The evening times., 1897-11-29

New York, Nov. 30.-The Herald's cor
respondent at Dawson City, writes to that
paper, under date of October IA. as
follows:
arrived here more than fortnight ago,
after having poled and tracked 800 miles
Dawson. and, in fact, all along the Yukon
has become distressing.
There are about 1000 persons in Daw'
son fuT the winter. Two weeks ago Capt.
Hanson, mana ger Of the Alaska Commercial
Company, arrived here, having come with
all haste from Fort Yukon to wa-n the
people of their danger. Since that time
seven or eight hundred men and few
womer have been taken down the river
in small b0ats.
The steamer weare arrived two weeks
ago with about 200 tons of freight. This
raised false hopes, and to make matters
worse the Bella was reported to be on her
way up.
The Canadian officials decided that some
steps must be taken to relieve the situa-
-tion. Capt. Constantine, of the mounted
police; II. w. ravis, collector of cus-
toms, ard Thomas Faucett. gold com
missioner, posted n notice, declaring they
had found the supplies Of food for the
winter not sufficient to meet the wants
of the people now ut Dawson, and saw as
the only way out OF the difficulty an inn
mediate movement down the river Of al
those who are unsupplied to Fort Yukon.
where there is "a large stock OF provisions.
''For thuse who have not laid in a Win
ter's supply" the notice declares. Ito
remainsterc any longer is to court death
from starvation or at least a certainty OF
sickness from scurvy or other troubles
The Officials considered the advisability
OF confiscating all of the boats cargo, tn
be dist. ibuted among those who might
desire to leave. In the meantime several
hundred persons made rapid preparations
for their departure down the river IL
is probable that nearly one thousand will
go, feeling certain that they will find an.
abundant of fo,d n / OF below Fort Yukon
However, at best they Svill hardly find
more tnan encugt, to sustain life through
the winter. The winter season is now
setting in and every avenue of relief is
closed. No more food can come by the
river from st. Michael or ever tie passes,
anu tile itcDlht VI uhtl sstttit
down to life If privation without topeof
relief from any source until the middle CT
next June.
Were it possible, many would 20 out,
When the ice has formed ii is Possible fer
| the hardest to 20 ever the pass about
January. If they go they must carry
alon., fol themselves ana dogs, more food
than would be necessary to carry them
through the winter. Such a trip IS bey1ld
the reach of many, for the price Of logs
is beginning TO be beyond the reach Lf
most purses. a large number of cattle
and sheep, alive or killed on the upper
river, will be here in d few days. ,e,s.s
An epidemic of CRIME is the result Of the
scarcity Of food in Dawson. Within the
last week thirty robberies have been re-
ported to the mounted police and two
thieves caught in the act of lootIug sur-
plies have been killed by tie owners.
The first of these Killings occurred
week ago ii a lonely cabin on a bluff, a
| mile back of town. Three miners who
were living there We're awakened in The
early morning by noise in the cache. They
ran out. one OF them carrying Winchester
rifle. A robbar wasfoundlooting the cache.
Without any hesitation the rifle was raise
and there was one robber less in Dawson.
The body was buried near the ca bin in
the dark, and the next day the miners
told the mounted police what had occurred.
There was no food to keep them asprisoners
and they were told to bury the dead and
clear out DOM the river. Names were not
asked, and the men, after burying the
dead, touk their supplies to the riverside
and were soon floating down stream in
n small boat.
Two days later q robber was shot over
in .'Luusetown q suburb CT Dawson, by
one of the two owners of cache. The
two men concerned in the murder are cut
on parole. 1t is possible they will be sent
down the river. TIE police can do little
else. They had enough rations for all
the men here la st week, and two days ago
Capt. Harper aud twenty more men
came Gown he river without rations. P:irt
of them will go to Forty Mile and live on
short rations there.
man caught robbing a cache ten days
ago was tried by Capt. Constantine and
given q year at hard labor. The captain
now sces his mistake. The man had no
food, and it takes the time Cf another
man To suara him while heis at Work.
Not a night passes that one or more
caches are not robbed. Locks are scarce,
and the poorest kind CT padocks will sell
for an ounce or more Of gold. Hundreds
Of men stand guard over their property
every night. Most of the miners have ex-
pressed the determination to shoot any
one cought robbing.
The miner is proverbially careless of Ills
gold, but probably he has never allowed
himself tc be robbed Systematically and
with his own knowledge and consent more
than along the Yukon. The recognized
value Of dust all up and down the river,
from whatever mine or district 1t may
come, is SIT ALI ounce In making purchases
or in other ordinary tranactions. Yet If
he pays at 4 store, tarber shop or saloon
Sc there will be taken from his sack one
eighth of an ounce, or S2-1212. There is
no check or guard against dishonest
weights Reputable traders also use incor
rect weights unwittingly.
Capt. Constantine has recommended to