The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-14
FIRST SIGNS OF WINTER
ON THE YUKON FINDS MANY
PEOPLE OUT OF FOOD.

The River Beginning to Freeze Oyer-Two
Stores at Dawson City Emptied of Their
Provisions-People Already Suffering for
Food-Only -Four More Vessels to Arrive.
Drunkenness and Lawlessness-rhe Citi.
{ zons Uneasy-Miners Returning With
Gold
San Francisco, September 1O.-The
Examiner prints an extra edition CON
tanning the news from Dawson City:
Otter Point, b. c., September 10
The steamer Cleveland has arrived
from ST. Michaels, bringing with her
from the Yukon gold fields a story of
distress and disaster. The miners she
has on board and officers in charge of
h ship tell the story Of the suffering
at Dawon The winter has set in at
the mining city of the frozen north and
two great stores of the place have
closed their doors, for they have moth
ing to sell. Those who have been seek
ing gold now must seek food or starve.
While there may be a tendency to ex-
aggerate the actual condition of affairs,
there can Se no question that famine
threatens the men and women who
made their way to the Klondyke.
Hundreds Of unruly spirits are focking
to Dawson. Threats Of violence are
being made on every side,
The first signs of winter are apparent
on the Yukon, which is beginning to
freeze, and in a few weeks will De
closed. Enormous prices are now being
paid for food at Dawson and it is i'm
possible that more than four vessels
with provisions can reach Dawson be-
fore the river is a mass OF ice.
On the Cleveland there are thirty
eight passengers, men, women and
children, who have come from lawson
City. There are a few miners in the
party that are able to tell Of prosperity.
Most of them wish to exaggerate their
possessions and if one believed the
stories they tell he would say the
treasure ship in which they come car
ries S., 900, 900. Captain Ham, master
Of the Cleveland, says that he has $780,
900 in his safe. The purser believes
that he can account for $4,000 on
board.
The Cleveland has some of the pas
sengers Of the P. B. Weare on board.
The Weare left Dawson City in time
to connect with the Portland, had she
not met with a mishap and struck on
the flats above Circle City. They re-
port on July 25th the stores of the
Alaska Commercial Company and of
the North American Trading and
Transportation Company
that they had no more food to sell.
Three weeks before that the same COM
Danies were unable to furnish outfits
and when the announcement was made
that no more goods were available,
CONSERVATION resulted on the part of
the people Of Dawson, with gold seek
ers piling in at the rate of twenty to
7hirty a day. Drunkenness, gambling
and disorder were rampant and con-
servative observers predict the most
serious consequences.
There is gold everywhere, but the
people of Dawson want food more than
they want gold now. At st. Michaels,
shere are not enough structures to ac-
commodate the crowd, and scores of
people are living in tents.
If fortune favOrs, four vessels Will
be able to reach Dawson from st. Mi
Ghaels before the YulOn river freezes.
They will carry provisions, but 1t is by
no means certain hat they will reach
the Klondyke. They offer the only
hope, however, for a renewal or sup
plieS.
August 2Sth the Excelsior left st.
Michaels. Reports were current that
her treasure amounted to 81 ,OOO, 600, but
there are none on the Cleveland who
can verify this assertion. The Excel
sior was caught on the dangerous flats
of the Yukon and broke two blades of
ner propeller. 1t is probable, however,
that she left Onalaska last Monday to
resume her journey to the sOuth.
The Cleveland brings news that when
the Humboldt stopped at Onalaska on
her journey to st. Michaels, the pas
sengers were in open rebellion.