The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-07-28
Joaquin Miller Says Stories Of
HardShipS Are Exaggerated.
PLENTY OF PROVISIONS THERE
Strike Far Richer Than Anything
Yet Discoyered-Has No Doubt
That the Mines Are Immensely
Rich-Rundreds OF Miles of Un-
explored Country.

from Joaquin Miller, who is on board ths
steamer City OF Mexico from Seattle Il
Juneau, has been received here. In it he
says:
1 have not seen such excitement since
the rush to Salmon River, 1862, when Idaho
and Montana were found 20 be gold fields
when they Were yet unknown and mere
immature coupons TO be cut from Oregon
and Washington Territory. 1 have finished
the first 900 miles from San Francisco
Go Seattle. and now short 1000 miles
more and 1 will be climbing the savage
fronted ChILoot Pass, with fifty pounds
On my back and nay face TO the morning
star.
The time 10y land from San Francisco
was forty hours. The cost was 81 all
told. The time is a little longer by water
and the cost q little less. The fare from
Seattle TO the end of naviga ton toward
the new gold fields is S32 cabin and Sl7
steerage. There lis plenty of competition,
which VIII increase rather than diminish,
and so the fare will not he higher either be
tween Seattle and Alaska or San Francisco
and Seattle.
Seattle is simply seething. Portland,
too. is disturbed 10 the center, but not 80
wildly as Seattle. The nearer 1 get to
the gold fields the more inten Sc the ex-
element, and the more certain it seems
that there are tons OF gold in the Klondike
mines. But maybe San Francisco is also
excited by this time. Yesterday stopped
aCoregon City To Ia y in supply Of blankets.
was at first refused.
I'VE are compelled TO run night and
day"
why, what for?"
"Klond ike"
And now something about the routes and
some reasons for the turmoil at Seattle.
The enterprising navigation company that
has control OF the great Alaska River said
10 be second to if not the peer OF the
Father OF Waters" VIII not carry sup
plies for anyone but themselves, as the river
is only navigable three months in the
year aud ismore than ., O0miles long Men.
especially poor men. hesitate TO commit
themselves to the mercy OF the monopoly
and so be compelled 10 buy supplies at the
end of long voyage at whatever figures
the company sees fit to fix. Yet il is said
that the monopoly has thus far been very
just.
IL is remarkable that OF these two and
only roates to the mines the one enters
the great river at the mouth and the other
at the very fountain. The Yukon makes a
mighty horseshoe with the toe TO the
North Pole. The mines are to the south ~
the curve, no that one going by the mouth
Of the river has very long voyage from
San francisco, yet a comparatively easy
one
For all you have to do by that route is
70 step aboard at San Francisco. change |
boats on reaching the Yukon, and sit stil |
till you're landed right in the mines.
Fere's what a mCst reliable citizen of /
Seattle writes from Dawson: Up TO this |
date this year 1000 people have crossed |
the summit aud about the same number 1
wintered here. The ma jority of the peo- /
me are at Dawson City or in some imme-
date vicinity. Dawson City is now a few
weeks old. IL is growing rapidly Just as
fast as the little sawmill can cut lumber
or logs can be RATED. Common lumber is
worth 81 50 per thousand on the 'taI.-it-or-
let-it-alone' policy. Town lots the same.
They are now being sold by a crowd Of |
men who located them. and are held from
$1,000 down TO $3.50, with no title.
Every effort is being made this wear to
have In store provisions for the coming
winter. The steamers Bella and Alice. with
barges, will make five trips each from st.
Michaels, bringing about 45O tons each
per trip, mailing about 4, 300 tons -Four
five hundred tons of supplies for
about 5000 people, or possibly twice 5000
before the rush is over, looks an right
Tbora will ha / .
in the Klondike mines, either
his year or next. great many people
are crying Wolf" when they can. as
you see by little counting, find no wolf
a. all For, to saynothingo OF the thousands
1f tons taken In by the steamer, all the men
who have gone in by the way I am now
going, what is called the 'short cut" took
n and are still taking in loads and loads /
Il supplies.
Now, i am not going to take the re-
OF advising any one To come on
bis year. But of two things am certain, 6
rom what / have found out since coming {
o the Sound: First, there is no possible c
'bance for a famine In the mines: and, sec i
md, the dangers and hardships and cost {
getting there have been greatly exag-
Grated. s
This is no new thing in the gold discov- c
Is, and is only a bit of human natune You | q
ee the discoverers and those who come in 1
arly want to hold and keep all in sight 4
II they can get their friends in.
am not going TO say anything unbind /
the dauntless men IN the KIondile n
nay Know the men who discovered the s
almon River mines in Idaho sent ont rt,n- a
ers and pasted notices TO keep people from
1shing IN. And we used these very sam. r
fgumentsEs starvation and infeolerahre -
ardship But nobody starved. and, while
few persisted in the snow, it must be re-. c
lemiered that men die from indigestion | d
s well as fIom hunger. q
In line with this truth give the follow | p
lg from a responsible friend s letter. writ
n lately from Dawson: q
THE hardships of the trip are much n
and nrisund erstood by the | G.
1tside world. or course on the trails from
yea to Lake LiDderman mans patience.
erve and strength are taxed 10 the utmost.
lst from the ship, stores, offices and n
'ihes OF luxury, or atleaSt comfort. many q
nd their strength almost unequal to the HI
'caslon. Many have been seen sitting fs
Their burdens, weeping, swearing. or %
silent despair. There is no sickness m 81
eak or, ana few accidents on the trail N
Eerybody rs wen and glad they are In
re The mines are probably the richest
10 cover a larger field than any ever
soovered before. The gold Is coarse.
ggets going as high as $500 each. p.
ihrt washed cut goes as high as $500
the par, one man offering TO wager he
uid pics and wash ont 81 900 TO the | at
q. OF course this is an exception. Fl. co
rado Craax SO FAR hss s,,.,,-.. "a, :. -. =.