The Mena weekly star., 1897-12-22
AN AUTHORITY TELLS OF EXiST-
 ING CONDITIONS THERE.
No Pear of Famine in Dawson City Climate Conditions and Claims of Che New Eldorado- Strange
 Stories of Fortune.
From tha kansas citg shr.

From tho Kansas City star
 "There will be no starvation in the
 Klondilse country this wiuter.n
 A stalwart Missourian, who has
 lived in Alaska for eleven years, who
 was one of the four United States com. missioners or local judges of that ter
 ritory during clevelands first admin istration United States marshal and surveyor general of the country dur. ing Cleveland's $ second term and mean time Alaskan commissioner for the Worlds fair, is the authority an un- dou5ted authority. too for thls state ment. Jndge Louis L Williams born and reared in Bonneville. Mo, left his home in Juneau ten days ago and ar. rived in Kansas City last night He is on his way to visit relatives in the cen tral part of the state and will remain in this country until February His story told the frank manner Of the typi cal Nissouran that he is, is most interesting
 Famine Reports Exaggerated.
 'sThe reports sent out about scarcity of fond supplies in Dawson City and vicinity have been greatly exaggera- ted. The latest news from the kloa- dike, brought by two men who left Dawson City on October 20 and arrived in Juneau the latter part of November after Q trip the hardships and dangers of which are almost beyond belief, was that while the supply of food was not plentiful by any means, there was enough to last until fresh supplies could be taken in in the spring These men said the people were happy and | getting along we'll
 There is little danger of death and | starvation in the settlements, but those who started for the gold fields | late in the fall despite the warnings given them and are now camping on ] the banks of some frozen inland | stream, are in great danger. It is use ess te start for the Klondike until l late next spring It is impossible to get to the mouth of the Yukon before July, on account of the floating ice from Boring sea and those who intend going to the gold fields might as well stay where they are until May or lure, unless they want to spend sever Il months visiting in Juneau and Sit xa :"
 High Winds In Alaska.
 "It is fact not generally known. | believe, said the judge, that nlgh winds prevail in Alaska during the winter months The wind comes from the north and always brings clear weather, but it cuts like knife ant intensihles the cold to remarka- ble degree. The climate in Juneau is much like the climate of Washington, D. c. The thermometer rarely gets to zero in the winter and does not go higher than 70 and so degrees in the summer. The rain is the worst thing about the climate It rains all the time. at least there is so little of the time when 1t does not rain it seems to never stop It is no unusual occur renee for rain to last three months. in the Klondike the thermometer goes as low as 40 degrees below zero in winter and as high as 100 above in the summer, the heat being intense.
 The Rush to the Gold Fields.
 There will. of course, be a great rush to the gold fields iu the spring Why, even now every steamer that leaves Seattle is loaded down with fortune hunters.
 s'Are not these stories of rich finds simply stories?"
 No, do not think they are, in fact. There is gold everywhere in Alaska From the time you enter the country's boundary lines until you leave them behind there is not a place where gold cannot be found. either in placer or quartz deposits. have a friend who went to Dawson City and staked out claim. He did not begin working at once, but one day he need ed some ready dust so he set two men at work digging. One of them dug four hours and the other eight md the proceeds of the twelve hours work was a little more than S2t, 900. know this sounds like a fairy tale, but