The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-23
Many Difficulties Encountered in
Reaching the Gold Fields.
Starvation May Face Them Before the
Winter is Over.
The Steamer Portland Sails From
Seattle for the Mouth Of the
Yukon With One Hundred and
Twenty-Eight Passengers Bound
FOR the New Ell Dorado.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 22.-The
Alaska Commercial Company's steamer
Bertha arrived from Oonalaska to-day
with 500 tons of concentrates from the
Apollo mine at Unga and bar of
bullion from the same source, but
brought no gold from the Clondkye re-
gion.
Captain Hayes of the vessel, speak
ing of the Clondyke boom, however,
said: 1.-The fact that the new gold
fields are 1900 miles from ST. Michaels,
and that the difficulties of transporta-
ton are innumerable, cannot too for
chilly be impressed upon intending
prospectors. The newspapers will be
responsible for the loss of any lives
and a great deal of suffering and hard
ship if they did not strongly advise
the public that the river Yukon, now
that the mountain torrents have
ceased running, is very low, and con-
sequently much of the 5000 tons of
supplies now awaiting transportation
cannot possibly be conveyed to their
destination for some time"
Messrs. Sloss of the Alaska CONNER
cial Company are equally frank. One
of the firm said: What we most
fear is that the excitement will cause
many people to rush northward with
out properly considering how they are
to live through the winter after they
get there. We have now about 5000
tons of provisions in the Yukon, and
are sending as large additional guam
titles as possible, but we are not able
IN w hot 11nY hn will hn II
to the demands, nor when the supplies
will reach the destination with any GER
tainty. The stern-wheel steamer with
which the Excelsior is to connect will
be the last to take the Yukon River
trip this season. 1t will reach Daw-
son City with a barge in tow about
September LIST, and must Immediately
return, as the river usually freezes over
early in October.
1T is for this reason principally that
We have declined to carry more than
the usual complement of passengers on
the Excelsior this trip. We could cas-
lily have constructed accommodations
for another hundred, but preferred to
utilize the space for supplies to feed
those already there and on the way"
SAILING TO PORTLAND.
SEATTLE, July 22-At 3:5S O'Clock
this afternoon the North American
Transportation Company's steamer
Portland sailed from Seattle to st.
Michael, Alaska, from which point her
passengers will be transferred to a Yu-
kon River steamer and carried to the
famous Clondyke gold fields. BY ac-
tual count there were 12S passengers.
IF
be stated almost positively that unless
something unexpected happens the
Portlands passengers will reach Daw-
son City, at the junction of the Yukon
and Clondyke rivers, without experience
ing any hardships worth mentioning.
Every person on the Portland, with the
possible exception of a stowaway or
two, has ticket through to the gold
fields, and the Transportation Company
has given it's word to get them there
as soon as possible.
Michael Kelly one of Seattle's old
timers, who has made a big stake on
the Clondyke, said as the steamer
pulled away from the wharf chat the
gang would reach Dawson City all
right" but he shook his head on the
proposition of their having an easy
time to secure work on good claims.
The departure of the Portland was a
sight worth going miles to see. She
was scheduled to get away at II
O'Clock, but owing to one delay and an
other the time slipped away until it
was almost o'clock before the last
whistle was given and the lines were
cast off and taken aboard.
Tbqra iS al lost ,oosJ1~4 -r,l.o
steamer was just commencing to feel
the impulse of the screw when a big
trunk was hustled through the crowd.
1t was doubtful if 1T could be gotten
aboard, and the interest of the crowd
in the last act" was pronounced. Some
bet So that the trunk would fall into the
river, and others that 1t would go
through to Dawson all right. In the
midst of the speculations some one on
board showed a plank to the wharf and
in two seconds two big longshoremen
grab bed the trunk and slid it over the
water, and it was landed
This being over the crowd paid atten-
ton to the actual departure Every
point of vantage on the Portland was
taken up, and one acquainted with a
good percentage of the passengers had
no trouble in picking out many repre-
senta tive men. There were politicians,
attorneys, merchants, sports and theat-
rical people. 1t is an actual fact that
within the next two months Dawson
City will be supplied with an opera
house." and one, if not two news
papers. Owing to the fact that news
papers cannot be sent to or from that
far off place in the mail, the newspa-
pers published there will be small
enough to put in ordinary letter enve-
lopes.
There was not much cheering when
the steamer left the dock. Those on
board waved their handkerchiefs. held
out their hands and shook them at
their friends. One party of jolly gold
hunters were singing. On the wharf
there We're mothers, wives and sisters
sad at heart. In many cases tears We're
flowing The sky was almost cloudless
and as the steamer got fairly under
way a band of doves circled near as il
to bid her godspeed
H. D. Wheeler and his son-in-law
E, NJ. Culbertson who went to the Clon-
dyke last spring, have each written
letters home to their wives giving some
very important additional news of the
mines and Of the trip. From the letters