The Dickinson press., 1898-02-19

aug WAeA AOu84uS oycS AOC tuo AOCGuu0
for which they have hoped so long.
When men who were within 50 miles Of
Dawson when this strike was made are
still without the mean to buy food for
the winter, how a a man 5000 miles
from here hope to pick up a rich claim
in the Klondike region? There are many
such here. I cannot, knowing as much
as I do Of the country, use language
strong enough or convincing enough to
advise those who r thinking Of COM
ing to this desolate country to give up
the notion. No matter how discourage
ing may be the outlook at home, I can
assure the reader that there are more
avenues through which to make a liv-
ing and perhaps a comfortable fortune
at home than are presented by the seem.
tngly rich Klondike.
Many Disappointed and Distressed.
There are hundreds of men here to-
day who mortgaged their little homes
and left wife and children poorly pro.
vided for in order to raise the necessary
money to make the trip to a land which
promised % much. They spent every
cent OF that money, which represented
tho labor and savings of years, in getting
over the Skagguay and Dyea trails and
bore up under ~hardships of which they
would not have thought themselves ca
pable in the hope of getting possession
at the last Of a rich claim in this region,
where they had heard that men became
rich in a day.
Today they regret their madness and
curse the day when they gave up all and
received nothing in return. Many have
not even reached the new Ell Dorado.
Many "played out" and they were
compelled to winter on the pass, while
others were frozen in up the river and
will either have to haul their outfits
down on sleds or live in idleness and
eat the food which on an average cost
them more than 81 per pound to get
over the pass.
OF those who did reach Dawson,
about 5000 in all, some 300 were COM
PEELED to 60 down the river to Fort Yu-
kon, where they will cut wood all win
ter for their board, while from 400 to
500 more have started on the trip out
over the ice. This latter is a most peril
GUS journey. Until this winter it was
thought to be next to impossible to
make the journey, wen when we'll pro-
vided with food, robes and one or two
good dog trains. Few of those now on
the way are SO provided. Many are so
poorly prepared for the journey that it
seems certain that many lives must be
lost this winter.
It will be readily seen what a serious
state Of affairs presented itself to the
weayy traveller when he reached here
when he preferred to face the dangers Of
such q trip rather than those which they
found here. It is difficult for one in New
York to realize that a man may have
plenty of money and yet starve to death.
We are 80 used to looking at the stores
with their heavily laden shelves, the
contents of which may be ours if only
we have the money with which to pur-
chase them, that it is difficult to under
stand the extraordinary condition which
presents itself when a man may offer
ten times the value Of q pound Of food
and yet find no n to sell it to him.
Money More Plentiful Than Food.
Such has been and to a certain extent
still is the condition here. It was only
after many who had outfits sufficient
tor two OF three months realized the
seriousness Of the situation and resolved
to brave the dangers of the trip over
the ice to where there was plenty, and
9 were prepared to sell q portion Of
their outfit, retaining enough only tor
the journey, that food could be bought
at el.25 per pound. Flour was selling
ct 500 per saok-50 pounds-when I
arrived, and a little later it went to
t1s5.
Some Of the richest mine owners here
had only M sack Of -four to last them
until the first boat is expeoted-some
time IN June. These bought eagerly at
these prices. But what Of those who
were already hungry and who had spent
their last dollar on the way in? These
were thrown on the charity Of those
better provided, and it will be readily
understood that charity in that case wal
colder even than 1t hAs the reputation
Of being. True, no one 10 far has starv.
ed, but many have gone hungry, and
some are still being fed by those WHOSE
kindness and sympathy exceed their bet;
ter judgment, for it is rare indeed te
find one who has more thap enough tc
last him until the boats arrive.
At present writing the situation
seems to have been relieved, for it il
stated that -four has beenfsold as low a
$50 per sack in one or two cases. But