The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-28
FUTURE or THE YUKON FIELDS.

Dawson city and the klondike district
are now settling down TO steady work
Much OF the floating population has dis
appeared, and the new bench diggings
are furnishing occupation for a large
number who are either working by the
day for good wages. or taking chances
On the proceeds Of q LAY" No new boz
nanzas have been discovered. but sew
eral new districts AFFORD promise OF
riches. The increased facilities for
transportation have had the result OF 50
far reducing the cost OF living that even
lower wages and smaller returns AFFORD
a comparatively large profit There are
plenty Of provisions In the Klondike. In
Guiding beef. pork. mutton. turkeys.
chickens and even oysters in abundance;
a first class meal costs only 81 and shaw
Ing has been reduced to % cents. Ar
rangements are being made To send In
l.soo head OF cattle, 1000 sheep and hun
dreds Of hogs. The railroad and river
steamboats, prevent any fear OF . short
age, and by next summer there should
be steady traffic from this state In
vegetables and dairy produce. and an
equally steady business In all articles Of
domestic use.
Very encouraging reports come from
several new districts. Placer diggings
do not last long. and we hear no more
stories of nuggets being kept in five-gai-
Ion oil cans. but the bench claims are
yielding good returns on Bonanza. Ell
dorado. Sulphur and Dominion creeks,
while others less known are being sys-
tematicaliy prospected. Thistle creek.
which is twenty miles above Stewart. is
are reported from California. Kirkman
Tulare and Baliarat, all new creeks.
The discoveries at Atlin. although
very promising, have not been sufficient
iy worked to enable US TO determine
whether 1t Is to be another wonderful
gold bed. bu, the prospectors are very
much encouraged by what they have
seen. Porcupine creek Is another claim
ant for favor. and one man is said to
have taken out $500 In ten days
IT will be remembered that the winter
months have never afforded any very
sensational stories, the true results OF
work done not being known until the
wash-up In the spring. 1t viii be June
or July before 1t can be determined
what the result Of this season is to be-
One of the most satisfactory bits OF
news coming from Dawson for a long
time Is that the mortality is not at all
high Considering the tens Of thousands
who were stalled at Dawson during the
unhealthy months. 1t is surprising that
there should be no more than $50 graves
at Dawson.
The most wonderful stories Of the
Klondike sim come from the Eastern
newspapers. Even the very reliable
Brooklyn Eagle graveIy tells "A story
which surpasses anything told by the
most Imaginative OF returning prospect
ors II tells Of a man who, while drunk.
was induced to buy claim for $500 The
men who sold II chuckied over their
trade and the man was leased for hav-
ing been swindled Having sohered up
he was ashamed Of having been played
for n sucker" and pretended that /, was
a good claim. He went to work and, ac-
coriing 10 the Eagle. took 5000, o10 ont Of
the milne, while the swindlers who had
sold II To him stood on the edge and
looked on and every few minutes kicked
themselves and used bad language. as
that kind Of people viii do
This seems 10 be an argument In favor
Of removing the restriction upon the sale
Of whisky. or at least upon the brand
used by this lucky man
While the piacers arc being worked
cut. more experienced miners will iook
for the mother lode. and no doubt some
where above the klontlike country there
will lee found rich quartz which viii 10
, for Alaska what similar deposits have
done for Caiifornis.