The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-05

richer than any o. the claims in the four
districts named, save those on BONANZA
and Esdogado.
Alaska IL undoubtedly rich, and without
Understanding or overestiuating I be-
aeve that the output ce the entire country
for the season viii be SO 90. go. OF course
many old Alaska miners who are enthu-
stastic and also vel posted place the
amount as hiyn as s43.ooe.ouo.
81 am not IN position TO know and do
lot wish 20 know the amount Of money
brought down on the steamer New Eng
land. but that there was a half million, as
first reported, Or anything like that
amount. give !, an explicit. comprehen-
sive and sound denial. Il would have been
impossible for the men who arrived on the
New England 10 have left Dawson in open
boats on one Of the creates, rivers on the
globe. which was higher than IL had been
for half century, aid 10 bring that
amount OF god. The river was damned
with Ice more treacherous than ever be-
fore. and ii is absurd 20 think tina, any
fgkoner would run such risk with an
enormous amount OF gold under such cir
eunxtances. / do not believe that the
first gold boat Will reach Seattle from ST.
Michael until the last Of July. The first
boats will of course bring lots OF gold
but the boats that Will arrive last vii.
work OF sluicing viii be finished then. Be
fore I left Capt. Hea;y. OF Dawson. Of
the North American Transportation and
Trading Company. Informed me that ne
expected the first boat TO leave St Michael
on July 8, but tina; would De Impossible,
inasmuch as the company's river boats
when we passed Circle city, we're frozen
In the lee. and the work Of getting them
out. which had been in progress, had TO
h.. al as..1
among the workmen. VINO made demand
for So per hour. They formerly received
81. The strike was stu unsettled when
We left Circle City.
Wheeling as q Convoy.
''The battleship Wheeling, which left Sc
attic some two weeks ago with a survey
Ing party. is to act as a convoy to the
treasure ships, as IL would be folly to
even think that the government would
send a party 500 miles to survey the
mouth OF the Yukon river While + was
at Dutch harbor / was aboard the Wheel
ing. ana was Informed by the paymaster
ana master-at-arms that the ship had re-
eeived orders 10 escort the gold boats safe
ly TO the Seattle harbor
The Wheeling was then ready 10 move
10 st. Michael at any time. having just
taken on large supply OF coal
In speaking about the Yukon river, Mr..
Foster said
The Yukon closed October S. was open
ed May $, and 1t was therefore closed just
six months to Il day. All stories TO the eff
feet that the water in the Yukon is low
are absolutely untrue. as the river is
higher than ever before. and at some
places Is more than fifty miles wide.
Unique Funeral.
"A short time before / left / attended
the funeral of Matthew Stacey, an expo
iiceman OF Tacoma, and A. n. Anderson.
both OF whom were employed at Berry's
camp. They died at the Dawson City hos
pital. The bodies OF both men We're strap
ped TO Yukon sleds. and hauled to Pioneer
hall. where party of hardy Yukoners at
tended the obsequies. A choir. consisting
or seven miners and Gold Commissioner
Fawcett. rendered music, while at the
conclusion OF the service We all united in
repeating the Lords prayer. The burial
was as respectable as possible. The bodies
were drawn to the hall by six Malamute
dogs. which cost 5000 The nails In the
coffin cost $50 per pound. the wood in
the coffin 40 cents per foot. ard the work
OF digging the grave. which occupied six
days. cost $500. The number Of deaths
which have taken place at Dawson and
ficiIity WIN never ne hHoWn. inc skeie-
tons of men who smothered to death IN
the snow and the bodies OF others who
persisted by falling through the ice are be-
ing found every day. and their identity
WILL OF course never be known. All re-
ports published in the Post-Intelligencer
about sickness at Dawson are true In
every particular, and the death rate is
rapidly increasing. Men who are worth
from So. 600 to sio1 eco. and In many cases
much more are living at the point OF death
and unable to receive beneficial medical
attention. Brain fever Ia troubling many
OF the people. Men who have been at
Dawson for months and are unable TO re-
celve word from home worry themselves
sick and I'm many cases they die. Misfor-
tunes also have much to do in bringing on
brain trouble"
Mr. Hall Is registered at the Hotel Sc
attic and will not return to Los Angeles