Graham guardian., 1897-12-10
THE KLoNDIKE.

Journal, one of the leading mining
ournals of the United States has |
ong editorial on the Klondike,
and for tho benefit of a large mum.
ber who are intending to go there
in the spring we quote the below
the closing of the Journals edi.
torial:
ut is undoubtedly true that the
klondike, or Upper Yukon dis.
trict, contains very rich washings,
but the best information we have
received confirms universal ex'
perience in other and similar gold
fields in indicating that the amount
of very rich gravel is quite small
though gold is found where favor
able conditions exist along hun.
dreds of miles of creeks in this
great district. 1t must not be sup
posed, however. that these creek
beds are everywhere rich.
ga large part of the gold bear
ing fields will be taken up before
the rush of sdventurers gets in
next spring, but very possibly
new gold fields will be found;
it is unlikely they will contain
much ground as good as the excep-
tionslly rich 'diggings' already dis
covered.
at seems certain that the vast
majority of men who are even
now there and probably 80 per
cent of those who will never get a
claim that will pay. Some of them
will lease diggings on shares and
others will work for day wages,
which are now SIS a day, but
which next summer will come down
very materially, because the cost
of living will be lower and because
a surplus of labor will then be
available.
"Moderate amounts of money
can no doubt be placed to advan.
tage in the Klondike fields by men
of good judgment actually on the
ground; but the simpletons who in,
vest on the names of directors or
otherwise without knowledge be-
cause they have caught the Klon.
dixie craze will lose their money
The gold fever has attacked many
oredulous people, and the losses
more or less complete, of their in
vestment will disgust most cf them
with mining as field for the in
vestment of capital, and do to a
legitimate industry injury far ex
ceeding in value all the gold that
will ever come out of the country
Investment IN shares of most o.
the Klonkike companies, whose
prospectuses have come to oui
notice, are simply gambling bets
with the chances enormously
against the gambler. Moreover
while it is always q safe general
proposition to count the majority
of ones fellowmen to be fools, yet
it is by no means an even bet fol
an actual investor in Klondike
stocks to stake his money on the
expectation of finding greater
fool than himself to relieve him OF
the just fruits of his folly.
"Keep cool, don't believe one
per cent of the "beliefs" and "es.
Inmates" of vendors or other in.
terested parties whether they be
unknown milliouaires or directors
with eminent names. When the
ten millions or so of dollars come
down from there next year, don't
get excited but remember they are
the sole product of q years labor
of from 5000 to 5000 men whe
cannot afford to work gravel that
yields less than one ounce Of gold
per man per day. When you hear
of this one or that one who has
taken out hundreds of thousands
of dollars in gold or has sold his
claim for a million, remember there
are men who have made similar
amounts with chances which are
easier to find here than on the
Klondike, and look back at the
wrecks that have marked the
many great mining crazes that
have spread over this country since
lS49. If those who think of going
to the Yukon country to get rich
would work as hard and undergo
"a mani. nriuatinns hera at hnme