Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1898-02-09
A. P. Smith Returns to Prescott From the Gold Fields of the Yukon and Gives an Interesting Account
 Of the New Fl Dorado.
The First and Only Definite News of That Rich but PeriIous Land That Gold Hunters Should Con- sider Before VenturIRg
 io if.
WHERE HARDSHIP AND WEALTH
 RUN HAND IN HAND.
10 it..

The return of A. P. Smith to Pres.
 colt last Wednesday, direct from
 the famous gold fields of the Klon .dike, is an event in the life Of thu:
 section that has served to enlighteu
 and interest everyone, in addition
 to taxing the mental and physical
 powers of this gentleman almost be
 yond endurance. Since NIT, Smiths
 return, after an absence of over SIX
 months, he has been repeatedly held
 up by the inquisitive SD industrious
 ly that like a crowded barber shop on busy night, the newspa
 per fend finally got along to the
 head of the line as mex" While
 the journalistic accomplishments of
 Pacific coast papers differ no more
 than do the sheets of other sections
 in doing up" a proposition affect
 ing trade or travel to them, the n delity of these mouthpieces of the
 public is then only after ali charac-
 teristic of this channel of enlighten-
 ment. So if the Klondike fever has
 been and is to be made more glor-
 ious in its yellow hue, and only the
 bright side is to be placed before
 the eye of the avaricious gold seeker
 a plain and unprejudiced peep into the mirror may possibly reflect other
 than a yellow color, and at the same
 time serve as a key to unlock enthu-
 siasm known so wildly as to the
 "Klondike or Bust"
 In an interview Mir. Smith 2Ives
 a clear and honest outline of the
 condition of affairs m mining, ID and
 around Dawson, the expense. hard
 ships and privations of the journey
 in and out. and to his generosity the
 following notes are taken from a conversation with him:
 "It will be remembered" he said that myself and Don Coots left this city July 20, last. After the usual preIiminaries in outfitting and other matters We arrived in Dawson city on October2. We travelled over the Chilcoot pass to Lake Bonnet, forty miles distant, and from there to Dawson by lake and river routes, 600 miles. The trip was hard one and consumed 37 days, dunug which time we were exposed 10 the ele- ments and the tortures of treacher- ous streams. Our merchandise was packed to Lake Bonnet bv men, horses and bulls, and later the bulls were killed and their meat sold for 40 cents pound.
 Concerning Dawson, and he i'm portant figure it cuts in this excite ment, will say that 1t is a city of about 5000 people, its population however being of that floating na- ture incidental to mining staInpedes. It is situated on the Yukon and is divided by the Klondike river-o portion being known as Louse town and the other as Dawson. This top ographical distinction is also . so- cial problem, the 400 living in the regular town, while the lower ele- ment scratch themselves across the stream in Louse Town. Dawson city, Mir, Smith says is built of log houses with glass windows, the place having the comforts usually seen in any coast mining center. It was on Bonanza creek, a tributary ol the and about three miles from Dawson, where the original rich strike was made. For over 34 miles from Dawson, or up to the of mountains where the Klondike has its source, and along the tributaries of Fl Dorado, Hun ser, Bear and other streams that he visited, every foot of ground open Tor location is taken up. On Stew art and other rivers from 50 miles to 100 miles from Dawson the same prevail. Naturally new inds are often reported, but their nuggets increase in size he more they are handled after hey reach Pacific Coast centers that Ire ravenously competing for the Alondike trade.
 In speaking of the method of MT. Smith says: The country is frozen perpetually and n mining the cost of handling he dirt is expensive and the pro yress slow. To work claim a shalt s sunk and when night comes a frt s started in the hole to thaw out the yround. The loose dirt is then put )n the dump and immediately reezes again on exposure to the at- The shaft is sunk to bedrock, usually about 16 feet deep, md it is near that depth where the -ich streak lives. Along all the ,reeks visited the formation was date. but on the bedrock he customary gravel was to be 'ouDd. The work of sinking and firing continues until about June when thawing takes place and sluic- ng of the dumps follows. The question of drifting on the bedrock )r of sinking in warm weather can lot be followed, the surface water 'f the country filling the shafts al 'eady sunk and preventing any like york until cold weather again comes. ! visited many claims and noticed . with deep and interested feeling he hard labor of men and the pure. l y speculative disposition behind ! 'ach of them. I noticed one thing n connection with this mining ex- 1 itement not shared in or around | Dawson, and it is this: The further ne gets away from the scene of .
 practicable solution of the future 1 iches of the Klondike, like the tra- Iitional snow ball as it travels and !. rows, so does the output grow in . magnitude on each succeeding re- 'ort. There is gold there, however, nd unquestionably plenty of it, but here are many delicate and expen- we propositions to face one pbysi- ally and financially to get there and ct the gold.
 THE ROUTE IN AND OUT.
 MT. Smith says that the most feas- ole route in either summer or win CT is via Skaguay and the Chilcott lass. In going in from this point ne has but forty miles to walk and as the benefit of water transporta- ion, but in returning from Dawson he entire distance of 600 miles is lade on foot. Packing rates are igh and a months time consumed