The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-14
NOT VERY ENCOURAGING
ALetter From Ira Lee at Juneau,
Alaska.
TELLS A STRAIGHT STORY
The Country LIS Not Nearly as Good as
People Have Been Led to Believe
Many Men Are on Their
Way Out.

z. Great Falls Jan. 13.-Ira Lee, who |
has been in Alaska for the past II
years is a son of Judge William Z. Lee
of kibbey and a sister OF Mrs. carrie
Wall Of the same place. The latter mas
Just received letter from him which is
not very encouraging to those who IN
tend 10 go north in the spring. MI
Lee at the time of writing, Dec. last
WAS at Juneau serving on the Dhlleu
States jury there.
Men are coming out from the Yukon
now and some of them are friends OF
mine, and what / tell you IS straight
and reliable.
THE country is not a one-hundredth
as good as people have been led to be-
lieye The boys said they could learn
more here in an hour about the klon-
dixie than they have been able to learn
there since the first pan OF dirt was
washed.
You have undoubtedly read of the
Berry bows rich claims. They took out
$4,000 and sent it below to the mint
along with 1000 that belonged to an
other outfit. The papers reported Slss,-
00c. Quite a raise, wasn't II! We'll
after they sent their dust below they
nut on % men, and after working till
Get IA, they were over ST, 900 IN debt.
.Swiftwater Bill. another big gun,
had less than 81, 500 when he left DaW-
son, and he got that by selling out all
but q one-sixth interest in one claim
Hundreds of claims are no good, and
sharpers are Specializing all over the
states on them. | just read a paper
from Seattle which stated that the last
outfit of IS men from Klondike brought
out 81 900. 600. They brought out less
than $4,000
About 1000 men are on their way
out, coming this way Ihey nave 70
get here or starye to death. If storm
overtakes them and cold weather, IT IS
goodbye for them all right.
You said that some of your friends
were talking of going by way or Fort
Steele Tell them, don't try it. The
only route by which they can make 1t
is py this route Tell them to go To
Seattle and from there they can get
through to Dyea or Skaguay Tor less
than $50 with their outfit. From Dyea
to the headwaters of the Yukon II is 70
miles. and you have to have everything
packed unless advantage of the snow
and ice is taken. and in that case every
thing can be sedded, except less than
mile which is so steep 1t must De
packed mans back.
by the Skaguay route the distance l.
about 90 miles from salt water to the
lakes, but it is not so steep as on tht
Dyea route. From Dyea TO Skaguas
is less than five miles, and ferfYboa'
runs every day since the rush pegaf
between the two places.
Flour at the mines and everything
else that a person can eat Is worth ).
price 1t will be worse another year
and you will be mighty glad, when YOU
read of the suffering of the people there
that yeu are not one of the stampeders
1T is and will be impossible TO ge
enough provisions in there for the Graz.
crowd who are going
Il owned a gruh-stake interest IN
claim there. It is no good and mas beei
thrown up / have many friends Their
and some of them are among the mos
fortunate, and they have done well an
when / get there they will divide wit
me as long as there is mouthtul |
eat.
TELL anybody who wants TO go tha
they ought to have $1,000 before the
tackle it. and they will find out tina
what | say is true. Hundreds of me
at the mines can't get work-yes thou
sands is right. Wages are $40 and 81
per day, but there is no grub. and the
can't work without something to ca
Candies are 81 each. Dawson is /
darkness. There aren't over three nouf
Of daylight there now.
The Canadian government is goin
to charge royalty. so they say, and
they do there won't be over four claim
that can work
Il shall start in March, and woul
advise anybody that is going to sta
then, but would not advise anybody
go or stay where they are. But II the
are bound TO go. then is the best tin
to start and then they can get there
May They want to hit the trail with ;
least years supply and a good sic
Sleds can be had at Seattle or here an
for that matter, good and comfor
able outfit.