The times., 1898-08-04
A KLoNnIKE yErERAN.
Experienced i'm Gold Seeking During
Fourteen Years

The advice Of most of the men who
have returned from the Alaska gold re-
gion with al fortune is repeated by a
Massachusetts, man. who spent fourteen
years there. He is Charles Welsh, of Sa-
lem, and he-has been fairly successful.
Ny advice TO all young men who are
thinking of going to the Klondke to look
for gold he said TO Boston Journal re-
porter, SIS to stay right at home.
II went to the Klondike region fourteen
years ago and was one of the pioneers.
Then was only boy, sixteen years old.
/ am thirty now. but feel like a man of
sixty. My joints are stiff with rheuma-
tism. / cannot sit in one position for
any length of time without being so
cramped in my legs and arms that 1 can
hardly move. The climate here in New
England does not agree with me. 1t is
too warm.
Dawson City and Seattle, both OF
which cities | passed through on my way
home. are full of men who have gone to
the klondike expecting to get rich and
have failed. They are now anxious for
work and will accept almost any pay In
there is work for only 500 / saw num-
Der of fellows that had known who beg
ged me for money Under those circum-
stances you cannot refuse to help them
as far as you are able.
big prices are demanded. Everything
costs 81 a pound except nails. and for
those s. is asked. Exorbitant prices are
obtained for food. Fifty dollars is asked
for bag of flour. for instance.
in the early days prospecting in the
klondike we used to go hunting and fish
ing and before Winter set in our cache
would be full enough to last all Winter.
One moose will provide 800 pounds OF
meat, which will last a man all Winter.
/ would rather have a Slice of moose
meat nicely cooked than piece of beef
steak. IL will stand by you. There are
plenty of caribou out there. Sometimes
you viii see herd of 1,e00 or more brows-
ing on top of u plateau. They make good
eating as far as taste is concerned, but
an hour after eating a piece of caribou
meat you feel just as hungry as you did
before
II obtained most of my gold in the Bo-
nanza and Eldorado claims, but have
worked every claim in the region.
1T is outrageous the way the British
government officials demand exorbitant
commissions from American citizens who
take gold out of claims on the British
side of the line
The gold from the Kiondike is taken
TO San Francisco TO be coined Now,
however. you can get your gold exchanged
for United States or Canadian money at
the banks in Dawson or Seattle. which
makes II more convenient. Gold brings
from SIS 10 ST an ounce"
Mr.. Welsh had the tips of all of his
fingers frost birten. but was not other
wise injured. He has been where the
mercury in the thermometer descended to
Y degrees below zero. and the quicksilver
itself was frozen. and where IL was neces-
sary TO sleep under blankets and furs piled
TWO feet high on top of himself and his
companions
He owns paying claims ON Glazier Creek,
and half interest on a bench claim on
the Eldorado. at the mouth OF the French
gulch. besides being interested in real es-
tate and q railroad in the Klondike. He
says the steamboat companies charge high
rates and furnish very poor accommoda-
don. Three or four passengers died on
the steamon on which he came from Daw-
son Civ for this rea