The Dickinson press., 1898-02-19

E1stted than nov, and ALREADY the sup-
plyh that line ~ far in 1Ueacess of tho
demand. Besddeas as soon Is food be-
Comes more plentiful wages will be re-
|sAueedd, ord aSanaMi % bettersof working
kl6e sis6alslEgMages that ne paid for
common. labor at h6me-no matter
whore his home may be-than he IL
when driving SO per day here.
Knight go on indefinitely enumerat-
ing the many disappointing features Of
this region and the many reasons why
1t Offers to the poorman no real induce.
ments at all, but enough has been said
already to set people thinking before
stalking everything on the chance Of
making q fortune in the goldfelds Of
this region. The same is true Of all the
goldfelds Of Alaska. I have talked with
many old miners here, some Of whom
have spent long, weary years in the
country hoping at some time to stumble
on to o fortune, but with very few ex-
ceptions indeed all have found it i'm.
possible to make more than a GRUB
stake" A grub stake means barely
enough food and clothing to tide a man
over till the next season. These men all
tell me that it is not less than criminal
to advise men to come here.
Experienced Miners Helpless.
1t may be asked why these men re.
main. That is one Of those questions
which are hard to answer. They cannot
tell you themselves. In many cases they
have failed even to make a grub stake,
and the trading companies have been
compelled in order to prevent starvation
to give them an outfit, allowing them
to pay for it the next season if luck IA
vors them. And so it 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 on 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 a hundred, he finds him
self unable to enjoy it.
met a man a few days ago who was
fortunate enough to have boughta share
in a rich Ell Dorado claim. He is proba.
bly, worth 800, 600. asked him what
he. intended to do with his money. He
said that he intended procuring a COM
plete outfit for two years with which.
to 60 prospecting. / asked him if he
thought he would find another rich
mine, and he said he did not expect to,
but that he had never had a complete
outfit for ever one year before, and that
his highest ambition wat to have a gen.
uine two years outfit.
The old man was so sincere that his
words gave me 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 80 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.
I shall have more to say in another
letter-more definite information as to
the different phases of life here and the
many difficulties as we'll 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
is his own lookout. But on no account
should a married man or n 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, it will be time
then to come, but so long as SO little is
known Of it I a only advise one in
the most emphatic terms to remain at
home and look for chances to increase
the savings rather than to squander
them on this journey.
TO the investor thi, region offers
many advantages, but great care must
be taken lest worthless properties be &C.
quired.
Placer mining claims do not as a rule
offer much inducement to the large
operator for the reason that the probable
output is SO difficult to estimate and for
The further reason that they can under
ordinary circumstances and by the usual
methods be so quickly worked out.
Owing to the fact, however, that the
gold in these mines is held in the earth
by several feet of almost impregnable
Ice, which, as I stated before, must be
thawed out by a most laborious and slow
process, it is probable that many Of the
mines will not have been thoroughly
worked out during the next FIVE years.
I speak now Of those already known to
be rich in gold deposits.
This thawing method is SO expensive,
zoo, that ground which will not yield
t15 per day to the man cannot be work.
ID except at a loss. It happens. there
fore, that great areas Of enormously rich
ground are being left untouched. The
miners, while drifting AJout in the
gravel and bedrock, take out from time
to time pans Of gravel, thaw it in their
cabins and wash the goa out, so that
they may see how it is running. If the
pay streak seems to be giving out in the
direction in which they are working,
they change their course, in the endeav
or to follow it.
As soon as the paintings show that
the gravel is not running over 10 cents
to the pan they abandon that portion Of
the drift and either locate the pay streak
at some other side of the shaft, or, if it
is not found there in what, according to
the above, is paying quantities, they
mink a new shaft in the endeayor' to re-
locate it. It will be seen that a great
deal Of ''dead work. Is necessary, and,
Of course, this is all loss, since it costs
Just as much to drift in poor ground as
In the richest portions Of it. 81
In many instances the pay streak
runs in q course so irregular that it is
very hard indeed to follow it. At places
the bedrock is smooth and consequently
does not hold the gold. At others it Is
very rough and shaly, and it is at such
places that the big pans Of which one
on the outside hears 10 much are found.
Owing to these conditions it happens
that not only are some spots immensely
rich, but also some other5-sometimes
entire olaims-are worthless blanks.
Careful Investigation Necessary.