The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-02
In the Search for bonanza PIacers the
"TenderfOot' Stands as Good show
as the SkiIIfuI Miner.
SCENES IN TOWN OF DAWSON
TOTAL OUTPUT IN THE KLoNDIKE
THIS SEASON ABOUT $7,OOO,OOO.
short RatiOns and Possibly Starvation
During the Coming Wintcr-HOw
New Arrivals Are "BIed."

ST. LOUIS. Sept. 1.--Charles Haines
staff correspondent of the Globe-Democrat,
writing from Dawson City under date of
July &C. says: Since the first of the year
what was a comparatively unknown mining
district has developed into a camp of three
thousand miners from all parts of Alaska.
a few days ago an Indian runner arrived
from the Dalton with news that the ex-
element which has spread over Alaska had
reached even to the utmost limits of the
territory. We expect to hear the end of
it all before long, however, for the rich
diggings have been comparatively idle
through the summer. although the output
from Ell Dorado and Bonanza was enor-
nous, and there is plenty of gold in sight.
left Circle City for this place with the
Scheel party, and found Dawson in great
state of excitemenet, inasmuch as every
body seemed to be getting rich. Since first
pans" the excitement has subsidized some-
what, although there is every prospect of
an immense output of gold from this dis
trict next spring, the value of which it is
impossible to foretel. The total output this
season is about $4,000. as near as L can
judge. Very little ground has been worked
through, and the dumps of the Klondike
placers WILL like some of the 'talings" of
Olu OdllOIHld CldlIlS, pan out thousands OF
dollars when worked with improved ma
chinery. The gravel has been worked in
very crude manner, and for that reason it
is very hard to ascertain what will be the
average yield of a given number of cubic
yards of earth
The gravel deposits are in the beds of
creeks and along their shores, but there do
not appear to be any indications which
may be accepted as definite signs of the
proper lead to quartz locations In fact,
some of the gold taken out has had parti-
cles OF rock attached To it, which particles
dc not seem 10 have al any time been part
OF the formation of the surrounding coun-
try. These placers are the most puzzling
that have ever seen. know of no laws
of nature governing them by which a .os-
pector may be guided. Imagine a man
working good color" finding ground
worth few dollars per day, and then
turning to Il waste of mud and moss, with
no surface indication, and unearthing d
bonanza That is the situation here and
all over the Northwest.
Bar digging in every strear tributary to
the Yukon pays from $40 to $50 per day.
the $40 diggings being in the majority Re-
garding these $40 ones. one can readily I'M
derstand why men leave them, when the
price of provisions. difficulty of transporta-
ton ana the terrible wear and tear on ones
condition is taken into consideration. The
man who comes here TO mine does so at
the expense of health and happiness and it
is with him question OF making d fortune
qulckIy or taxing chances with death. lie
Iocates par claim, but what are few
paltry hundreds OF dollars per month TO
MN, VINO must work his physical self for
a small sack OF nuggets?
LUCK A BIG ELEMENT
Now as to the difficulty of locating good
claims. l dwell on the word diff Guilty.
though there are about me scores o. men
who can weigh their gold by the bucketful
and who value their claims at millions
-Four hundred valuable claims are stretched
along the creeks and every digging is a
fabulous mine of gold, yet there are weary
men here who have gone from and re-
turned 10 Dawson City. searched the great
country here about and never a nugget do
they show for their toll and their long
tramps over broken ground into a country
whose nal,ural dlsadvantages are exceeded
western gold field is so odd a prize-dra W.
ing proposition that | can hken it to moth
ing mat admits OF better comparison than
a Chinese lottery ticket, on which are
marked a number of spots: the dice of
66nan neleo are thrown; II the numbers that
those on the dice he wins otherwise he
loses. Ihus II is with claims. A number
or spots are selected on creeks and rivers
and for one year the locator labors The
season closes, the water runs and the sea-
son output barely pays expenses. Not two
miles from the unfortunate one another
works, who has taken from the unpromis
Ing SOIL sacktul of gold The lucky one
old not strike the pocket because of his
ability as q miner Chance favored him
that was all. '-i'''
Surrounding the prospector is a country
so extensive that it is hard for those az
home to realize its vastness Rivers and
creeks abound, but all are not so rich in
gold as has been reported. To be sure there
nave Deen many pocket finds" but moth
ing Wmch would Justify new boom move
ment IN the conditions that must naturally
CONFRONT the miner. Then these rivers are
miles and miles apart and between them
lies broken stretch of mountains and
bowlder-lined plateaus over which the nroS
pector must travel, hauling his outfit The
gold is there somewhere between the dis
tant outline in the western sky where a
range OF rugged peaks protrude, and yon-
der in the east where lies another broken
ridge. Can the prospector point out a GER
tain spot in all that great domain and an
nounce gold is there?' He cannot but
he must try TO work out his destiny on
these lines. In short. he guesses at it and
locates anywhere that water flows In nine
teen cases out of twenty he misses 1t and
mas 10 wait another year for another trial
SITUATION AT DAWSON
Dawson is collection of log huts, sew
eral log storehouses and saloons and a
mass of tents, about six hundred in num-
Der. Lumber is high-priced, and though
the vigorous arctic winter already shows
signs of closing down. there does not seem
to be any very great effort being made
among the tent owners to get themselves
under proper covering. When the long
nights come and the mercury goes down
10 &c degrees below zero there will be in
tense suffering here. and shudder to think
of the result. Provisions are going to be