The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

that they will not go hunting, and Of
course whites can't spare the time. So
when any one kills moose, the fact is
posted up conspicuously outside the lucky
restaurant and in other places calling at
tention to the fact, Moose meat at the
Palace, come and gorge" They were SELL
ing 1t at a booth in butchershop the day
l left for IS cents pound. They have no
wrapping paper, so each man jabbed a
sharpened stick through the meat and
ca rrled 1t home; so meal In Dawson is
81 90. This means beans and bread, or
bacon, simply this and nothing more.
The game status is unfortunate.
1t has been driven back from the river
by steam boats, and would be any way bv
the mosquitoes, which are simply fero-
cious in the summer. You may think
that the talk ahont mosquitoes is Joke,
ike that of their zs i'll Jersey, but the
subject is not funny one in Alaska.
The majority of the people with whom
L talked about the clim ate there asserted
that they much preferred the winter,
long, terrible and dark as il is, to the sum-
mer with its swarms of mosquitoes |
met miner who was prospecting and
who had to shoot his dogs. The mos
quitoes had bitten them in the ewes until
the poor animals were blind and went
+ ad. Mosquitoes are a real factor OF
Alaska and ITS settlement. The pest can
scarcely be overestimated. The game is
driven very far back TO the highlands
where the wind prevents MOSQUITOES.
Grub has, therefore, to be taken if one
goes hunting for moose or caribou or bear.
Stewart River and Indian River both
have game. but both are too far from the
only town left on the Yukon-Dawson,
You remember crow flying over the
country after Sherman had to carry his
provisions with him; this is certainly
true of Alaska. There is absolutely moth
ing 10 be gathered in any of the region !,
adjacent to the mines anywhere, with the
exception of berries, which grow in
great profusion everywhere-strawb W berries,
buckle berries. moose, bear. black, salmon
berries, low and high cram berries, raspber.
ries, black and req currants. But even
these cannot be gathered and preserved,
for sugar is too scarce and preserving cans
cannot be had.
"Up to this summer perfect honesty has
been universal in Alaska and the KIon-
dixie country and valuables of all kinds
were cached with perfect safety anywhere.
But this summer things began to change
as the written placard nailed to the door
of the custom house at Circle City attests.
As showing articles and prices it will be of
interest,":
Stolen at Dawson City: Six caches
were robbed at Dawson of the following
articles: One buffalo robe, one reindeer
robe brown and white with border on each
side one loot wide and three diamond
shaped pieces sewed in the border. There
were no Innings in either of these robes
The reindeer's robe is six by seven feet
One cracked bone-handl ed razor and
nickel case magnifEing glass. The total
amount stolen from the six caches, in
cluding grub, clothes, ETC., is estimated at
about $1,000. As these thieves are sup
posed to have been stealing all the way
down the river their arrest will benefit
the whole community.
While We were in Alaska up the Yukon
no one ever locked up nor watched
things. This was not because human
nature changes at the extreme north, but
because there is no coin, and gold is too
heavy to get away with. There's no way
to get out OF the country without every
body knowing 1t, and everybody there
abouts has money. But the people now
going in, especially the load left at st
Michael by the Cleveland three weeks ago,
will change all that. CAPTAIN G. P Hall,
jolly and good-tempered as he is, admitted
that there were about twenty-five vicious
and quarrelsome kickers, and at lcast
dozen thieves.
They sto.e thirteen OF the ships tlan-
kets, some pillows, etc., and all sort. of
things, from one another. 1t was un-
doubtedly some of these choice spirits W ho
entered the private Office of the North
American Trading and Transportation
Company and broke into their safe the
night of the 9th of August. They forced
the outer door, but were evidently scared
off, for the inner door was not opened.
They stole blankets and spyglass while
OF the Healy waiting to 60 up the