The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-05
DE LAMAR's OPINION.
Absolutely Foolish to Start For the
Klondyke Now.


The New York World Of last Sunday
published the following letter from
Captain J. r. De Lamar:
L have just arrived in New York
from Nevada and the Mercur mines of
Utah, and I must say that l am sur
I.rised at the wonderful interest that
The Klondyke placer mines have excited
everywhere. l never saw anything
like IT,
The mines are wonderful, but prob
ably not so wonderful as represented.
Grass is always greener, you know,
further away. have seen experienced
men from the Klondyke region-nen I
lz:ow-and 1 have thoroughly probed
the facts about the country.
1T is absolutely foolish TO start for
Alaska now. Men gho have spent
several years there tell me that the
Yukon river is now closed-closed not
by ice, but by drouth. No steamers
can go up to Klondyke after the mid
die of July. The only other way TO go
is afoot over Chilcoot pass.
Nov, if you start that way you will
have TO walk $500 miles, and each man
has TO carry all his provisions for a
year, his belongings and traps There
is no well defined trail. You have TO
walk over moss on an average three to
four feet deep, through which one
sinks from six inches to several feet
every time he steps.
There are Billiards which last
several days. Then il is necessary to
dig holes in the snow and moss and
stay there until the blizzard is over
This moss has the same malarial effect
as few dirt has in a dugout.
The Klondyke can never be COM
pared to California, because living
there is so different. After the rich
diggings in California were worked out
the miners took the next rich placer
dirt, and finally the quartz mines. Only
the richest Klondyke ground can be
worked, Alvin Pierce, who is just from
there. tells me, because wages are SIS
te $50 = day, and sometimes much
higher.
THE miners are now paying $40 a day
for board. He tells me also that pro-
visions arc sure to be short there this
winter on account Of the great rush
of people and the utter lack of sup
plies. Board will be higher than the
wages. I have given this subject much
consideration and have cleaned much
information, and l believe it is like
throwing money away to send parties
and expeditions there row.
Another thing. the Canadian gov
eminent has passed laws during the |
last two days very hostile and injurious
TO mining. II never favored a great |
influx Of miners from the United /
States. The Canadian government |
levies a tax Of 10 per cent on claims |
that produce less than $500 a month /
and 20 Der cent on all over $500 q |
month. Besides that the worst, most
terrible and unjust law ever inflicted |
upon mining community was passed
a few days ago, segregs ting every
claim for the Canadian gov
4 doubt IL half of the people there
have any title to their claims. and
many who come home will find them
selves without claims on their return
This law was passed July q, and this
aw specifically says that it retroacts
10 the very first locations made there.
There is nothing IN Canadian mining
aw to prevent such atrocious iegisla-
ion
The telegraph company which is
quitting III a telegraph line is simply
aging the line. covered with noncon-
lucting material, on the moss and ice.
I is not putting up poles. 1t has big
cells like hose carts, and is letting the