Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-02-22

inimense fires are started first ON the
ground and then in the hole as IL II dug
slowly into the ground These fires
thaw ont the muck, which is raised In
buckets to the top When the gravel Is
reached, drifting" is commenced, and
the gravel is thawed and dug out for q
space averaging about 90 feet on all
sides Of the shaft.
The richest deposits Of gold are found
IN the crevasses of the bedrock, which
here Is Of kind Of soft slate and 50 in
most Of the mines the rock itself IL
worked out to depth Of from one to
four feet. The bed Of the creeks--Bo-
nanza and Ell Dcrado-is wide, and as
the deposits are on the bed Of q former
creek. or glacier. which wound about
in totally different directions from the
present creek. it is impossible to locate
the "pay streak" except By sinking
shafts IN the slow and laborious manner
above indicated. Il SO happens that ten
or more holes may have been dug on
lay without the pay streak-if any
there be ihere-beinR located. Several
weeks work has been done. and there
IL nothing to show for 1t. True, the
next shaft may strike very rich streak,
but in many cases the men become dis
couraged and throw up the lay.
| Newcomer DISCOURAGED.
What inducement Is there, therefore,
for men to come TO this country with
the intention Of doing this same work
in localities that are totally unknown
And yet this Is what they must ex-
pect II may seem incredible. bat IL IL
true. nevertheless. that over half the
claims Oh both these creeks still remain
untouched. and men who had been lur cd
here by the reports Of wealth on them
have declined offers Of lays on them aft
er seeing for themselves how bard 1t
was to procure the gold that undoubted-
" lies hidden beneath that robe Of frozen
earth
Ii is hoped that some less expensive
method will have been found soon for
the working Of these mines In fact,
that problem has, | think. already been
solved. but it offers no inducements to
the laborer. II machinery or hydraulic
methods are employed less men will be
required than now, and already the sup
ply In that line is far in excess OF tho
demand Besides, rs soon as food be-
comes more plentiful wages will be re-
duced, and q man Is better of working
ut tho smallest wages that are paid for
common labor st home-no matter
where his home may be-than he Is
when drawing $40 per day here.
might go on indefinitely enumerat-
ing the many Disappointing features OF
this region and the many reasons Why
il offers to the poor man no real induce.
ments at all. but enough has been said
already to set people thinking before
stalking everything on the chance OF
making . fortune in the goldhelds Of
this region. The same is true Of all the
goidiields Of Alaska. have talked with
many old miners here. some Of whom
have spent long. weary years in the
country hoping at some time TO stumble
OH to fortune. but with very few ex-
ceptions indeed all have found it i'm
possible TO make more than grub
stake" A grub stake means barely
enough food and clothing to tide . man
over till the next season. These men all
tell me that IL is not less than criminal
to advise men to come here.
Experienced Miners Hsipisss-
1t may be asked why these men re.
main. That is one Of those questions
which arc hard to answer They cannot
tell you themselves. In many cases they
have failed even TO make u grub stake,
and the trading companies have been
compelled in order 20 prevent starvation
to give them an outfit. allowing them
to pay for II the next season il luck ia
vors them. And so 1t happens that they
are compelled to remain over another
year to pay the bill. Finally they fall
into the rut with their companions, and
they live OH and on. hoping to strike It
rich some day. And when the coveted
fortune arrives. as it does in the case OF
perhaps one in hundred. he finds him
self unable TO enjoy 1t,
met man few days ago who was
fortunate enough TO have bought share
in q rich FL Dorado claim. He is proba.
bly, worth 500. 900. asked him what
he intended 10 do with his money. He
said that he intended procuring n com
plete outfit for two years with which
to 60 prospecting asked him II he
thought he would find another rich
mine, and he said he did not expect 10,
but that he had never had complete
outfit for even one year before. and that
his highest ambition was to have gen
uine two years outfit.
The old man was so sincere that his
words gave ne much food for thought.
and It seemed to solve in part the prob
lem as to why these men have remained
in the country SO long and with so small
Q reward. They know no other life
there is so little heard Of the outside
world, nothing to read, nothing with
which to compare their modes Of living,
and so they get into the rut and have
no ambition or desire to get out
! shall have more to say in another
letter-more definite information as to
the different phases Of life here and the
many difficulties a. well as the few ad-
vantages, but enough has been said to
warn any sensible man to stay away
from the Klondike II after reading this
any young, unmarried man still wishes
to face the difficulties. all right. That
IL his own lookout. But on no account
should q married man or one who has
any one depending ON him come to this
country in the hope Of finding wealth
or anything but bitter disappointment
II it should develop later that any
considerable extent Of this country is
rich in gold deposits, il will be time
then to come, but So long rs so little Is
known OF it l can only advise one In
the most emphatic terms to remain at
home and look for chances to increase
the savings rather than to squandeE
them on this journey.
To the investor this region offers
many advantages, but great care must
be taken lest worthless properties be ac-
quired.
Placer mining claims do not as rule
offer much inducement to the large
operator for the reason that the probable
output is 50 difficult to estimate and for
the further reason that they can under
| o~d;uorx c;r<v, ~, at pcoe and hv fha uauaI