The San Francisco call., 1898-01-05
AcTUAL SITUATIOE iN
 DAWSON MiSREPRESEKTED
 THROUGH SELFISHRESS.
Men Hho Seek to Profit 6y Taking ia Supplies Mould Prevent Relief Expe-
 cfifiouc

SEATTLE, Jan. 4-Of the large number of returning Klondikers, it is the exceptional man who does not in tend to return to Dawson City at the earliest possible moment, and it is their further intention to take great quantities of provisions. It is the fear that the Government or big capital iSts with every possible facility at their command will anticipate their commercial scheme of carrying in food that prompts so many to publicly pro- claim that there is no danger of famine or any scarcity of food.
 Of the nearly forty miners who re- turned from the Klondike on the steamer Corona on Sunday night last, a large number are very pronounced in their views as to the shortage of provisions that already exists. Prom inent among these is T. G. Wilson of Seattle, who was one of the latest to leave Dawson. Speaking on the sub- ject he said:
 My business at Dawson was such that I visited almost every claim on Bonanza and Fl Dorado and conversed with hundreds of the miners, and I can safely say that seven-tenths of the
 
 companies that had taken orders from the miners calling for from eight to twenty sacks of flour and other things in proportion had to cut the orders to one, two or three sacks of flour, and other staples in proportion. While I do not mean to say any person will die of starvation, l have not the slightest doubt that many will suffer from hun ger. 1 know of hundreds myself who have from n fixrp oolrc of and about the same proportion of other supplies to carry them through to the 1st of June. They are trusting to luck to get more when these are gone.
 It takes about one sack of flour to the month with other staples in pro- portion to keep man. In April and May the shortage will be felt. I am surprised to see that because of indi- viduai and local jealousies people will try to discourage the Government from sending in the relief expedition. It is nothing more than selfishness. Individ- uals want to take in provisions to sell at high prices. l say by all means send the expedition, even if the members eat half of the food going in and com ing out. The other half will be a god send to the people in there and nine tenths of them will be willing to pay a reasonable price for all they can get.
 If the people in the States will but stop and think minute they will won der why it is that they have ever thought that the Government should not send the expedition. Think of what Captain Hansen has repeatedly said to the miners at Dawson. He represents the Alaska Commercial Company. I have heard him address the miners time and time again, using in sub stance this language:
 '' Men, leave the country, for Gods sake leave it, or you will suffer Go to Fort Yukon, where there are supplies. but under no circumstances stay here
 "As result of his words many have gone to Fort Yukon, others have come out over the trail, but there are thou sands yet at Dawson.
 T tell you that some time before I left Dawson l was in Captain Han sens office, and I saw women come in with tears in their eyes and ask that they be sold ten pounds of flour. They were refused. I don't for minute stand here and tell you that there is no food in Dawson. If there were none then there would be starvation at the present time. But I do say that what little food there is in the camn is going day by day, and no man if he had studied economy all his lifa could make it last until the river opens next summer.
 When the statement is made that a miner or any other person living in Dawson can at the present time go into any store and buy food in large quantities, or that he can buy suf ficient to last him any length of time It IS a willful misrepresentation of af-