The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01

Of supplies, no claim that does not pay
at least $40 day to each man working
can be worked except at loss. Many
competent men, who engage in mining
here and work faithfully, experience
failures, and are unable to earn enough
to buy provisions.
In such a situation it is very diff
cult to make ones way out Of the coun-
try, for the Journey UP the river along
the usual route requires upwards of
thirty days hard work, and provisions
must be bought for the trip. The trip
down the river and back to civilization
by steamer, is very expensive, and of
late years the number seeking to get
out in that way exceeded the carrying
capacity Of the few steamers. Last
year fully $50 men who wished and in
tended to leave the country by steamer,
were unable to do so, and are still there
Under the conditions which now ex-
list there are quite enough in the Yu-
kon district already, and the object of
this article is to discourage people from
rushing there without due consideration
Probably ninety-nine out of every hun
dred men are unified by nature for
such a life as Yukon mining necessi-
tates, and had much better never
make the attempt The hundredth
man must be miner and fronteirSman
by nature, strong and patient, hard
! Even such a man will very likely fail
on account of the large element Of
chance, and the most successful miner
obtains only a few thousand dollars in
profit after anumber of years of patti
ent work.
ANY great increase in thenumber of
men going into the Yukon district
strict limits Of the food supply and
facilities for transportation. The result
would be famine, disorder and fail
ure. Several years ago this actually
happened when all the Forty Mile
miners were without food and were
obliged to travel down the Yukon over
the ice to st. Michaels in the dead Of
winter, terrible journey of nearly
two thousand miles At that time there
were only few men in the country,
but If the number had been very much
larger even this resource would have
| been impossible.
my general advice to the average
man intending to go to the Yukon gold
district is-to stay out. Many men go
there every year and suffer hardship,
failure, loss of capital, and sometimes
of health. If any one undertakes the
trip, he should take with him enough
supplies to last as long as he intends
to stay-one year, two years, or what
ever amount He should have money
out again, if necessary, and should
start early enough in the season to en-
able him to return up the river If he
intends to come out the same year, for
the facilities for transportation by
steamer are likely to be entirely made
quate. u. Edward Spur
United States Geological Survey"
The accompanying illustrations,
which are drawn from photographs
taken by members of Mr.. Spurs party
show exactly what sort of country and
what people one sees in that desolate
region where Mammon in chill and
hideous garb holds sway over all. 1t
IS more than probable that the next
five years will see an army of adven-
turers and a host of legitimate miners
brave the dangers and the discomforts
of this locality, which, unlike Califor-
MIA, will never be made to blossom
like the rose, though it may yield the
riches of the Indies