The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-27
ANIME AT DAWSON.
&c 3. KEENe PICTURES THE SUI
eselNes OF GOLD HUNTERS.

In some Gases Money Cannot Buy
Inespite This Unprovisioned People
crossing the Passes.
!. lanes r. Keene received the fol-
,no letter at his Office in New York
,tlv from an expert mining engineer
DAWSON City, Northwest Territories,
"A Oct. 8, who. with an assistant,
sent to the Klondike region last fall
himself and other capitalists to in
,;oate and report on the situation
IRE:
INV last letter, written to you from
hoard the steamer Bella. after leav-
!, Fort Yukon, under date of Sept. 90,
mailed in CT, lie City. Sunday,
n 90, 1897. We reached Circle City
.urday, Sept. 90, at p. m. The
amer had barely tied up to her land
the passengers going on shore in a
owstorm. when she was boarded and
ran possession of by 90 armed men,
ho demanded all her stores and sup
lies for the starving people living in
10 vicinity Of Circle City, some 1873
';ners The list they presented called
= all the delicacies of the season, but
n case goods having been left at Fort
Trkon. likewise wines. liquors and
.oars, they only found staple articles
ssmely. -four, bacon, butter, ham and
lard.
nThe proceedings were very sum-
nary There were about 80 passengers
" the boat. The crew, composed of ST.
wash Indians, left the steamer on her
sriyal at Circle City. Captain Ray, U.
A.. addressed the mob, but they dis
oosed Of him by not paying the slightest
stteption to his remarks, intimating
tbat this was the United States, and
h HI with the fellows in Canada;
That the English government looked out
for them, and that they didn't propose
n allow food to leave the United States
for foreign country and they starve.'
Accordingly they took about 30 tons
II ham, bacon, butter, beans, potatoes
practically all that there was of these
articles-and about 900 sacks Of -four.
Private property was respected; other
wise we would have had a shooting
match on the boat After cleaning up
the vessel armed guards were put ON
board by the miners as we'll as on
shore to prevent any further robbery,
though there was really nothing else to
take, unless it was private property.
SUNDAY morning. about z O'Clock,
the Bella left for Forty Mile. From
Circle City ON the passengers became
the crew of the steamer, and at short
intervals they were compelled to tie up
the boat, go ashore, cut wood and pack
it aboard to run the engines. Wednes-
day night (Sept. 29) Forty Mile, the
first port in British territory, was
reached AS soon as the steamer was at
her mornings she was boarded by de-
tachment of the mounted police and the
mail sent ashore. There being no cargo
to discharge she was ordered up to Fort
Cudahy, across the creek from Forty
Mile, where she remained that night.
"Rumors came thick and fast about
staryation in Dawson City and the ter
Eible condition of affairs in general
throughout the country. Wednesday
night the ice was forming rapidly in
the Yukon river, and it looked very
much as if the steamer would be unable
to face the floating masses as they came
down the stream. Thursday morning,
although partially frozen in, the steamer
Started for Dawson City, 53 miles away,
where she arrived at about half past 8
o'clock that evening.
"A more God forsaken place you
never saw The town lies ON fiat on
the east side of the river, Immediately
back of which are hills about 500 feet
high. The river is about three eighths
of mile wide and is, should judge,
quite deep The elevation above sea
level is approximately /, 200 feet. Where
the town is located must have been an
old moose swamp. During the summer
time 1t is undoubtedly regular Quag
mire.
There are fully 600 loafers in town,
who won't work and expect to be fed,
and there is no food to feed them with.
The police won't arrest them because
they haven any food with which to
feed them. Everything is frozen except
the whisky, and there seems to be an
unlimited supply of that article at DC
cents drink, or $40 per bottle. Cham
pagne is $36 per bottle. and / suppose
Other beverages are at corresponding
Figures.
Five cent cigars cost 90 cents each,
and flour, outside of the company's con
tracts, Sl25 for so pound sack; can
dies, 81 apiece. Seventy-five dollars II
paid for Eve gallon can of coal oil. A
iact, none is for sale. Sugar is 80 cents
and tea 81 pound. Coffee, 81 a pound
and not fit for dogs. Ordinary dog meat
which means dried fish, 81 a pound. M
man works for less than $l5 for nine
hours and confers q very great favor
upon you even at that rate. Cordwood
sawed and split, is $50 a cord in the
yard. Can't say what it will be before
this winter is over.
Cooking stoves are not to be had fol
love or money. Some sheet iron one
can be obtained ut cost ranging from