The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-29

are sure to go down to IS by next summer
and IS day there is no better than $1oe
a day outside"
Thomas Magee ST., the well-known capt.
talist of San Francisco in an interview,
said; The excitement over the failure OF
the steamers to bring food up to Dawson
continued when the Dalton party left. The
police took charge for two days of the
stores and warehouses of the Northwest
err and Alaska Commercial Company as
precaution only Flour was selling at 81
pound, and no sales of less than fifty
pounds was made. No plans have yet been
formulated to avert the starvation of those
who are short of provisions. Those well
supplied have not much sympathy with
those who are short, because of the fact
that the majority of these latter went in
with little food, although abundantly
warned at Lake Bennett in advance.
1T had not been discovered up to Oct. 10
who shot the two men in Dawson who were
caught stealing food. One was found dead;
Catholic s' Hospital ' It is Believed that a
secret organization exists for the purpose
OF shooting down thieves. The organiza-
ton OF hunting parties for the winter 10
hunt moose was talked of and will be car
ried out.
'Dysentery and accompanying fever were
general at Dawson last summer caused py
miasma from the swamp on which the
business portion Of the town is built. ana
absence of drainage and sewerage. These
conditions will be greatly intensified next
summer and an epidemic is predicted. The
river water is bad, but there is one fine
spring OF water OUT at the OaInOlc I1OS-
pital. Nothing was talked of but the grub
question The solution will probably be Il
public committee to gather up voluntary
or enforce contributions. the food thus
gathered to be publicly dispensed and paid
for by work or cash by those to whom it is
given. The Yukon river practically closed
twice about Sept. 80 and again about Oct.
%, but the ice ran out again and left the
river free, so that all the belated parties
VINO had taken such risks OF being left out
provisions, too, probably got to Dawson or
near it. This opening of the river twice
was a phenomenon never known to have
occurred before.
NO NEW FIELDS DISCOVERED.
There was no new mining excitement
With a persistence heretofore unexplained
many parties from Dawson. as we'll as
newcomers, went up the Stewart river
Nothing whatever in the way of good
claims has as yet been discovered there.
The belief however, is that rich dscov-
cries will be made there yet. Jack Dalton
and Mr.. Maloney, a lawyer of Juneau, have
purchased of Hugh Ferguson and Alex. Nc
Donald Skookum claims Nos. l and for
$S2,60 1t is reported that large advance
mas been offered to the buyers. Skookum
Claims are looking up, because some of
them have yielded in initial work as large
returns as any found elsewhere. Thomas
some OF the best creeks, Eldorado, Bonanza
ana Skookum. He will return to develop
tnese claims very early in the spring.
Business in connection with them was what
brought them out. An agent of the Roth
ScnlldS, who invested 100000 last fall, has
made arrangements to return in the spring.
because of the failure Of the September
steamers to take passengers down the Yu-
KOn early enough to give reasonable as
made at st. Michaers, hundreds who were
intensely anxious to get out of the country
VIII try later TO get out over the ice and
lakes with dogs and sleighs this winter.
Many of them will suffer greatly because
competent guides and dogs are both scarce.
Ihls failure of the steamers to get up the
river with provisions and down with pas
sengers will have to be rectified. Lighter
draft boats with more power and steam
nave to be ready next June. Hundreds of
intensely disappointed persons are now in
Dawson, who, like myself would have
to get out by steamer, but could not.
1 was better or in the wilderness and
walking than in that hole of utter discom-
Tort and starvation this winter. The peo-
pie there are being largely prevented from
developing the enormously rich country by
nearly utter isolation and scarcity of food.
The work to be done is sufficiently hard
and trying at best. and its great difficulties
should not be increased A railroad is the
real want. If steamboats, were run from
Lake Bennett to Dawson they could not
travel continuously The obstacles of the
canyon, the White Horse and the Five
sand and gravel bars and snags erased,
and if they all could, lake and river naviga-
"A
would be for all of the year. The Dalton
tran goes over a very easy country of re-
markedly light grades. It's two submits
are exceedingly light and the salt water
terminus at Haines Mission, Chilkat, is an
exceedingly fine one. A. Calberger, of San
Francisco, is in the field surveying this
route. We passed him fourteen miles from
Chilkat. He is reported to have capital be-
hind him. He said his company will begin
work by the LIST Of January ,,e Mr. McArthur'
went over the trail last summer. He was
led by Mr.. Dalton. He was well satisfied
with the route and the grades.
"Of course my opinion in this matter is
worth little, but l feel how important it
is that railroad should be built through
mines OF great extent and richness are 10
be found in the country through which we
passed and it is my deliberate opinion that
their past and present vastly outdistanced
by the development of the next ten years
in that wide region. OF course, too fairly
will be the rule. In saying this l am not
dreaming of adding stimulus to the wild
pie who have been and will be tumbling.
in all sorts of unprepared shapes, into that
wild country. 1t was study IN TINS con,
nection to see men apparently almost crazed
with haste breaking their necks, almost, IN
rushing over the Skaguay trail TO get into
the Klondike and, later on, 70 see tnem IN
Dawson loafng around the muck-hole
streets there, doing nothing waiting FOR
rich strikes which they expected and did
rot find Nearly all or them were shoIL ol
provisions the great majority were suner-
ing from the blues and intense disappoint-
ment Eight of ten Of them wished they
had not come. 1t was generally propnesled
and fall be nearly as great a hegira of
outgoers as of incomers. Some very rich
strikes none of which were mace last SUN
ner and fall NAV change this. Transporta-
ton both ways on the river can hardly be
overdone." 49, ,aroa
amount of gold was brought down on the
steamer very small amount of gold Dust
can be brought overland, ana ne ulo not
think that the drafts carried by ferguson
and Teake. who had the largest amount
would exceed $4,000.