New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-03
EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF.
THE 8ELFISH OLD PROvERB GOES LIT.
ERALLY IN THE KLONDIKE.
from The Denver Republican.

from The Denver Republican.
Nobody who has spent the winter in the Klon.
dixie will eve- want to try it again., said Thomas
Harmer at the Mining Bureau yesterday. That
is unless he has certainty Of making enough
money to partially repay him for suffering hard
ships such were never endured in any mining
camp on earth before.
Mr.. Harmer went into Alaska two years ago
and says that he left there last August never to
return. II would not go back there and remain
five years for S250000" he continued. When
I speak Of suffering do not mean actual bodily
pain or sickness because think that IL man
goes there prepared as he should ard abstains
from excuses he can keep in reasonably good
health, but to live during the winter season in
those close cabins and see the horrible selfish
ness and cruelty Of human beings toward each
other, the result Of the rush for Solc, which
many OF them, even after they nave secured 1t,
do not hesitate TO throw away, Is enough to
make one lose all faith in the fitness of men to
live on the earth. When l was coming out
men refuse nail or the use OF an axe
or even the use Of a tin cup to men who were In
need Of these trifies Every man there seems 70
be afraid Of his fellows-afrad that they will
steal something or have better success in finding
gold I spent last winter from September TO
April with eight other men. having gone to.
gether to save 10 Dor in keeping warm.
Each Of us had a claim or a part OF claim.
and went out every day that the weather was
not too cold to work our claims. In melting the
frozen gravel we nearly always found one or
more nuggets in the dirt, but during the entire
eight months that we worked tceether / do not
acknowledged that he had found any gold Each
Of us had buckskn bag which was carried on
the person. and the ingenuity Ct all was taxed
to the utmost to devise scheme whereby
that bag could be concealed from the rest. There
was no stealing in the camp. man caught
stealing would have had rough time OF II, but
every man seemed TO th!rk that every other man
wanted to steal from him, and do not think
that a single one Of rs knew where any other
man carried his gold. / remember one night
lying awake and seeing five men Of our conf
pany at different times putting away the mug
gets found during the day, and in every case
after putting them in the little buckskin bag
they would thrust the bag under the blankets
and could see from the fumbl!ng that they were
concealing it about their persons. We always
had man sitting ND to keep the fires and the
men were afraid that he might see where they
put their gold. There YVES no absolute cruelty.
but the total indifference TO the welfare OF others
that characterized everybody simply hor-
rible. was in the cabin one day reading. with
two men. one of whom was sick, the rest being
at work. The sick man had terrible cold and
| fever and asked one Of us TO hand him drink
The other man went over 10 the bucket IN
which we kept our melted snow. ard with the
! remark. There is no more than want myself
drank Il Ill. This, Of course, was exceptionally
brutal. bit there We're many instances almost as
bad Every is for himself and many OF
them constantly thinking OF their gold
| that they become insane or partially so. came
| out with ore man who was so excited over about
| $4,000 worth Of gold that by the time we go;
| to San Francisco he was almost an idiot ara Il
was with difficulty that we could induce him 10
deposit his gold in bank and go to a hotel
| There IL plenty OF gold there and l think more
fields will be found but all is likely to get
will not pay him for the horrible experiences he
| is called upon to endure. / was not particularly
| lucky. though brought out er ough TO pay me
fairly we'll for my two years In Alaska. but II !
was assured Of $4,000 a year I would not 60
back there"