The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-26
kLOND|KE NOT so WARM
Every Day the Mercury Acts Like
Mighty Low Down Cuss.
FROZEN WHILE YOU WAIT
The HARD Facts of Life in Alaska as
Told by Man Who Has Been There
Himself and Who Is Giving
1t to Us Straight.

have already started for the Klondike,
the real exodus will not begin before
the latter part of February or the be-
ginning of March. According to the
best information of the railroad COM
panies several hundred men will be
added TO the stampede by Butte.
The best story yet obtained about
life in the gold fields. experience in get
ting there and how to get out. is told
BY Sam Archer, a Seattle newspaper
man. who has just returned from the
Klondike. HIS story of his experiences
and observations, graphically told. is
as follows, and will interest those of
the Standards readers who contemplate
going to Alaska:
After living half year on bacon,
bread and beans, / am glad to be back
in Seattle, even If it is for only short
time And the weather here. although
il may be rain for "A hours in the day,
beats the frigid climate of the far North
all to pieces, notwithstanding the pre-
tended claims of some to the contrary.
1t is true that a man can stand eN-
ceedingly cold weather up there, for 1t
is still and dry, but he freezes his face
or nose before he knows 1t, and this is
quite irritating. / dare say there Is
hardly a Klondiker who has not had
some portion of his anatomy ffost-bit-
ten and il has become almost josh
y
opposite direction that his nose is
frozen He always finds the informa-
ton to be correct-his nose is white as
marble, and then he half freezes his
fingers rubbing his nose with snow TO
take the frost out. Robe yourself up as
YOU may, and yet the frost is liable to
rip you in some aggravating or serious
manner. In Dawson City we had cold
spell during the latter part of Novem-
Der and the first couple of days in De-
~.s1ta
ing from 40 to So degrees below zero. al
though the thermometer registered as
low as 60 degrees below one day, some
saying their instruments indicated 81, IS
and 6S degrees below on Dec. /.
There is no city government at Daw-
son. but things are conducted under
sort of martial law, the Canadian
mounted police being in charge. All
matters pertaining to mines and mining.
however, are subject to the authority
of the gold commissioner on our way
out we met Major Walsh, the newly APP
pointed administrator of governmental
affairs for the Yukon district of the
Northwest Territory, who was on his
way in.
1T is deceitful and unavailing to pre-
tend that spirit of mutual good feel
ing exists between the American popu-
lation and the Canadian authorities. Let
us be honest and truthful about this
matter. for no amount of lying Will
smooth things over The mines up
there are essentially American camps UNI
der the British flag. the great majority
of the miners being Americans The
Canadian authorities nate the Americans
with jealous. envious hatred; the
Americans hate the Canadians and their
laws. and on Bonded knees would hail
the day when the stars and stripes
ffoated overhead. or when they could get
On as rich ground in American territory.
Do not misunderstood what l say about
this; IL is not a personal dislike, enter
tanned by the miners for the Dominion
officials, for the latter are usually cour-
teous and as impartial the average
American official. and there are many
personal friendships between the two
classes. AT the government posts Amer
leans are granted the same relief in case
OF distress as the Canadians But there
still exists the national prejudice: it is
natural, and nothing win wipe ii out
The American Will always be hampered
and restless under the British flag. the
Dominion government would rather
have Canadians working their mines
All the creeks, gulches and pups for
miles about Dawson are staked and re-
corded, and one must go long distance
away over mountain and through brush
10 find INDICATED placer claims. Speak
ing of the general stalking of anything
and everything for wildcat speculation
reminds me of the great amount of per-
jury committed in the recorders office
at Dawson. Not one in hundred of the
claims staked are prospected before be-
ing recorded vet the Office is thronged
daily by crowds who stand before the
commissioner, the Bible in one hand
the other raised reverently toward
heaven, and solemnly swear that they
found gold on the claim staked; that
they believe themselves to be the orig
inal discoveries of the deposit ETC.,
when the truth is ii is very rare that
even color has been found. and some
of the applicants have not even seen the
ground applied for. their stakes having
been driven in by others. What farce,
Mining matters are the most deli
cate affairs in the world to talk about
and whenever you say word about a
creek or district you are supposed to lie
about II and give the impression that
an Ell Dorado is there What is the
use deceiving people by publishing re-
ports concealing the truth. unless it is
To benefit certain interested owners at
the expense of honest investors? From
all reports I've seen one would suppose
every claim located in the Klondike was
bonanza, when the truth il there are
many claims the best creeks that
are not worth working. Take Bonanza
creek, the rich stream that first at
fracted the stampeders 1t has many
fabulously rich deposits of gold in Ii.
but the creek is spotted There are
many claims that are blanks and
money spent working them is thrown
away. Much of the ground on Bonan-
"a is let out on lays, so per cent being
gwen the lessee. and a number of
these lays are being thrown up after
holes have been sunk and a thorough
prospect failing TO discover pay dirt OF
course. some become discouraged be-
fore they have worked sufficiently TO
ind out what there really is in the
ground and throw up good property.
but the great Majority do not make this
mistake.
Outside investors should be very
careful about buying Klondilze prop
erty, and not bite at everything offered
simply because IL bears the name Bo-
nanza or EI Dorado. While the latter
creek is the wonder of The world in
richness. IL is very improbable that the
pay streak begins away up on top of
the mountain to where IL has been