Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-02-03
Discouraginq Reports From Alaska.

Since cold weather set in, many mon.
who fastened to the placer fields of the
Klondike region of Alaska and the
Northwest territory, in British Ameri-
ca. under the excitement caused by the
wonderful tales told of the riches to be
picked up in that inhospitable country,
have returned to the states. Many OF
those who have come back brought re-
ports concerning the mines which were
anything but encouraging to those in
tending to seek their fortune in the
Arctic circle. but these adverse accounts
have been generally 'discredited by the
enthusiastic, and the rush to Alaska at
the opening of river navigation will be
unprecedented in the history of the
country.
Within the past ten days, however,
two reports have been received from
Klondikc, which cannot be passed by
lightly, since n supports the other.
One comes from a man who recently re-
turned from Dawson City and the other
is from AL army officer, Captain Ray,
who was sent to the Klondike country
by the war department to make a thor
ongh investigation of the situation. The
account given by the returned miner,
which was written at Seattle on Janu-
AIRY %, is as follows:
II walked into the town of Skaguay on
the 18th of this month from Dawson
City, but the frost did not drive me out
of there; only the lack of work and bust
ness. Klondike Is not as good as they
make it on the outside. 1t is a railroad
and steamship boom, and that is all I
can see in it at present. | could not af-
ford to wait for better times or take
chances to walk out with nothing. My
provisions cost me $3.50; that would last
me until next May or June; so l sold my
provisions and came back. Gore and
Sponsler would have come out, but they
were afraid to tackle the trip, although
a great many will have to do it next
summer. The first mail to Dawson I
net on New Years day about $50 miles
this side of Dawson. / wish l had taken
your advice; l would have been better
off; but the experience I have now is
worth $500 alone"
Captain Rays report is even more dis
couraging. He says that no new placer
discoveries have been made eithet in
Alaska or In the Northwest territory
within eight months, and urges the gov
eminent to take steps to effectually
check the emigration to the interior Of
Alaska of all persons not fully supplied
with provisions to last two years. Cap
tain Ray has seized all of the supplies
of the Alaska Commercial company at
Fort Yukon, in the name of the govern
ment, and is issuing them to the people,
selling at the company's price to those
who are able to pay and giving to those
who are poor and stranded.
That there is gold in Alaska and the
Northwest territory no one questions.
Too much of the yellow stuff has been
received at Pacific ports to permit of
any other conclusion, but the announce
ment has been made time after time
that all lands known to contain gold
have been staked out and taken. Cap
tain Ray says that no new discoveries
have been made in the past eight
months. This means that those who
reach the mining country this spring
will be compelled to work at anything
they can find at small wages, or strike
into the country on prospecting trips,
and either one will entail h%ardships be-
yOnd the endurance of the greater num-
Der who make their way into the north
ern camps.
Alaska is no country for the poor
miner. and more money can be made,
with much less work and suffering,
right in the hills and mountains Of New
Mexico.