The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-20

difficulties that surround it. Two mill
lion dollars picked up in less than nine
months. and so times that amount
invade the cherries region and
strength to handle a pick and shovel
tells the story of the mania that has
seized upon the people. Thousands are
now racking their brains to devise ways
and means to reach the Klondyke.
Il am appalled, at the prospect" said
Joseph Ladue, the founder of Dawson
City, yesterday. Everybody seems to
who have talked about going to Klon-
dyke, reach there, death in its most
horrible form will surely follow. To go
into country at this season of the year
where suffering and privation is al
ways the rule and not the exception, is
sheer madness.
"Candidly, something should be done
to stop it. Not only will this influx of
new people be disastrous to themselves,
but it will be equally fatal to the three
thousand or more men and women al
would seem, however, that the prospect
of death by starvation has no terrors
for a gold-hungry crowd.
IF this rush keeps up there will be
Der 1. I understand that 5000 tons of
provisions will be shipped to st. Mich
aels this season, but not more than 5000
tons will reach Dawson City That is
hardly enough to keep the people alive
who are already there.
81 can only say one thing. If the peo-
pie insist on going now I implore them
to take along enough provisions to last
during the winter. There will be food
in plenty at st. Michaels, but that is
2 600 miles from Dawson City, and it
might Just as we'll be in Japan for all
the good it will do the people in the
Klondyke.
ST don't think ever saw just such a
craze Why the people are worse than
those at Circle (SitV and FOrtV Mile.
Neither the storms nor the SHOWS nor
the almost absolute certainty of StarV-
riers, seem to affect the mad, gold
struck throng. / am honestly sorry
that 1 ever said anything about the
riches of the Klondyke. I now, how
ever, strongly advise the people to wait
until spring. That is the time for them
to go to Alaska. There will be plenty
of provisions on hand, and the greatest
danger of the regiOnS-StarVatiOn-
be overcome"
To these warnings the populace is
deaf. The steamer Excelsior, which
brought the first load of lucky miners
from the diggings, will sail for DaW-
son City July %. While as yet no tick
cts have been placed on sale, the pros
pective passengers would many times
fill the cabin of the vessel. There are
accommodations for 200 people, includ-
ing cabin and steerage, the fare for the
former being $3.50 and for the latter
$125. This includes meals and is re-
ably low rate. Each person will be al
lowed to carry $50 pounds of baggage
and to ship as much extra as desired at
the rate of 10 cents a pound. No guar
antee, however, is offered that the
freight will reach Dawson City before
next spring. The steamship people are
amazed at the numbers of ''tenderfeet'
who have been struck by the craze.
There has never been anything equal to
it, they say, and the end is not yet.
The cashier of the Alaska company
said yesterday that if they had suf-
ficient boats there would be, in his opin-
ion, at least $1,000 people to go up the
Yukon this fall. There are not enough
provisions now in Dawson to feed those
already there and only a limited sup
ply can be transported there before the
winter blockade begins.
There are now on the way to st.
Michaels more than 5000 tons of provis-
ions, but it is impossible for the steam
ship company to get these supplies fur
Their up the river this year. There will,
of course, be enough for those already
in the camp, but for any greater num-
Der intense suffering is anticipated.
As the favorite route is by way of
Juneau it is not unlikely that a great
number of people will take advantage
of the weekly boat between this city
and that point. This boat also stops
at Seattle and probably will be crowd
ed each trip. The fare from San Fran
cisco to Juneau is $50, which includes
board. From Juneau to Lake Under
mann is really the hardest part of the
entire journey. Most OF the distance,
200 miles, is over a mountainous cOun-
try, though snow does not begin to fall
until September Is
After this there is scarcely a 1et-up
until the middle of the following March.
Just before reaching Lake Lindermann
the famous Chilcat pass is encountered,
and woe to the traveller who is caught
in one of the SnowStormS which spring
up with the suddenness of an April
shower and rage for days. They are
frozen simoonS. Nature has provided
at the pass a protection against these
terrific outbreaks in shape of an inn
mense overhanging rock at the top of
the pass
1t was a custom in former years for
the Indians TO corral here the wild
sheep and goats, which were to be
found in large numbers in all the sur
rounding mountains. The species is
radically extinct.
The route by way of Juneau is a fine
trip of 900 miles or So For an indi-
vidual 1t is more costly, but for party
it is cheaper.
At the head of Lake Lindermann is
a sawmill, where prospectors are per-
mitted to prepare the lumber for the
boats necessary to complete the jour
ney to the camp.
This work generally consumes five or
six days, but if the prospector is in
hurry he can purchase a boat, the av-
erage price NHing $50 Then he floats