New-York tribune., 1898-01-23
GREAT SCARCITY OF FOOD.
,rrsr REPORTS FROM THE KLoNDIKE
ALARMING
TIE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED y LErTEr
FROM GENERAL MERRIAM TO THE WAR


DEPARTMENT - PROSPECTS OF
WORSE TO COME.
,,-.sbinrton Jan 22-The reports which have
-, coming 10 the War Department recently. in
,,.o,ine that there is no scarcity Of food in the
,-,o,sise country. have now taken another turn
.ra the last reports go to show that there Is
.,readv great scarcity there. with prospects Of
- 81, come. Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn
&c received a report from General Merriam at
voroouver Barracks. which makes this fact ap-
.oo- vhne incidentally explaining the erroneous
o-o~t from Portland. ore. TO the effect that the
,cs,.ornr,,nt relief expedition has been aoan-
Goned
General Merriam says: referring 70 report OF
,,o,or Rucker dated Dyea, January 4, have
mod IL best 10 postpone shipment OF relief
1.ossi;ior for which transportation has been
.~erres on steamship oregon. to sail from Port
'Ss ~ the 23d inst. and to secure Ike space
- ,,a Elder. expected to sail about February l.
49, Will land the expedition at head Of Lynn
c.rs1 a. east week before the date now fixed
-, .,s agent Of the Snow and Ice Transporta-
.,or Company for receiving freight there for
sn,,-,or, 10 Dawson. Unless later reports from
,f.,o~ Rucker shall change the situation. It is
-. Intention to divide the expedition so az 10
q
.or.-sotors' train and the balance by our land
.,.ss - The Arst depot at Bennett and a second
49,, At zoo. Of Lake Barge. prepared 10 build
1oa,s q. that point should the river below that
-, y. found still open. with practicable
80. ss is now reported by officers OF North
west Police
.Rv this process. the river expedition should
lac. Aoat down 10 Dawson with the ice eX-
-. ~ move by or before May |. and should
- s,,no-ion al the mines be then desperate
~ ans dogs with .ledges could take forward
.or,a si,crlies on the ice. which is reported 10
:. g., GOOD condition below the mouth OF the
voo.alir1us The remaining distance 70 DaW-
sor &c about 900 miles. have not yet been aole
- determine whether reindeer moss is available
-, s4-her NJ these routes or any route IN AiaskA
r-oho nlv more information on this SUBJECT can
>. found ,2 some departments IN washington
.,a, ,an he gathered here as very few people
- ,,e,,s are familiar with its trails or able to
answer ,his question
THE CONDITIONS AT DAWSON
.o-i,,ons are not quite unanimous on the food
.a..,o-e g. Dawson The following from
.-.,...a -A.-er written ny the Rev. 5. II. Young
....-.,r Missionary dated at Dawson. De
,..~1 7 ba. been furnished me by J. 7. Ross,
~ Portland and differs from the opinions gen
esrr avr-essed BY persons recently arriving IN
tho 1-,s-. both A. TO FOOD supply and good order
...--ba st-s>a ,or something 70 eat Is already
distressing Thieving is frequent. and no man
,..,. is safe when n Is away from H. 4he SUI
4..,- e.- want % food is likely TO be very great
,r,~s s..~i-r When we got here short OF sup
.res as so many others are. we founo nouf
s.r.r A. from 81 25 70 81 20 per pound and
other things in proportion are not to be hao a.
oil o.. Tho stores Only sugar could be bought
ana mat soon ran out
"A ~enort from Captain Ray II one could be
-s-s.ved at this time. probably would soiVe all
questions on this point He is likely unoer MS
s,re-,ions 10 report direct to the War Depart
me exact condition Of AFFAIRS at Dawson at
the Close Of NAVIGATION IS revealed In the To- i,
lou5ns extract from q report, uhoel CO.. ~
1gr-ren September "a. to the Commissioner OF
Ta,or lv ( c. Dunham, the expert OF 'he
49, Recruitment sent there for the purpose
~ making an investigation. Dawson !les III al al
nconceit ably bosEy swamp aIohe One - -,
exteyl.rc Up and down the stream aoouO me- me-
-f aud hack 10 the hills halt a me- more.
I, is very crude Such houses as Ihers are Cot'-
SIS, 70 Joss and have naud roore Iners tsd ~, -.
,baea and TWO hundred or three hundreo tents
~. nr.ser- population IS about one thousanu, /,
but constantly changing On accou". a,d tbo
60; 15ospital is full Of patients. Last nlgh'
.cr TIE first time this season, the surisSce ~
he rrou-d froze and II is said that WIN M MIhe
ernrosoh - cold weather the feVer VIII , uIs
a11ear But God help the place next SUNNI me-
a., re-.~.s in regard 70 the mortality here
however are greatly overstateu'
rvoRNO1-s PRICES FOR FOOD.
The +v.o great commercial companies have
e-e rarre buildings. each having expendea
..,,.b,,, s1OO o0O this summer in the construc-
,.o- 20 eto~As and warehouses. but their ware
bousee are wofully empty. The Alaska COM
-.-o.sf coronanv has thousands Il tons OF pro-
,.ssiore q, its warehouses. but they are soiu'
IT, o,.. article IN the way Of food that can
ta bought to-day is canned corn flour -
oro,oo ., SO hundred. but none could De had
:, 49,. moo Only three steamers have ar
-sre6 his summer. although six more are eX-
..s -.uv The Excelsior. which left san
pran..eco July - has not been heard rom
and sbe ts one Of the main standbys. the
s..,.~o-. s--3,,a the situation win be somewhat
-a,s,.oo. - ,hev do not reach here there VIII
ne v.ho,.eale starvation. as the visible supply
~ tooa vr not last til March. To aggravate
the situation. most OF those COMING Gown ~ ~
river are coming In win scam SGpp''7
steamers referred TO never arlIN'e~) =,
.prices are abnormally high. OF course Oooo
heefst-2. chat is. good for here IS - per
pound. moose meat and mutton. - Cen.s 10 81, 81
vhc1 they can be had al all Inc coHu-.iol wa III
n. relieved somewhat by the ARRIVAL soon r"n
i,- 49,. r..ar ~ two hundred head or cattle an .
o.e thousand SIX hundred head or sneep' @ Whio y
are being brought down on rafts alter NaN iliS
beer driven in over the Dalton ana pyea ual. @
s. ,e+a,,-ar.s have a sign something like
thls on the door. Closed tii next O''' ''
10 grub
No BrLAY GRANTED TO hENocAL