The Louisiana populist., 1898-03-04
FAMINEIN DAWSON CITY
FRlcHTFUL SUFFERINCS AMONG THE
KLoNDlKE GOLD HUNTERS.

Food at Fabulous Prices and the Police
Won't Arrest Lawless Loafers Because
There Is Nothing to Feed Them With A
Lucky Tinner-W -WOebegOne Adventures
James r. Keene, the famous Wall
street speculator, has received the fol-
lowing letter, dated Dawson City,
| Northwest Territory, at his Office in
New York, from an expert mining en-
gineer who, with an assistant, was
sent to the Klondike region last fall
by capitalists to investigate and report
on the situation there:
ga more God forsaken place you
never saw. The town lies on fiat on
the east side of the river, immediately
back of which are hills about five hun
dred feet high. The river is about
three-eights of a mile wide, and is, 1
should Judge, quite deep. The eleva-
tion above sea level is approximately
one thousand feet. Where the town
is located must have been an old
moose swamp. During the summer
time it is undoubtedly regular quag-
mire.
"There are fully five hundred loaf
ers in town who won't work and ex-
pect to be fed, and there is no food to
feed them with. The police won't ar
rest them, because they haven't any
food with which to feed them. Every
thing is frozen except the whiskey,
and there seems to be an unlimited
supply of that article at fifty cents
drink, or $40 per bottle. Champagne
is $36 per bottle, and I suppose other
beverages are at corresponding fig
ures.
give cent cigars cost fifty cents
each, and -four, outside of the compa-
nys contracts, $l25 for ffty-pound
sack; candles, 81 apiece. Seventy
five dollars is paid for o five-gallon
can of coal oil. In fact, none is for
sale. Sugar is thirty cents and tea 81
apound. Coffee 81 pound and not
fit for dogs. Ordinary dog meat,
which means dried fish, 81 a pound.
No man works for less than $15 for
nine hours, and confers a very great
favor upon you even at that rate.
Cordwood. sawed and split, is $50 a
cord in the yard. Can't say what it
will be before this winter is over.
Cooking stoves are not to be had
for love or money. Some sheet iron
ones can be obtained at cost ranging
from $75 to 800. There is one timer
in town working five men, and his or
ders are thirty days ahead. Sawed
lumber, the poorest quality, sells,
when you can get it, for $3.50 for a
thousand feet, and flooring is twenty
cents foot. The restaurants are all
closed because they cannot buy sup
plies. Bakeries closed because there
is no flour to be obtained. There is
no hotel and there are no lodging
houses.
''What in the world these people are
going to do before the season is over
cannot say. Every building on the
Main street is either saloon with a
gambling outfit or dance house.
There are only two stores, which be-
ong to the companies, respectively,
the Alaska Commercial company and
The North American Transportation
md Trading company. They close at
i've o'clock because they have no can
lies or oil to burn. There is absolute
y no place to go. There will be no
more steamers here until next July.
"The people are still coming in over
ne trail without provisions. The po-
ice here are driving every one down
ne river as he arrives, and the COM
'anies will assist in pushing out of
own all persons who are not supplied
rith food.
"The condition of affairs is very
recarious here. There is a possibility
+ there being bloodshed on account
the starving population. The stores
ell nothing, and are only partially
lllng orders in rotation to the best Of
heir ability. [ do not dare to move
ntll | am first settled. Caches, where
ldividual supplies are kept, are being
lightly robbed, and people are on the
III Vlve. In several instances thieves
ave been detected and shot, and do
OF dare to leave this place without I
'me one in it, for to lose our supplies
this stage Of affairs in Dawson
ould simply mean-Death. Money