The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-30

about $500, 900 in this party, but they de-
cline to give Individual figures.
There are probably only eighteen in the
party, for one of them is q detective who
went into the country after a man charged
with murder, and another is his prisoner.
The detective is another and quite inter-
esting story. All OF the miners speak of
the country as being exceedingly rich in
the yellow metal. but they at the same
time never cease 10 warn those who go in
against the certain hardships and possible
dangers they must encounter.
In.t his fhey are joined Is all tho. here
aboHts who have beenin ,ibd are familiar
With the country, including the Federal
officials and the officers of the commercial
companies thems selves. The warning Of
these latter is not exactly against going
into the country, iEasmuch as they have
brought the people thus far. but they say
plainly that the panles cannot guar
antee plentiful supply of provisions.
They declare this TO be impossible, mas
much as there is nc telling how many peo-
pie are coming in over the BASS with in
sufficient provisions for the winter.
These warnings have had a very ap-
many, and the passengers of the Excel
.ior had q meeting this evening and dis
cussed the situation in much soberness.
1t was decided 10 appoint committee to
wait upon Louis Sloss Jr of the Alaska
Com mere. al Company, when he shall
have arrived as expected on the down
boat and demand of him that every pas
sengcr shall be allowed TO purchase and
carry wi III him on that boat to Dawson a
years supplies. There is not an over
con nfdence that this point can be made,
and if it should fail it is not at all i'm
probable that some will turn back.
And tuere seem 10 be excellent reasons
for the growing fee ing o: tlmidlty. As
far as can be learned from the careful fig
uring of o b companies there are but
1000 ons OF provisions up the river that is
in stock anywhere TO be purchased. 1t is
estimated by the officials here that there
were 1900 men Oh the Upper Yukon last
winter, and there was scarcity OF food
toward spring. This year the rush into
the country has not been met by proper
tionate shipments OF provisions.
The provisions in store by he two COM
panies, it is estimated are not more than
enough for the people who have come into
the country by the company's steamers
in addition to / ose who are already there
Colonel Erwin Anders, Deputy Collector
OF the Port, who has been in Alaska sew
enteen years, says that he never knew a
winter that there was not a scarcity of
provisions. and he predicts for this season
great pr vttion and suffering. Superin-
iendent Lying of the Alaska Comme rcia
Comp pany says that lie has advices by the
last boat that there are 1000 idle men at
Dawson at this time. This state ment is
in measure corroborate by the party of
miners here who came down on the boat
They say that great numbers of thos e
who go into the country have the very
vaguest notions OF tine conditions thew
are to encounter; that they come with
the belief that they are to shovel up golG
from the earth III any quarter; that they
come with SCARCELY food enough to carry
them in, and that meeting with disap-
pointment they gravitate to town and are
living upon the bounty OF those who have
met with success. Fortunately there are
plenty of successful men now, money
flows easily and hard times are not felt
That these conditions can be maintained
all winter they say there is no reason to
doubt. They counsel to keep out of the
country this winter.
On the other hand they ex press the be-
lief that there are other BonanZas and
oher Ell Dorados in the great wilderness
that have not been discovered, and with
one or two exceptions-and these because
of sickness-they declare their intention
to return in the spring. They report con-
siderable sickness in the vicinity OF Daw-
son during the summer, with several
deaths. There is quite an epidemic of
typhoid fever there now-no less than
thirty cases when they left-and several
had died of it.
Among these were Charles and Robert
Carlson, who together had taken out $25,-
600. A man named Belcher d led a few
days before they left with S25, 900 under
his pillow and $25. 900 more due as the