The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-09-03
AN EARNEST APPEAL
To Would-Be Klondike Miners to
Stay at Homo
And Not Go North Until the SprIng-Starva-
tiOn. Suffering and Death Staring Thou
sands in the Face-ImpOssible to Ship
Provisions to Them This Fall.

Stanley, who went to st. Michaels in
the interest of the press, returned tc
this city on the steamer Portland. He
says:
Il have been seven weeks at the
mouth of the Yukon at st. MichaelS
| where l saw all the miners coming out
and interviewed them. As a result,
feel it my duty to advise every body to
stay out until next spring. Wild and,
in many cases, exaggerated reports have
| been circulated since the first discov-
cries were made. The strike, however,
was and is one of the greatest if not
greatest in the worlds history.
No new strike had been reported up
to the time of my leaving and another
may not be made for five years, al
though Alaska is an enormous country
and will yet L believe, produce more
gold than we dream of. But it is also
in many ways bleak, barren, desolate
country-a country incapable of sup
porting any great amount of animal
life, and country of such rigorous cli-
mate both winter and spring, that
none but the most hardy can possibly
live in it.
Il am aware there is a popular inn
preston that supplies can be bought
in the vicinity of the mines. They
may at present buy at six times Seattle
prices, but they are taken at even
those figures faster than they can be
| got in, and before winter is half over
| will be actual starvation.
THE average man requires about
one ton of carefully selected food and
clothing for years supplies. In the
summer of 1896 about g. 800 tons of sup
plies went up the river, and the new
population of 1,500 to 1900 suffered
from want. OF this $500 tons proba-
bly, 1, 500 were rum, tools, furniture and
supplies other than provisions.
This season, allowing the most IA
vOrable circumstances not more than
4, 200 tons of supplies can be got up the
river, fully half of which is rum and
tools, as well as supplies other than
food. There are more than three times
as many people there now than last
winter. Figure it out for yourself.
Grub was completely cleaned out
this spring and last winter there was
such a scarcity that moose hams sold
for $40 each, flour SI2O per hundred and
bacon one dollar pound. What will
happen this coming winter? Why,
will not people actually starve to
death?
As to shelter 80 per cent. of Daw-
son was living in tents in. July. Labor
is scarce and houses cannot be built.
How are 1000 people to withstand the
rigors of nine-months winter of semi
darkness, when the mercury goes 20
degrees below zero?
''AS to labOr-it is true that last win
ter, the winter succeeding the great
strike, men were scarce and wages
We're SIS day, but if no new strike is
made what is to keep wages up this
winter. There are but $40 claims on
bonanza, Ell Dorado and Hunker creeks
that will probably be worked this win
ter, an average of eight men to each is,
l think, liberal. If but 2, 700 men are
employed and there are 5000 or more
seeking work, what must be the re-
suit? Wages must go down.
Il am told that much grub has gone
over the divide, yet from what L know
would wager my last dollar that not
to exceed 500 tons of supplies over and
above what the carriers ate will reach
the diggings. No man going in can
arrive with more than a four-months'
supply.
Il am also told that there is plenty
at st. Michaels. So there may be. but
after September Is, it might as well be
in New York city, for to try to trans
port it by dog train or sled over 1900
miles of icy river is absolutely impossi-
BILE. There is not, nor will there ever
be dog train that can take enough in
to feed itself over 1900 miles. Relief
is, therefore, impossible. Over the
divide in the winter would be quite as
difficult.
ITO draw provisions for the trip
from Dyea to Dawson any time before
the spring breaks up is an impossible |
lty. Relief for those caught in the |
Klondike after winter sets in is equally |
and in the name of human |
ity ask that stop be put to this |
Wholesale transportation of people |
supplies. Let no man be al |
lowed to enter that region unless he |
carries with him enough food and |
clothing to last him year.
There are women and little chill |
dren in there to-day who should be |
sent out as far as st. Michael before |
navigation closes.
Il hear much of the boats that are |
building to go up the river, but aside |
from one steamer ready on August IL,
no new boat can be added to the carry
ing crop this fall. The Klondike is a
land or ice and snow as well as land /
of gold.
''Letit not be a land of gaunt hunger,
and death. Let no one
be allowed to wrest from the foolish
people few hundred thousand saved, |
borrowed or begged dollars. There
wilr be as good chances for mining in
the future as now. Let the people
wait This is not Cripple Creek or
Deadwood proposition. If caught they
cannot walk out"
FAMINE AND DEATH