The San Francisco call., 1897-10-30
HAS LITTLE
YUKON COLD
ON BOARD
The Portland Arrives at
Seattle From ST.
Michael.
RELIEF TRAINS OF
REINDEER.
Expeditions to Be Sent From
the Island to D WSon
in January.
VENTURE OF THE NORTH
FORK PARTY.
S9venteen PrOsp peCtors Start for
Koyukuk Rive -Stee mers Re-
leased From the Ice.
Expeditions to Be Sent From
the Island to D WSon
in January.
VENTURE OF THE NORTH
FORK PARTY.
S9venteen Prosp eCtors Start for
Koyukuk Rive -Stee mars Re-
leased From the Ice.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL

SEATTLE, Oct %. - Unheralded and
unwelcomed the steamer Portland glided
in at Schwa bs cher's dock at o C ock this
morning, forty-seven DAYS out from Seat
tie. Commanded by Captain Villa m
Kidston the steamer had rapid but un-
eventful trip down from ST. Michael, leav-
ing there on October 10 and stopping two
days a Dutch Harbor.
Contrary TO general expectations the
Portland returned without a Klondike
miner and with but very little gold dust
The North American Transportation and
Trading Company had on board $125 900,
most of which, however, was in drafts, as
a result OF business done with iagoing
prosDectors al Fort Get There. The only
passengers on board were Eli A. Gage and
wife of Chicago, Mics Helen G. Healv of
Helena, (. {. Miliigan Of San Francisco,
Horace Mcclure OF Seattle, VIII A. Steel,
The CALL special CORE spondent, and four
carpenters and nineteen longshcremen
from Seattle, who worked for the COM
panv.
Every re- ut received indicates that the
headwaters and tributaries of the Upper
Yukon rehels In grea quantity the golden
color that maddens the heart of confident
and adventurous prospectors. That sacks
of dust and nuygeGs were NOT brought out
Ihis fall IS due entirely to the fact thai
means OF cgres were not at hand. Hun
dreds of miners whose la bors had been
well rewarded intended coming down the
river on the. last boats whicn they ex-
pected would leave about the middle of
ceptem Der; but The unusual lowness OF
he waters OF the Yukon upset slI Ihsse
y .culat ons, and the last boats we're those
Una, left month earlier than was ex-
eected.
" hen the various river steamers loaded
up with provisions at St. Michael about
Septemb Der 1 it was confidently believed
that they would be able TO reach the head
waters, but the fats above Fort Yukon
proved an I'M passable barrier as there was
scarce sufficient water to cover them.
As a consequence much-needed food was
kept out Of the gOid-diggings and many
miners who had allowed Their supplies 10
run low are detained in a land where food
IS now more powerful than gold.
Early IN the season. when 1t was be-
lieved that over 400 tons of provi-
SONS would be conveyed into the KlOndike
district, there were grave forebodings OF
disaster and ;reat sufferings. 1t is now
known that MT one-haif that quantity of
food product was taken in. The TWO
trading companies operating on the river
put iorth eve%Y effort to get their freight
where 1t was 80 badly needed, but the ele-
ments were against hem.
During the fast few months prospectors
have focked into the gold fields of The
Yukon by the hundreds. They constitute
every class ana condition of men,
Iarse proportion of them have always in
dulged In home comforts and the prIyi-
leges of social and mental endowment.
They are totally untitled to brave the DESC
IatIon and hardshIps of an Arctic winter.
They had no conception Of The wretched-
ness OF an existence IN frozen country
where Tor months the night is almost per-
petuaI ana only the cOmmonest kind OF
provisions can ne had in limited quanti-
ties.
The bitter cup Of disappointment will
be drained 10 the dregs by many who are
Aeast fortified to stand tribulations Win
I he idea that all the river banks and hill
Hes were but the soil of gold and dones
of nuggets. they will realize tnat every
known claim of richness Is pre-emnted
and that additional discoveries will only
be the result of la boriou. effort. Then
when the Dangs CT hanger come to d destr,v
strength and courage, untold miser, and
in many cases death will follow.
1t is the intention of Colonel Randall
who IS In command of the soldiers on ST
Michael Island, 10 send relief trains Of
reindeer up the river early in January. A
herd OF 700 deer Will be driven In Decem-
Der from Port Clarence to UnaliklaE
W here a Government station viii hare
y tel be located. This is about iorty-five
mi es north of st. Michael, ana by cn1-
ting eighty miles across the country
Nulato IS reached. Nulatois 800 miles mn
the Y Yukon by water.
During the early part OF October the
mouth of the Yukon River was congeaiei
steamers were caught in its icy clutch
and II was feared that they would remain
there until next spring; but about the
10Th oil October ;haw set IN, permitting
the steamers Merwin, Thomas J. DIVER
ana Alice to enter the river and proceed
some little distance up to a sale harbor for
the winter.
a party of seventeen, who went north
from San Francisco on the steamer North
Fork, started on a perilous expedition the
day the Portland sailed south. They en-
gagged the steam schooner President to
take them forty-fve miles north on Nor
ton Sound 10 the village OF Unaiiklak
There they will go ashore and cross a
portage to Nulato. 1t is their intention
TO then prospect the koyukuk River for "A
distance OF 800 miles north. Tni. stream
has been worked with very satisfactory
results. Miners found plenty of gold on
bars. but The difficulty in procuring pro-
visions discouraged their efforts and but
Very little work has been done there of
late years.
The expedition is in charge of Captain
N tyson of San Francisco, tho threw up
hlS position as master of the Mare Island.
An Did tTapper named Emil Inglestad has
been engaged guide. He is thoroughly
familiar with the country in question and
expresses great faith in the probable out
come o! the venture. The other mem bers
q the party are: Henry Peters, Quo
9hueler, Harry Warwick, Mrs John No
Saught, r. Il. Jones. San Francisco; H.
Oakland; Olaf Winningstad, San
Jose; Charles S. Ogers, Anaheim; A. G.
CabeI. CouIterville; D. J. Wheeler. Forest
Hill; A. W. Meadows, Esparto; Il. F.