The Penn's Grove record., 1897-08-13
taken away hundreds who will never come

taken away hundreds who will never come
back.
''They have swarmed upon the boats,
many without the first idea Of the location
of the fields OF any knowledge concerning
their destination. They nave failed to see
that the gold region is q vast wilderness,
Bnow-bound and Ice covered, full OF death
even to explorers int adventures who
have become trained to the rigor OF o per-
sistent fight for life.
'There will be greater horrors there than
there were In the West, since here the new
corners found a climate in which they could
live, and, having failed to and O mine, they
were able to get work In other directions.
There Is no alternative In the Klondike.
The hundreds who have zone must dig In
the dirt or nothing. If they can not get
work as miners they will AVE to get out.
This would not be So bad, but there is
no way to get out after the winter starts.
The food supply is sure to run low n this
means absolute death. l look for the most
frightful tales Of distress to some down OF
the first boats that shall leave the new
fields in the spring."
J. r. de Lamar, who Is probably the
greatest gold mine operator in the United
States, n who understands every princi-
pie Of placer mining, says:
II must say that / i'm surprised at the.
wonderful interest that the Klondike placer
mines have excited everywhere. I never
saw anything like 1t.
1.-THE mines are wonderful, but probably
not SO wonderful as represented. Grass is
always greener, you know, further away.
l have seen experienced men from the
Klondike ~region-men I know-and have
thoroughly probed the facts about the
country.
at Is absolutely foolish to start for
Alaska now. Men who have spent several
years there tell me that the Yukon River Is
now closed-closed not by ice, but by
drought. No steamer can go up to Klon-
dixie after the middle of July. The only
other way to go is afoot over Chilcoot Pass,
NOW, If you start that WY you will have
to walk $500 miles, and each man has to
carry all his provisions for u year, his be-
longings and traps. There Is no well-deined
trail. You have to walk over moss on an
average three to four feet deep, through
which one sinks from six inches to several
feet every time he steps.
There are billiards. which last several
days. Then 1t Is necessary to dig holes In
the snow and moss and stay there until the
blizzard Is over. This moss has the am
malarial effect as new dirt has in q dugout.
"The Klondike can never be compared to
California, because living there Is so differ
emit. After the rich digglngs In California
were worked out the miners took the next
rich placer dirt, and finally the quart
AS "a thO ANAANo hAChNAAO aAOuhh
can be worked, Alvin Pierce, who Is Just
from there, tells me, because wages are $I5
to ego q day. and sometimes much higher.
eThe miners nov are paying $40 a day
for board. He tells me also hat provisions
are sure to be short there this winter on
account OF the great rush Of people and
the utter lack Of supplies. Board will be
higher than the wages. / have given this
subject much consideration and have
CLEANED much information, and / believe it
is like throwing money away to send par
ties and expeditions there now.
Another thing, the Canadian Govern
ment has passed laws very hostile and In
furious to mining, 1t never favored a
great inaux OF miners from the United
States. The Canadian Government leyies
a tax of ten per cent. on claims that pro-
duce less than $500 q month, and twenty
per cent. on all over $500 a month. Besides
that the, worst, most terrible and unjust
law ever inflicted upon a mining commune
lily has been passed, segregating every al
ternate claim for the Canadian Govern
ment.
II doubt II half OF the people there have
any title to their claims, and many who
come home will find themselves without
claims on their return. Under these laws
1t will be difficult for Americans to retain
possession OF any property bought or to
keep the gold they Ind In the Klcndike."