Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-05-27
THE CRAZE HAS SUBSIDIZED.
The Expected Rush to the Yukon
Did Not MaterialiZc.

! The evidence accumulates that the
Klondike excitement is almost en-
tirely died out, and it cannot be re.
vived, to the degree it existed last fall
and winter, not even if the ships from
st. Michaels bring down many tons of
gold this summer. Many people will
remain in Alaska, and some others will
go thither, but the Klondike craze is
over, for good and all, and none equal
to it will soon take its place. The
supply of steamers far exceed the de-
mand, instead of the demand being
greatly in excess of the supply, as was
the case last winter. Several vessels,
chiefly sailed from Seattle, and some
from San Francisco, have been taken
off the route, and there are no more
scenes of boom and hustle in the
streets of the Sound city. Many who
invested there, or made long leases,
are losing money and will continue to
do SO. The price of dogs, for shedding
purposes, has gone down from 500
and upwards to $40, and are drug in
the market at that. The really re-
markable stock of outfits, both cheap
and good, which dealers laid in, are
largely remaining on their hands with
steadfastncss that indicates that
losses will be made. 1t is beginning
to be clear that the 100000 people who
were this spring to pass through Pa
cific coast ports on the way to the
Klondike are not going to materalize.
With the month of May upon us, and
with the news at hand fortnight old
that the ice on the Yukon was already
breaking up, the promised hegira ought
now to be at its height. Yet the
middle days of spring present no such
flight northwards as did the dark days
of midwinter. The first glamour, oc-
casioned by Alaskan nuggets, and false
reports OF finds, has passed away, and
now mining in the region of the Yukon
is about to assume a natural and
normal degree Of legitimacy. That
the mouths of many of the rivers and
creeks that debouch in the Yukon are
rich has been demonstrated, but their
area is limited, and their output gross
ly exaggerated. Two or three reports
have been sent out of the discovery of
quartz reefs, but not one of them has
yet been verified. Then it is very
noticeable how eager Dawsonites are
to sell out claims that ought to be
worth ten times what they are asking
for them. Joaquin Miller describes in
one of his recent letters, now when q
man leaves Dawson with pick across
his shoulder, the whole population,
women as we'll as men, rush pell nell
after him to see if he has made new
development anywhere. This does not
say much for the amount OF employ
ment available at Dawson just now.
Then again, it is now pretty obvious
that the output of the past winter
is going to prove Disappointing. For
some time it was confidently predicted
that it would amount to 4O,000,O 600.
Now the estimate has shrunk to $S,.
100000 with the chances that it may
not in fact exceed $5,OO0,OOO. When
the climatic conditions of Alaska are
reckOned, its gold fields do not
promise the compensating advantages
that, for time led people to lose their
heads. The Klondike excitement has
almost spent itself; yet the develop
ment of Alaska will go ON as rapidly
as is good for it.