. Aboard the
alki were fifty head of pack horses and