Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-01-20
How it is on the Klondike.

A good many Butler county people
are talking about going gold hunting
in Alaska. The following letter from a
trusted correspondent written in Sep
tember and just received, details the
situation at Dawson City very graph
ically, and gives food for thought of
the conditions existing now:
"A more God -forsaken place you
never saw. The town lies on fat on
the east side of the river Immediately
back Of which are hills about 800 feet
high. Where the town is located must
have been an old moose swamp. Dur
ing the summer time it is undoubtedly
a regular quagmire
There are fully 500 loafers in town,
who won't work and expect to be fed,
and there is no food to feed them with.
The police won't arrest them, because
they havn't any food with which tC
feed them. Everything is frozen ex
cept the whisky, and there seems to be
an unlimited supply cf that article al
80 cents n drink. or $40 per bottle
Champagne is $50 per bottle, and
suppose other beverages are at CORES
ponding figures.
Five cent cigars cost 80 cents, and
-four 1925 for 50-pound sack; candle,
81 piece. Seventy five dollars is paid
for five gallon can of coal oil, IL
fact, none is for sale. Sugar is 30 cent:
and tea 81 a pound. Coffee is 81 a
pound and not fit for dogs Ordinary
dog meat, which means dried fish. is 81
a pound. No man works for less thai
SO for nine hours, and confers very
great favor upon You even at that rate
Cord wood, sawed and split, is $50 ;
cord in the yard, Can't say what ii
| will be before winter is over.
Cooking stoves are not to be hat
for love nor money. Some sheet irOI
ones can be obtained at cost ranging
| from S1j to 800. There is one timer
in town working five men, and his or
ders are 80 days ahead. Sawed lumber
the poorest qualities, sells, when yor
can get it, for $3.50 for 1000 feet, and
| flooring is 20 cents foot. The restau
rants are all closed because they can
not buy supplies. Bakeries are CLOSED
because there is no -four to be obtained
There is no hotel and there are nC
lodging houses.
What in the world these people are
going to do before the season is ovel
l cannot say. Every building on main
street is either a saloon with d gamb
ling outfit or a dance house Their,
| are only two stores They close a
8 o'clock because they have no candle:
or oil to burn. There is absolutely nj
place to go. There will be no NOR,
steamers here until next July.
The people are still coming over tn,
trail without provisions. The police
here are driving everyone down the
river as he arrives, and the companies
will assist in pushing out of town al
persons who are not supplied with
food
The condition of affairs is very pre-
carious here. There is possibility o1
there being bloodshed on account of the
starving population. Caches, where
individual supplies are kept, are being
nightly robbed, and people are on th'
qui vive. In several instances thieves
have been detected and shot, and l do
not dare to leave the place withou
someone in it, fer to lose our supple:
at this stage of affairs in Dawson
would simply mean-Death. Money
can't buy food, and the actual staple o
| life, -four, is unobtainable