The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-04

DAY returned from a run down the river
by steamer to Circle City, finding OPP
portunity to call at all the mining
camps between here and there. Sc
many reports had come up by the fire.
quent steamboats, of rich strikes and
growing towns further down the river
that I felt the necessity of investigat-
ing them before the ice should close the
river l found so much of specific cor
roboration for all the vague stories that
have reached me through the three
months past that 1 am convinced the
center of interest for the world of peo-
pie who are looking this way lies, for
the coming winter, over the line in
American territory. 1t was impossible
for me at this season to do more than
touch at the camps along the river, OF
course, for to attempt to go back into
the mines would mean to isolate myself
for. weeks, as ice, which now forms
e. nightly in the pools and eddies. may be
expected to start running any day.
The discovery of gold on the American
side in anything like the big pay that
is found on Bonanza and FL Dorado
: would create a new era on the Yukon,
such as like extension Of the mining
area in the Northwest Territory would
not do. The conditions are all so hate
full here that the American citizen,
who composes so large a proportion of
the population, ever has his ear strained
for reports of the expected strike some
where, anywhere, on the American side
of the line. 1 believe that the reports
that have been published outside con-
corning these conditions-the excessive
royalty tax, the reduction Of the size
of a miners claim, the absorption by
the crown of half the claims on a creek,
the granting of special privileges to
corporations in every department OF
effort, and then the long line OF petty
interferences by the Government, which
not only hamper and humiliate him, but
often take from him, and at all times
cause him to fear that they will take
from him without remuneration or even
explanation, the result of his effort and
struggle-has had the effect of keeping
at home very many who feel desire
to cross the ChiIkoot and take try at
fortune in this moss covered, mosquito
bitten and frozen wilderness.
/ have often referred to the more not
able of these burdensome things, but only
those who suffer the fretting embarrass-
naents of the daily life here, the hamper
ingS of the incompetents and 1ntrlSuerS
in Office-from whose rulings there Is no
appeal-added to the privation, suffering
and the tremendous struggle WIN natural
conditions that IS eXacted OF All VINO, al
ter arrival, really undertake to wrest
from the frozen earth the fortune which
is there and for which they came, can eX-
plain what a strike on the American side
would mean to them. l have told how
complaints are made constantly IN the
Local newspaper, in public meetings and
by individuals, and l have TO say now
that complaint and protests have awaited
nothing. Much has been hoped from the
administration that came into existence
with the arrival of Mr.. Ogilvie, during
my run down the river, and the people
are waiting with the patience for which
Americans and Englishmen. take great
credit TO themselves, but which, under
all the circumstances is the only thing
they can do. All the while, however, that
great crowd that has not already struck
1t so rich here as to compel them to be
satisfied with a fraction of their output
Cor income), have their ear TO the ground,
listening for news from below" For an
other great crowd has already gone there
and is prospecting the country am told
by dozen apparently reliable men that
there are $500 miners and prOspectors on
the creeks that are considered as tribu-
tors to the new town of Eagle City, which
is at the mouth of Mission Creek, and
.that on some of these creeks very rich
dirt has been found
In constant touch with men coming
from and going. to the lower river ulg-
gings as have been, L was nevertheless
surprised during this little journey at
what / had to learn concerning them
There are as many creeks now listed in
what is known as the Eagle City district
(Which includes the Forty Mile district) as
having high-grade prospects as there are
IN the klondike district Notwithstanding
winter And all these creeks that are now
glibly enumerated by the people of the
are the creeks of the Klondike. 1t seems
that large proportion of that big throng
that left the lakes with the breaking of
the last spring filtered through Dawson
and are hard at work on the American
side, and met none that were not well
content that they had gone there-none,
" a W a. rYlG lxy to
work. The first town below Dawson on
the river is Forty Mile, at the mouth of
forty miles below old Fort Reliance
which about nine miles below DaW-
Mile is a trading post of the Alaska Com
side Of Forty Mile River, is Fort Cudahy,
a trading post of the North American
Transportation and Trading Company.
post at Cudahy The stores of the two
companies, the cabins of their employees
and a half-doZen others made up the COM
position of these places last winter. To
each of them has been added a saloon
this year that being the sum Of their
development; Fifty miles farther down
is the mouth of Mission Creek. twelve
miles beyond. the international boundary
line The boundary line is distinctly
marked by a wide swath cut through the
forest down the mountainside and show
ing clearly and sharply against the sky |
There was a miners cabin there last win
ter-one of those cabins built by the
of the traveller, all having the equal priyi- !
lege of taking shelter there. There is now
a bustling little town at the mouth of !
Mission Creek, and the. old miners cabin !
is lost In the crowd of new ones The |
town is called Eagle City. Both of the |
old trading companies are building ware |
and store houses there, as is also the AL |
aska Exploration Company, another San
Francisco concern, and known here as the |
Lebes Company. Other companies are
also preparing to put in stores. There !
are about 300 people in the place and /
Front-street lots are held at about $1,000
A considerable number of small industries |
are represented, with saloons and dance (
houses particularly doing thriving bust !
ness The town already has it's news
paper A half-nile farther up the river |
another but much smaller settlement has I
started in to compete with Eagle for SUI |
premacy at this point
Twenty miles farther down the river /
is the mouth of Seventy Mile Creek, and I
here again two territories are located, /
one directly at the mouth called Seventy /
Mile, and the other few miles further
up stream, called Star City. The excuse I
for the existence of Star City is that the
river is shallow at Seventy Mile, making
t q difficult landing for steamers that att