The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
o IN 1oTE WITH THE KLoSD1xE.
John 7. Lowell. the Owner OF Lowell. Alaska.
Tells People to Stay Mt Home.

John 7. Lowell. the Owner OF LOWELL. Alaska,
Tells People to Stay Mt Home.
BUCKS MILLS. BUCKsPoRT. Me-, Aug. 6.-Ths
Alaskan gold fever was raging in this nelghbor-
hood and four young men had quit work in tho
sawmills preparatory to an early start for the
Klondike, when John T. Lowell, who settled in
Alaska in 1870 and owns and controls the village
OF Lowell. 800 miles north OF Sitka, zane here
for a short visit to his surviving kindred and re-
lated the story OF the Yukon mines as they ap-
peared TO him when he visited the place late last
fall Lowell IL an old sailor, who served through
the war and went to Alaska soon after its pur-
chase by the United States, marrying one OF the
native women, and getting a living by fishing
and hunting until his boys grew up and were
able to support him. Having amassed consld.
cradle property and having built a small village
and named il Lowell, he has spent the last two
summers in running a trading schooner between
his home and San Francisco. bringing down seal
skins and dried fish and taking back supplies for
home use and to sell to the residents. This year.
while his vessel was in port. he slipped across
the continent to give his sister a suit OF seal
skins and TO distribute a few ounces Of gold dust
among the friends OF his youth.
After reaching home last August he took a
party Of miners over the mountains and con-
Quoted them down the Yukon as far al Circle
City. making a very rapid passage all the way.
believing the tukou WOuI1 IEccAc up OStOEo NO
could get out, he went up to the klondike
regions, where a few miners were picking tho
hAlf-frozen mud and washing out gold. While
the yield was good. netting an n dustrious
miner from sl5 to $40 n day. the climate was
very cold, even in September. food was hard to
get at any price, and the. surroundings, were so
gloomy and fOrbiddinE that he made haste to
get back to Circle City where a few Of the rich
miners could afford TO burn kerosene oil TO light
their cabins. Soon after he reached Circle City
a party OF tWgntH=Onf men VINO MAD
collected a good lot Of gold offered him slOa
DAY and board to lead them out to salt water.
City and no boat could get out. Dressed In furs
and carrying condensed food. they assembled the
company became discouraged and tUrued back.
The rest went on, crossing the lakes. ascending
hnaliy reaching the coast late in OCTOBER. "
the, twenty one men who started eight went
posqre, and one fell down i steep blutr and Was
dashed 10 pieces. The seven who gaineA the
coast were frostbirten and nearly famished.
The man who quits good WORK IN the L nlted
States and goes to Alaska FOR gold, . said Mr..
Lowell, lis fool, a blamed fool. who ought to
be shot or locket up before be gets a change 10
start. \ man VITO even gets ~ i day on ! Maine
farm. or ~ q day running = stree car ~ hos
ton ~, New York, stands = he.ts chance u get
ting rich than the PROPRIETOR who goes 10 A.ssl..
| ounce OF an ounce ana a half OF eu.G In day. 1t
would be a bis thing hcre. where food AID
clothing are cJheaPs but up there 90 have 70 p%y
never, buy half the stuF you need.
are so Exhausted 81 tle tisaa they reach he
diGgings that they can do little work and gem
cFa!!y stay there and die or get sick and go nut
before they have earned enough 70 pay their
expenses. The few who are tough enough TO
! stand the climate and the work are mostly
gamblers, who lose their money as fast as they
earn II 70 the professional sharpers who hang
arolad Circle City and all the mining camps. |
tell you the man who has a roof over bis head
and u coat on his back In the United states Is a
darned sight better on than the best Of them
are in Alaska"