The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-08-30
GOLD SEEKERS RETURN
They Come With Small Fortunes
From the Klondike.
,sOARoITY in THE FOOD SUPPLY.
AL Opinions Agree That 1t WIN Be
:. Impossible to Transport Enough
Food to Provide For tho Klondilicrs,
aud Starvation Is Imminent.

Impossible to Transport Enough
Food to Provide For tho Klondikcrs,
aud starvation Is Imminent.
Seattle, Wash. Aug. 30.-The steamer
Portland arrived here yesterday morn
Ing. The Portland carried 10 miners,
each of whom brought only small
!, part of his stake. The total amount
pf dust on the vessel is perhaps S575,00o
The miners on board, with the amount
~nf their total mining profits. part of
which was brought with them, are as
follows: J. Rowan. s5O,0oo: Jim Bell
Ii5, 900; Joe Goldsmith, s35.000; N. w.
Powers, s35,0C0; w. w. Caldwell, $685.
300; w. Oler, $4,000; C. X. Zilly, $4,000;
F. w. Cobbs, $4,000; w. Zahn. 1000:
A. Buckley, $4,000: NJ. S. Lansing, $l5.-
600; B. w. Farnham, $4,000; M. Il.
Camler, $4,000.
william Ogilvie, Dominion land sur
veyor, who has been making topo-
graphical surveys Of British possessions
along the Klondike has been recalled
by the government for consultation as
to important matters affecting new
gold fields, and is now en- route to Of
tawa via San Francisco. He will make
q report embodying suggestions for
new mining laws governing the sale of
LIQUOR and taking wood for fuel, etc.
He made a census of the production
Of the new fields and finds 20 claims
produced $S26,00O, and says that $780,
u00,0 900 Ia no exaggerated estimate of
the amount that will be produced by
q oln t,,,u HnnkprS
Eldorado in three years.
Mr.. Ogilvie estimates that at the rate
K the 140 claims on Eldorado creek are
now producing. and considering ground
yet to be worked in the next three
years, 100000, 900 should be produced
here alone. To this must be added the
likelihood of new gulches and the de-
velopment of claims already found,
but not opened SO as to permit OF
Kreatest production. Though the
strikes on Stewart river Hunker, Hem
derson and Indian creeks are rich ones,
none Of these is as rich as claims on
Eldorado and Bonanza creeks.
Until the wonderful discoveries of
Klondike were made ground worth
len cents to pan, with one, two or three
feet pay of dirt, were considered very
GOOD for the Yukon, and miners made
fair money with rockers and sluices.
This year miners are passing entirely
over ground of this richness In their
search for sand and gravel that will
nav like that of the Klondike discov-
cries. Un to date none of the claims
show any signs of exhaustion, and
scarcely a dozen are more than well
ppened. Every one has large areas OF
ground to be worked Mr.. Ogilvie says
1t Is impossible to make anything like
an accurate estimate of the probable
yield of the mines. The ground is not
ut all even in richness, and the width
Of pay streaks varies greatly.
The most important news from st.
Michael's is that the Yukon river
steamers left there two weeks ago for
their last trip up the Yukon. 1t was
not certain that they would reach
Dawson this fall, in which event pas
sengers who left the sound on the
steamer Portland as early as June 25
would only reach Circle City before
navigation closed This makes 1t GER
lain that hundreds of miners who have
left Puget sound and California since
Aug. / for st. Michael's will have to
winter there. At least they can scarcely
get started up the Yukon before the
river freezes over solid.
All vessels touching at st. Michaers
This summer have had great difficulty
In keeping their crews, who have
taught the gold fever very soon after
arriving. One schooner. from Victoria.
was entirely deserted, and her crew,
from captain to cook. started up the
river for klondike. The crew Of the
behooner j, M. Colman endeaVored to
aegert also, but the attempt was dis
covered in time, and by q display OF
firearms the men were compelled TO
remain on duty. The mates of the
Bchooners Jewett and Colman and the
carpenter of the Fred Z. Sander were
paid off at St. Michael's, and departed
1t once for Dawson. Every vessel from
st, MIchael's has come away short
handed. The Portland lost several OF
her crew, but was able to obtain new
men by paying high wages.
W. A. Ryan, one of the special cor
respondents en- route to the Yukon
gold fields, writes from st. M1chaers
Under date of Aug. Is to the effect that
there is grave danger of famine on
The Klond!ke this winter. According to
ali reports received from the upper
country it Will be impossible to land
sufficient food at Dawson City to sup
port the population already dependent
upon that base of supplies. r. I. Lying
local agent Of the Alaskan Commercial
company at st. Michael's, declares that
there are already over 1000 idle men
in Dawson, and new parties arriving
every day via the Chilkoot pass. while
the total amount of freight landed
there this year win not exceed 4,O0l
tons, of which not more than three
Gourths Is provisions. Miners return
ing from Klondike who left there In
July report that the food was run
ming very low then. and 1t was dis
posed Of as fast as discharged from the
steamers. Old timers realize the situa-
tion, and predict distress and death
rs result Of the Klondike craze.
H. N. Stanley who went to st. Mich
lels as press representative, returned
to this city on the steamer Portland.
a aHe cays:
ri have been seven weeks at the
mouth .of the Yukon, at st. Michnels,
where l saw oil the miners coming out
Z and interviewed them. AS result
feel 1t my duty to advise everybody to
stay out until next spring. Wild and In
many cases exaggerated reports have
been circulated since the first dscov-
cries were made. The strike. however.
was and Is one of the greatest, il not
the greatest in the worlds history
Probably 100000 was cleaned up this
spring and next spring l look for from
I6,000 900 to s7,00oCC0. The fields have
hardly been opened up Us yet, but
khose going in now must bear In mind
that everything in that region was
btaked long bsfore any reports reached