The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-02
S. w. Dobson Tells About His
Trip to Dawson.
A WONDERFUL COUNTRY
What Is Needed Is a Competent Admin
istration of Affairs and More
Practical Miners in
he Field.

son. and is visiting his brother, Rev.
c. T.. Dobson of this city. To a Stand
ard reporter Mr.. Dobson talked inter
estingly Of his trip TO the frozen north
and of the conditions now prevailing in
Alaska. He and his party left Seattle
i'm February, 1897, and went to Juneau.
The party started before the rush FOR
the Klondike and. in fact. before the
news of the great discovery had
reached the outside world. All was
quiet on the coast and along the iran
10 Dawson over the ChilkoOt pass, the
route taken by Mr.. Dobson ana ms
party. Soon after they started, now
ever, rumors of the big discoveries be-
gan to be heard. but little or no atten-
ton was paid to them.
The party did not hurry, and had a
very pleasant trip over the tran To
Dawson. They QUILTED at Juneau ana
took in 5000 pounds on a six-dog tram
In speaking of the various routes 10
Dawson Mr.. Dobson said That the 'hl-
koot pass or the White pass routes were
the only practicable ones. as mad Deeh
demonstrated by experience. Ghe res
lin lake route is long and impractical
bile. In fact. Il was so cknoWledSeu
by the Dominion surveyor who lald IL
out and afterward died at Dawson. Inc
route by the way of ST. Mlchaels Is 100
| long. MAKING II IlltDoNRibA' 80 1'F
pectors To get into the country untll
late i'm the summer. In fact, the ChH-
koot route is the only one, as II takes
only II days to get into Dawson over
IL. Now that steamers have beeh put
on Linderman, Bennett and the river
the time has been materially reduceu,
and many of the hardships lone away
with.
MIR. Dobson's party did not shoot the
White Horse rapids, as When lhey
reached them the water was very low,
and an attempt to have done so Woulu
nave simply been a reckless teihpt,ns
of fate. when the water is high, MT
Dobson saws. there is little danger win
an experienced boatman. The trouble
has been that many men totally UNI
familiar with boats have tried 10 shoot
the rapids and their neXperlehce mas
frequently cost them thelr hNes. en-,
enough to keep the boats head pointed
in the right direction is all that is
necessary.
The marty reached Dawso June I.
There were not many people there AT
the time. but the excitement was IN
a, tense. Miners were coming III WIN
their spring c~lean-ups, and the nm
mense richness of the country was lust
beginning to dawn upon them. ANA
they were a hungry lot, too. All winter
long the menu had been the monotoh-
{ Gus one of beans and bacon. MT. Don
q sons party We're aple W it''N' -
situation to a degree. While on the
. trail they had bought a lot OF dried
caribou meat from the Indians to feed
20 tho logs on the way, and when they
reached Dawson they had quite a
. quantity of II left. II was not very
f palatable stuff. and the Indians are hot
ya,y particular in their methods OF
ar,J,g n hut II found "A ready marker
a. Davson. and the miners bought II
: Tn avidity and ate II with dehsht,
+. as n was the first meat they hah taSteu
i'm a long time. or
when Mr.. Dobson reached l'aWsu.
bout Z 600 people were making 1t theli
: anarters owing to the lack OF
,or,etv i'm food and the unsanitary con
ditions prevailing. there was mu.'
,tsLncss during the winter, typhold le'
,cr and scurvy being the most uedo'S
i'm their effects. .ut,r {,
2, 49, and particularly I'm the klon'
- A. nobson said that in some re-
e a,a,,s the stories sent out hau peei
ross exaFgerations Ihe county, 70
bcan Judged to a great eNteht ~ III
~ two wonderful creeks, fldnrauo ~
e ",a In cases where II was sal'
-" n~rtofp claims would average 81
D. 400 o. a nan. the facts were that IN
; .arage would not perhaps he 90 cehts
- mans taken out from bed roc
= would run high. while me resi- u
. wnuId not perhaps pay for the "oiN
ing. urr ont as we
pn,,ya hut II is not likely Una
=. an,tbsr RonanZa will he tonhu rlSn
ray Men have been searching l"
- a long time, and II is prohahIe Una Wv,
: yin have to search another l'hs w,
IL nM,s,ra a creek as rich as Eldorad"
os found again. ,pur
IA h,s heen taken out this last yea
"a as the miners keep the ia'tS az So,
- as possihle. in order To eNade lht l1S
10 aitv which is exacted by the bomlnl"
"a government. c,,,
% .r,. IA has immense resources, Wnl'
Us as vet are practically untouched N't,
W - not a country for anyone except u
" cxpcrienced miner and one ahIS 70 vi
20 with the many hardships Whl'h a.
s6 necessarily encountered in a new coni
,oS try. .ho brsbs
% ~ many who so in there evident
81 think. There is lots of hard WORN az
30 hard work alone can win the p,lzy
80 Thousands % men went INTO N'an'
90 ,,h,n the excitement began who We
90 ,',,,rly iraxnerieuced and new nothlt
50 ~ r,ining. They are now among u
s. ,,is.ustad ones. and are those VINO a
~ giving the country a black eye Nh'
s. the fault is not in the country ou1
~ themselves. II Is follE Tor su'h ~
IS to attempt the hardships OF shch
s. life. and the soone they learn tht
en-. lesson and get out the better II VIII
Ia f,r the country. Many Of them arr
Mt. reaching Dawson never LETT the q
~. until they started to come home WI
If All kinds of hard luck stories and su
on fering. much Of which they were I
m. spnnsible for themselves.
Prospecting and development Wo
IN the American side Of the line Is pr
r,cssipr slowly on account of the she
season. hut the n are good IN
fe- rich strikes will be made sooner
OF later. Alaska as a whole has yet be
II but scratched. and no one can tell Wh
'ue awaits the prospector.