The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-01-25
ANOTHER STORY
FROM DAWSON
G. {. AeSamer Tells Of Actual Cor
ditions In Alaska.
MINERS ARE INDEPENDENT
csa Take Care d Themselves en- the FsOd
OStstios ssd Ksat TO be Let Alous-
New Fields to Prospect.

Another now story c0mes from Dawson
City. O. c. McNamer. formdy associated
with Corey Brothers. contractors on the
Astoria and Columbia River Railroad.
rsurncd 10 no city today. lie stopped In
PortlAAd but had little limo or lhellnA-
ton 10 talk.
In conversation with his old friends
hcro las; evening ho said. Il left last
fall for Dawson. arrived there October
9 and lcft out Dccember Z. reaching here
via Seattle and Portland. went In and
came on, by chiikoot Pass. which by the
way Is the only pass 10 take. There Is no
money currn, In the Klondikc. excep,
nuggets or du1, Every peanut stand has
a pair Of sold scales saw plenty OF
gold. and they arc taking up claims faster
than they can BE- cntered In the record
~'s ofiioe. In fact II became necessary
after cold weather set IN for the recorder
20 lsHue tickets to applicants assigning
them future dates 90 that they took their
turns as II In harbcrshop. Tho coldest
weather saw was G. degrees below zero,
and mans br'aah would frceEe elgh,
inchcv from his face.
III the government would only get ou,
1f the WY and keep is hands or the
miners could take care OF the starvation
question themselves Every miner who
has come out of ihA, territory. with few
exceptions. has arranged TO return In the
spring with n plentiful supply Of grub for
his own use and to scll 20 his neignbOm.
n the government manages 20 Eet In
there with relief expedition about the
same time 1, will knock prices down to
store rates and thc miners will lose their
profits Reports are correct that there IS
grib enough In Dawson to last until
ApEti did no, come out on account OF
scarcity of grub as had abundance.
which left win my brother could not
not sell my surplus at an average OF 81 a
pound. Flour ia only worth so or $50 a
sack. and everything elso Is about the
same or 81 a pound. except fruit which Is
much loe. II should not cost over q
cents a pound to get nrelgh, into Dawson
from Dyea, and anybody who Is short OF
grub can EASILY come out the same Us
did.
Placer fields on new streams are show
Ing up we'll. but do not know what all
the people win do who are attempting to
10 In there this year; 1899 viii Be a better
year to enter the Yukon. Last year 5000
people went IN, and even then the passes
wcc jammci, 1000 horses were killed on
the trail, and bridges were made out OF
their earcasses. NeSt year there will be
new fields to prospect, and railroads into
the territory, Walt your time. The year
there Will be 10000 people tempt fate
and not one-halt OF them can be accom-
modated.
Il am going back in the spring. but
would not attempt the ST. Mlchaels route
or advise anyone else To take 1t. Only
two or three as far as know got clear
through that way last year I am saus-
hcd that a majority OF the miners win go
into American territory this season on
account OF the Canadian laws. They will
locate In the new territory on the Tanan.
va, the headwaters OF which lie about
forty mIlos below Dawson. II IL said to
run shrouSh very rich territory. and Is
a navigablc river Whatever vou do. take
plenty Of grub Captain Strlpland. collec.
tor OF Canadian customs. told me that no
one would be allowed to 90 down the
river without 500 pounds OF grub on which
to pay duty or about six mouths pro
visions, This is a good law. and will pre-.
vent much future suffering"