The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-08-17
MORE LIGHT ON
THE KLONDIKE
It's Climate, Characteristics Of Inhab-
itants and Mode Of Living.
A NEW GOVERNMENT REPORT
some Sensible Advice as 20 the Class Of
Men and the Season Of Year
20 go There

New York. August ia Dispatch to
the Herald from Washington says.
Secretary Gage mas received fiom Can
ada report on the KloDdike district.
It ls a condemnation Of the reports OF
William ogilyie. tie dominion land sur
veyor. and contains other matters from
other officers OF the Canadian govern
ment who have previously visited the re-
gion are now there. At The outset the
minister states that the repor, Is pub
ushel in response to numerous public
demands.
THE object" he says. rs not 10 In
duce any one TO go to that country
at the present time. Until better means
OF communication are established a man
undertakes serious risks in going there
unless he has sufficient resources 10 tide
him over the lorg winter. After Sep
tember egress from the country is prac-
ilcally impoislbl. unUll the following
June. and a person that has not been
successful IN lrcating a paying CLAIM aas
to depend for subsistence upon finding
employment Wages are at times alb
normally high but the labor market
Is very narrow and easily oyerstocked
1t Is estimated that up to the middle
OF May 90 to 1900 persons had crossed
the Dyea this year. Several hundred
families more will go by 81. amer up
the Yukon. Whether employment will
he available for all and for the consid-
cradle population already IN the district
is somewhat doubtful II will therefore.
to the Yukon district to give serious
consideration to the mater before coming
to decision"
An extract from the report OF A. F.
Willis. assistant surgeon-ge1eral for 1895
l. givym TO indicate the climate OF the
Klondik- the characteristics Of lis
Inhabitants. ana rne mode OF living. He
also describes the kind of men that
should go to the Klondike. He says
The climate is wet. During the win
ter months the cold is intense, with usu-
ally considerable wind. A heavy mist
rising from open plains in the river set
Ties down in the valley in extreme wealth
er. This dsnpness makes the cold felt
much more and is conducive to rheu-
matte pains, colds and the like. In
selecting men 10 live in this country
submit a few remarks, some of which
will be Of assistance 20 medical exam
iners in making their recommendations.
Men shchld be soher, strong ami
healthy They should BE- practical men.
able to adapt themselves equally to their
surroundings. Special care should he
taken to see that their lungs are sound,
that they are free from rheumatism and
rheumatic tendeacies, and their joints,
especially knee joints, are strong and
have never been weakened by injury or
disease. Men should be of cheerful, hope
ful dispositions ard willing workers
Those of morose, sullen natures, al
though they may be good workers, are
very APP. as soon as the novelty wears
on to become dissatisfied, pessmistic
and melancholy"
Mr.. Ogilvie, chief OF the boundary sur
vty. In a report Of a trip down the
Yukon says regarding the weather:
ut is said by those familiar with the
locality that the storms which rage in
the upper attitudes of the Coast Range
during the greater part of the time from
October to March are terrific. A man
caught ia one OF them runs the risk
of losing his life unless he can reach
shelter in a short time"
Mr. Ogilvie on this same trip had much
difficulty with the Indians, and they
demanded $50 per hundred pounds for
carrying his goods. On beirg told that
the party had permit from the Great
Father in Washington to pass through
the country and that the Indians would
be punished II they interfered, they le'
duced the price to $40 Mr.. Ogllvie states
there are about 100000 acres of land along
the Yukon and its branches that might
be used for agricultural purposes. Mr.
ogllvie gives the miners a bad reputa'
tion. He says:
IT may say that it is generally very
difficult 10 get any exact or even ap'
proxlmately exact statements Of facts
or value from miners. Many of then
are inveterate jokers and take delight
in hoaxing. The higher the official oil
social position of the person they hoax
the better they are pleased. I have. sew
eral times found that after spending
hours getting information from one Of
them, it would be all contradicted by the
next one met
Another cause Of difficulty in getting
trustworthy information from them IS
in certain sense they consider every