The herald., 1897-11-30
APPEALS TO
PRESIDENT
In Behalf of the Starving
Miners
THE FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED
IF CONGRESS WILL FURNISH
TRANSPORTATION
Men Most Familiar W itn the Situation
Express Little Fear Of Suffer-
ing Among Klondikers
IF CONGRESS WILL FURNISH
TRANSPORTATION
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
PORTLAND, Ore, Nov. 29.-The Port
land chamber of commerce today tele-
graphed President Mckinley, appealing
to him to urge upon congress the neces-
sity of sending immediate relief to the
Yukon miners, many of whom, it is be-
lieved, will perish from starvation, un-
less supplies are placed within their
reach during the next three months.
The dispatch to the president says:
Private resources are wholly made
quate to the task involved. Out Of our
abundant storehouses, the people Of the
northwest are capable of furnishing
food supplies, but lack means necessary
to transport the same into the Yukon,
and to provide this we appeal to the ma
ton, through it's chief executive and its
representatives in congress, to the end
that an expedition, under the manage
ment of officers of the army and navy.
be provided for and instructed to make
all possible haste in the accomplishment
of the mission intrusted to them."
NOT MUCH DANGER
TACOMA, Wash, Nov. 29.-E. Z.
Chamberlin Of this city has just re-
turned from Lake Linderman, where he
went to meet James Mckay, who now
owns and runs the largest land trans
portation business in the Yukon basin.
He was the first man to make a winter
trip from Circle City to Juneau, in jan
Ia of I~t I,~<, ,1rrl,t
him crazy and talked of preventing him
from attempting it, but he not only
tried it in spite of them, but succeeded
and made it pay handsomely. Last win
ter he hauled provisions with dog teams
from Circle to Dawson with equal profit,
sometimes getting as high as s45s for q
Atty pound sack of flour. His teams now
run all winter between Circle. Dawson
and the mouth of Pelly river.
His last rip to Juneau was by boat as
far as Lake Bennett. He had eleven men
employed in the expedition. One pur-
pose Of it was to cache dog food along
the route as far as Linderman to feed
his teams for this winters business. An
other was to take back merchandise on
his own account. He took with him on
the return trip north 10000 pounds, con-
sisting of articles of food and clothing
The food was made up mostly of dain-
ties and articles that the trading COM
panies do not supply, in which there was
certain to be large profit. Chamber
lain says Mckay said nothing to him
about a possible famine in Dawson, but
this was probably for the reason that it
was not known when he left that the
boats would not get up.
He is sure that if he had known it he
would have taken back more substantial
supplies than he did take. If there is
danger Of famine now he believes Nc
kay has teams and facilities enough to
haul all the supplies stored at Fort Yu-
kon to Dawson as fast as they will be
needed.
The most alarming Of the reports sent
out about the prospective famine say
there is food enough on hand for all for
four months and that if 1000 of those now
at Dawson go to Fort Yukon, $50 miles
away, all will have plenty. These re-
ports are dated about October. Mckay
would therefore have three months in
which to get up supplies from the fort
before there would be actual want.
Chamberlip does not think that there
is more than two or at most three boat
loads of provisions at the fort All the
other boats were stopped farther down
the river, at Minook and below, but even
this need alarm nobody, as it will be only
a little longer haul from Lake Linder-
man, where, after February and prob
ably as early as January Is, plenty OF
provisions can be delivered by the Chill
coot aerial tramway, now building. All
the machinery and supplies for this line
were forwarded from here last week.
By the contract it Is to be finished Feb
ruary l, but in view of the alarming re-
ports from Dawson, President Wallace
today completed arrangements with
Nelson Bennett, the oldest and at one
time the largest railroad contractor on
the northwest coast, to go forward and
take charge of the work and If possible
complete it two weeks earlier than here
tofore intended. When finished the line
will deliver 120 tons a day over the
mountains. This makes the headwaters
of the Yukon only five days from Taco
ma. From there Mr.. Mckay can deliver
into Dawson in five days more as fast
as 1t will probably be needed until the
river and lakes become navigable, which
Will be IN April or May at the latest. If
not, there will be enough gold seekers
going north by sledges or on foot, all of
whom will carry with them supplies
enough to last them till September and
make considerable addition to what
the dog trains will supply. Altogether
the prospects that anybody will actually
suffer for want of food in Dawson this
year Is not very great. It must be taken
into account that the circ1lators of these
alarming reports emanating from Daw-
son knew nothing about the cable tram
way over the Dyea passes or the imme-
diate relief 1t would certainly afford
them. They still supposed they must
depend on the Lower Yukon. AS soon as
they know all the facts, and they doubt
less do know them now. that Mckay has
returned and others have brought the
neWG from the south Al to thu nreaenf