Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-07-24
The New Strike in the Alaskan Gold
Fields, and How TO Get There


Modern history records nothing SO
rich in extent as the placer mines of the
Yukon district" said J. o. Asstwood.
one Of the miners. 1.-THE ton Of gold
dust which was turned into the Selby
Smelling company's Office yesterday, is
only slight indication of what is to
follow in the near future. The climatic
condition of that ice bound region is
such, however, that only the very coura-
geous should seek fortune there. Food
is scarce, distances to be trayersed are
great and the country is inhospitable.
Agreat many men went into the coun-
try poverty stricken last year and came
out this spring with thousands of dollars,
but that does not signify that every
chu chow ku (newcomer) will be able to
do the same. There is room there for
5000 able bodied men, but let no one
undertake the task of ofgetting there until
be first considers what he must bear
and undergo to reach that eldorado Of
. the far north, remembering that wealth
from mining in that region, as rule, is
more accidental than otherwise. The
fields are said to be worth $70,0O0,-
600. Dawson City is only few months
old. The description given by the re-
turned miners make it typical mining
town, with everything but guns. Labor
ers, it is asserted, are paid as high as
SIS day, but tho advice is given that
no man can afford to 60 to the new camp
without from $500 10 $1,000 with which
to support himself and insure the pos
sibility of returning in case Of adversely.
Living, of course, comes high. The
region produces little or no fruit or
vegetables. The meat Of the caribou
and moose is sometimes scarce, and
there are seasons when no salmon can
be obtained"
HOW TO GET THERE.
Go $500 miles to st. Michaels, the |
Alaskan seaport, near the mouth of the |
Yukon river. then travel on the river
steamer 1895 miles clear across the |
American territory and we'll into the
British possessions and after the long, |
difficult and expensive journey, you will
arrive at Dawson City, the center of the
new Alaskan mining region along the
Klondyke river. From that northern |
gold field the Alaska Commercial COM
pany and twenty-four miners have re-
turned with $780, 900 in gold dust. Here
is the list of prices that prevailed in |
Dawson City when the miners started
away:
Flour per 100 lbs, Sl2, Moose ham
per lb. 81 90, caribou meat per ID. Csc,
beans per ID. l0c, rice per ID. 25c, sugar
per lb. 25c, bacon per lb. 40c. butter per
roll Sl.50, eggs per doz $3.50, better
eggs doz. 800, salmon each 81 to 81 80,
potatoes per ID, o5c. turnips per lb. 15c,
tea per ID. 81, coffee per ID. SOC, dried
fruits per Id. Soc, lemons each Zoe,
oranges each SOC, tobacco per 10. $3.50,
liquors per drink Soc. shovels $3.50 picks
s5 coal oil per gal. 81, overalls sl.5C,
underwear per suit S. TO $3.50, shoes IS,
rubber boots $40 to SIS.
Mrs. Lippy, who was with her hus-
band in the gold fields, tells of her ex-
perience: "Of course We didn't know
exactly what we had to face--no one
can who has not been their rnd expert
enced it. l could talk to you all day
and you couldn't really understand
without seeing for yourself But we
learned everything We could about the
Alaska gold fields, the way of travelling
and what We would reed before we
started. We went rather better pre-
pared than many of the others-we had
years outfit. We went from st.
Michae's by steamer and by trail from
the landing to the creek where Mr..
Lippy worked his claim. / had sixteen
miles to walk, SO the hardships Of the
trip were not really so great.
II am not the first white woman to
cross the divide there are nine or ten
at Forty Mile, she explained with de-
prsciating modesty. "Yes, l guess
was the first white woman on the creek"
she admitted, "and the only one in our
camp. There was another. a mile from
us, Mrs. Berry. She was the only
white woman had to speak to while
we were at the camp"