The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27
FOOD SUPPLY IS SHORT
RETURNED KLONDIkER PREDICTS
SALVATION AT DAWSON.
Neither Provisions, Oil Nor Candles
Enough for the Winter-Output of
the Mines VIII Be CurtaiIed.

SKAGUAY, Alaska, Dec. II, via Seattle,
Wash Dec. 2G.-John Lindsay. of Olympia,
Wash, who has just arrived from Dawson
City, says there will surely be starvation
there this winter. He examined into the
food situation in a thorough manner, he
says, and after satisfying himself that
there would be starvation, he sold his out
fit and, in company with Frank Ballaine, of
Olympia. Wash. Thomas Story, of Victoria,
British Columbia, and Robert Glynn, of
Seattle, started out on foot, each man
drawing a sled, carrying about 14O pounds
of provisions. Lindsay says the Dawson
people do not believe there is as great an
amount of food at Fort Yukon as has
been alleged. The river rose sufficiently and
remained open long enough to enable a
food supply to have been brought from
Fort Yukon had there been any there. The
people of Dawson, believing that there was
rot ample food supplies at Fort Yukon,
refused to go there, preferring to remain
in Dawson. Not more than three hundred
four hundred took advantage of the
transportation companys offer to take the
people to Fort Yukon free of charge
When the miners at Dawson found that
no more provisions would reach the town
by the river route, they announced that
a meeting would be held to take steps for
apportioning the provisions in the town.
Those that had plenty, they said, must
share with those who had none.
Captain Constantine of the Northwest
mounted police, interfered and told the
miners that no such thing would be per-
mtted The meeting was not held
Lindsay says the output of the mines
cause of the scarcity OF food and light.
Coal oil sold for $45 a gallon and candles
are as high as $3.50 a box of one hundred.
Even if men were able to work their claims
they cannot get light to do so. These state
ments are borne out by all returning Klon-
dikers, quite a number of whom have
reached here the past week. Few of them
however, take as gloomy view of the situa-
ton as does Mr.. Lindsay.
DR.. B. l.. Bradley. Of Roseburg, Ore,
says that food is scarce, but he does not
think there will be actual starvation.
Neither do w. b. King, of MERGED, Cal,
p. ]. Holland, of Butte, Thomas Story, of
Victoria. or Robert Glynn, of Seattle all
of whom reached here this week from
Dawson, the most of them having left there
on Nov. 2. AS an instance of the scarcity
of food in Dawson Lindsay relates the case
of Dr. Vanzandts formerly of Spokane,
Wash. Vanzandts is an elderly man and,
being without provisions or money, he Of
fered a gold watch for a sack of flour. He
could not get it and remarked to Lindsay:
God only knows how l am to keep body
and soul together" Lindsay says two
hundred or more miners are prospecting at
the mouth of Stewart river, but nothing is
known as yet what success they achieved.
Henderson creek, five miles below Stewart
river and forty miles from Dawson is a
promising stream, and 1t is being developed
this winter
The weather about Stewart and Big Sal
mon rivers has been bitterly. cold. 20 de-
grees below being recorded at Major Walsh
camp, twelve miles below the Big Salmon,
on Nov. 80: The Yukon river, between Daw-
son and Fort Peily. froze over Nov Is.
The river is piled full of ice with great
ridges as high an ordinary house, and
a roadway will have to be put through it
before dog or horse teams can operate on
it. The outlook, therefore, for taking sup
plies down to Dawson in the immediate
future is not good. Inspector of Mines Nc
Gregor left here a week ago with a num-
Der of dog teams and horses to make the
attempt to reach Dawson with about TWEEN
ty tons of provisions, but nothing has since
been heard of him,