Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-10-23
GREAT SCARCITY OF FOOD.
Prospect Of Suffering Among the Miners
In the KlOndike.
All of the Passes Closed -Hundreds
OF Miners Camped Along the
Trails With Little Or No Shelter
and insufficient Food Supply.
Rich Discoveries Of Gold Along
Minook Creek, a TriL utary Of the
Yukon.

Yukon.
Washington, D. c., October o.
Capt. Hooper, commander of the Ber
ing sea patrol fleet, who has arrived in
Washington to attend the seal confer
ence, said to-day that the reports con
corning the scarcity of food in thu
Klondike region are not, in his judg-
ment exaggerated. In the neighbor
hood of Dawson City there are, he said
about 5000 miners whose supply of pro-
greater than barely sufficed for half
that number during last winter. Great
suffering would be the inevitable result
Of this scarcity Of food. Although
some of the more vigorous among the
miners might attempt to get away on
the ice of the Yukon, the chances were
that a considerable number of these
would perish from hunger and expos
ure. All Of the passes were practically
closed come weeks ago and many hun
dreds of miners are now camped along
the different trails with little or no
shelter and with insufficient food sup
ply.
Late reports, Capt. Hooper said, indi-
cate that rich discoveries have been
made on Minook creek, tributary of
the Yukon, which empties into it about
700 or 500 miles from it's mouth If
these new fields proved as rich in gold
as is anticipated, he. thought the con-
gestion in the Klondike region would
be relieved as soon as spring opened
Minook creek is within comparatively
easy reach of st. Michaels, as steamers
have little difficulty in ascending the
river to that point when navigation
above it is impossible on account of
low water. 1t was near Minook creek
that the last Klondike steamer was
compelled to unload her cargo of pro-
visions so that the miners in that sec
ton are in little danger of the food
famine that threatens other camps.
Capt. Hooper expects a great rush of
people into the gold regions as soon
as spring opens, and he has no doubt
that the tales told of the immense gold
deposites will be fully verified.
San Francisco, October 22.-James
Deitrick, a miner of experience in CAL
ifornia, South America and South At
Arica, Mas Just returned from Alaska.
where he spent some time in the Mi
nook river valley. He says: while
there have been 200 claims staked out
on the Minook, Hunter, Hoosier, Mil
Ter and Chapman, there is little known
about any but Little Minook. On the
Little Minook the mile of claims which
have been opened have proved very
rich. The pay streak is from Is to 20
feet wide and 6 to 20 feet deep 1t is
all gravel wash. That is an evidence
to me that the quartz will be seam or
pocket.
with the Birch and Minook districts
filled the prospectors will have to get
into the Russian and Drekel creeks and
the kouyukuk river district. The lat
ter valley is 1000 miles long and the
rich territory is found some distance
hn CT M
tramping over the mountains from
Fort Hamilton, distance of $50 miles.
across two mountain ranges With
three sledges and seven dogs two men
can take in only one sledge-load of pro-
visions, the other two being required
to carry food for the dogs This prac-
tically keeps all men cut of the dis
trict
A letter from Rampant City, Alaska,
the centSe of the Minook district, says:
Deputy Collector Ross, Of Circle City,
had made investments in the new fields.
G. F. Baxter and o. c. Johnson have
purchased No. II on Minook. James
ID. Cocge, of Sioux City, and H E. Hub
bard, of Chicago, bought the discovery
claim for $4,000. Baxter has also pur-
chased a half interest in another min
ing claim in Minook ap6Ane on Hun
ter. No. II on AIins Nthe claim
cut of which it il ounces
were taken in Us. The
owners have r - for this
claim. hut would 1fIQQp-