The herald., 1897-08-29

A Sc
the great strike, when labor was scarce.
wages was SIS per day, but if no new
stvike is made, what is to keep wages
up this winter? There are. but $40 claims
on Bonanza, Ell Dorado and Hunker
creeks that will probably be worked this
winter. An average of eight men to each
Is, think, liberal. If but 2700 men are
employed, and there are 5000 or more
seeking work. what must be the result:
! Wages must go down. I am told that
much grub has gone over the divide, yet
from what I know I would wager my
last dollar that not to exceed 800 tons
of surplus, over and above what the
carriers ate, will reach the diggings. No
man going in can arrive with more than
| four months supply.
| IT am also told that there is plenty at
| st. Michaels. So there may be, but af-
| ter September Is it might as we'll be in
New York City, for to transport it by
pack train or dog sledge over the 1000
miles of icy river is absolutely impos-
sible This is not, nor will there ever
be, a dog train than can take enough In
to feed itself over 1900 miles. Relief is,
therefore, impossible. Over the divide
in the winter would be quite as difficult
To draw provisions for the trip from
Dyea to Dawson anything before the
spring breakup is an impossibility. Re
lief for those caught in the Klondyke
after winter sets in is, therefore, I'M
possible, and in the name of hulWUiaga1le
7 sk-thato ovrt OF people without sup
plies. Let no man be allowed to enter
| that region unless he carries with him
enough food and clothing to last him a
year. There are women and little
| children in there today who should be
sent out as far as St. Michaels before
navigation closes. I hear much of the
boats that are building to go up the
river, but aside from the elegant steamer
Hamilton, finished by the Moran Bros
Co. for the North American Trading &
| Transportation company, August IL, no
| boat can be added to the carrying corps
this fall The Klondike is a land of ice
and snow as we'll as land of gold. Let
it not be made land of gaunt hunger,
wretchedness and death. Let no one be
allowed to wrest from the foolish people
few hundred thousand saved, borrowed
or begged dollars. There will be as good
chances for mining in the future as now
Let the people wait. This is not 8
Cripple Creek or Deadwood proposition
If caught they cannot walk OUT
The returning miners say that the re-
markably rich claims on Eldorado creek
will number 140. Mr.. Ogilvie estimates
that at the rate these 140 claims are now
producing, and considering the ground
yet to be worked in the next three
years, will aggregate about $4,000, 900
To this must be added the favorable
possibilities of pockets and development
Of claims already found, but not opened,
SO as to permit Of great production.
There have been other rich strikes on
Stuart river, Hunker, Henderson and
Indian creeks, but none of these are as
rich as claims on Eldorado and Bonanza
creeks. Until the wonderful discoveries
Of Klondike were made. ground worth
10 cents to the pan, with two or three
feet of pay dirt, were considered very
good for the Yukon, and miners made
their money with rockers and sluices.
This year miners are passing entirely
over the ground of this richness in their
search for sand and gravel that will pay
like that of the Klondike discoveries
Up to date none of the claims were show
ing any signs of exhaustion, and scarce
ly dozen are well opened. Nearly every
one has large areas of ground to be
worked. One returned miner says it is |
impossible to make anything like an
accurate estimate Of the probable yield |
of the mines. The ground is not at all |
even in richness and the width of the pay |
streak varies greatly.
The most important news from St. !
Michaels is that the Yukon river steam
ers left there two weeks ago for their |
last trip up the Yukon. 1t was not GER
tain they would reach Dawson this fall, |
in which event passengers who left the
sound on the steamer Portland as early
as July 25th would only reach Circle
City before navigation closed. This
makes it certain that hundreds of miners
who have left the sound and California
since August 1st for ST. Michaels will
have to winter there. At least they can
scarcely get started up the Yukon before
the river freezes over solid All vessels
touching at ST. Michaels this summer
have had great difficulty in keeping
their crews, who have caught the gold
fever One schooner from Victoria was
entirely deserted and her crew, from
captain to cook, started up the river for
Klondke. The crew of the schooner j.
NJ Coleman endeavored to desert also. |
but the attempt was discovered. in time |
and by the display of firearms the men
were compelled to remain on duty The
mates Of the schooners Jewett and Cole
man and the carpenter of the Sanders
were piped off at St. Michaels and de-