The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-01-12

A tall athletic man. wearing a vandyke
beard of sandy color, with a Scotch cap
on his head and carrying a great coat on
his arm, walked into the Hotel Nicollet
saturday afternoon, and registered e
Mccormack, Dawson City, Alaska" No
sooner had he done this than he was the
center of curious crowd, and he was be-
sieged by ueople who piled him with ques-
tions regarding the new and famous gold
fields.
Il have been in Alaska since March,
1885, said Mr.. Mccormack. Il went there
from Duluth. There was no excitement at
that time, and l don't believe those VINO
at Dawson City now know that TINS
country is wrought up over the dis
covery of gold as you say it is l had
friend there who wrote to me of his good
fortune in prospecting, and upon adjust
ing my business in Duluth l determined to
60 / went in over the SkaSuay tran ana
came out the same way.
Il left Dawson City Nov. "a and have
been on the road ever since. There was
little trouble between two parties with
whom / intended to come out regarding
the scurvy which the dogs had, and as they
were not ready to leave when l was, 1 did
not wish to pay $12 a day at the hotel
waiting for them, so l came out alone
l met the Northwest mounted policemen
when l got to Lake Bennett and accom-
panied them over the pass to Dyea.
Yes l came out on the ice all the way,
1t is 2 hard trip. The ice in the river is
very rough in many places; too rough to
ru,l d sled over with much Of a load on
it The current is swift in the river, and
when it freezes up in the fail, large chunks
of ice lodge against boulderS and other
Instructions. making a solld field of broken
ice with protrudng corners and edges
over which it is almost impossible to
travel Yet, l made Pretty fair time,
for | was but % days on the trip. l
travelled every day but one, and then l
laid up at Selkirk, fixing my broken sled.
Did fortune favor you While there?' in
quired The Tribune
well. | don't know replied Mr.. Nc
Ccrmack unconcernedly, "hut $l5o,OoO for
two men during our stay isn't bad. In fact
l not sorry l went. shall return
about March J. l have claims on the
Bonanza, Mccormack and Hunker creeks.
They are being worked this winter, but I
shall be there in tlmc for the wash-up.
which will hot take place much before
June ], for water is scarce until then"
Are all the claims taken in the Klondike
region" was asked.
Yes. everything along the klondiHe
river and its tributaries is taken but
believe there are other streams which have
not been prospecte1 That will show UP
nearly as well; it is hard to tell what is
stored away in some of them. l believe
there is plenty of goI to be found
DO you think there viii be suffering
from lack Of food at Dawson City this
winter reported?'
Mr.. Mccormack but there Is no de-
nying the statement that food is scarce.
or will be before July. aud feels
better with three meals Il day than with
two. I did not know that any effort was
being made by the government to send
supplies to Dawson until | got to Seattle,
where the reports of the scarcity of sup
Plies in Alaska are denied, the denial be-
ing prompted no doubt, by selfish motives,
but 1 would be glad to know that the men
VN.a,r
could use than Il scarcity. l believe the
government ought to send the supplies, if
it is possible 10 get them in, for while the
people of Dawson will not starve without
them, their friends at home would feel
far better to know that they are we'll pro-
vided.'
when you cleaned up this fall, how did
YOU dispose of your gold?"
1t is taken to the general store of the
Northwest Trading company at Dawson
where you get an order from the company
on their store at Seattle. They charge II
per cent, which l presume, is what they
estimate the cost in bringing it out on the
Yukon, via ST. Mchaes, when the river
opens. 1t was great big shrinkage but
it was impossible for me to bring the gold
with M. l came out as light as l could
Besides my provisions, had small tent
portable stove, and a few clothes loaded
on short sled which pulled by wolf
dog that bought of an Indian at Dawson
be more easily travelled owing to the great
number of people who will pass over
them?"
"A great deal of work will be necessary
to put portions of the trail in shape for
easy travel, but on my way out l saw signs
in several places of operations already
begun. There is large crew of men at
work blasting road in the side of a
mountain between Dyea and Summit: there
is also to be plank railroad around White
Horse rapids and the canyon, and l was
told at Skaguay, which, by the way, is
over-run with people, that a tram-way
over this pass will be built. These prof.
ects will ease the hard places the route
but even at that, the trip is a long and
trying one, and should not be undertaken
by any except those physically able to
stand much hardship
were burned, together with several ca bins
He said that the people were now leaving
Skaguay, on their way over the trail
but that if they would wait until the sun
gets high enough to melt the snow, in
March and April, when hard crust will
form, then walking will be good and as
much time can be gained by leaving
now.