The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-01-08
A YUKON OUTFIT
WHAT THE GOLD HUNTER
SHOULD TAKE.
Sound Advice for Those who Contem-
plate Seeking Their Fortunes in the
New Gold Fields Of Alaska and the
Northwest Territory.

Northwest Territory.
Special Correspondence
The most practical and vital question
to be decided by the man who intends
to go to The Yukon next year is the
composition and quantity of his outfit.
What should he take and how much OF
it. This is far more important a ques-
ton than that OF the route he shall Sc
lect, since by any regular route he
would probably reach his destination,
while should he not have a proper out
fit, he would be likely to find his labor
to have been all in vain, with failure
and possible starvation staring him in
the face.
Whatever man would require to
eat, to wear or to work with he should
take with him. To go into that coun-
try depending upon being able to pur-
chase any of the necessaries OF life or
successful work is to run the risk of
utter failure and calamity. Again and
again was this asserted by experienced
Yukoncrs when the excitement broke
out in July. Publicly through the
press and privately on all occasions
they advised gold seekers to take with
them a complete equipment for IS
months, certainly not less than year,
and to place no dependence whatever
upon being able to purchase what they
might need from trading posts This
advice was BASED upon the well-known
conditions of work and transportation
in that region. The miner might be
located several hundred miles by trail
impossible in winter from the nearest
trading post, while the post itself, even
il accessible, might fail to secure a
stock OF goods.
The soundness of this advice has
been amply demonstrated the present
season. Hundreds who did not give it
sufficient weight, have rushed into
Dawson City with not enough food to
last them through the winter, only to
lind that not a pound of food is to be
purchased there, and that they are but
adding to the distress of those already
threatened with starvation. They
have not done this in ignorance, but in
defiance Of the advice OF men of expert
ence. The golden mirage OF their inn
aginations has blinded them to the
and lthey have rushed head
long to needless hardships, if not de-
struction. Set the majority of them
took this advice seriously at first. and
equipped themselves well for the jour
ney Very few, indeed, OF those who
have reached Dawson with almost moth
n9 for their support this winter, land
I'd ut Dyea or SkagWay with less than
thousand pounds of supplies each.
The secret Of their present shortness is
he difficulties of the trail and their in
ense eagerness to reach their destina-
ion. They have disposed OF or aban-
Toned the bulk of their outfits, trusting
o luck, or the deity supposed to have
ools IN his special charge, to get
brongh the winter somehow. They
would have done better to have camped
It the lakes till spring. than 10 have
.one on to Dawson short Of supplies.
they would have done still better, when I
hey found they could not get through /
his fall in good shape, to have returned \
o the coast and waited until spring for I
mother attempt fully equipped Those
Who followed this course are infinetly
etter off than those who sacrificed
verything 10 their insane eagerness to
ct through, and are now at Dawson
nth nothing to do and threatened with
eing overwhelmed by calamity of
heir own creation.
The value Of the advice given to those
tho started last fall has been demon
rated by their experiences. The same
Twice is as valuable to those who will
. IN the spring. Take everything
18th you that you anticipate to need
n year for any purpose, and do not
epend upon being able to buy anything
hatever. 1t is folly to take for grant
that there will be so many new
Gamers on the river next year that the
'untry will be amply supplied with
cd and other necessaries. Assuming
lat transportation facilities will be in
eased ten times, this will be offset
Z the undoubted fact that more than
n times Is many persons Will go in as
g there now, and that the added trans :
'rt"t0n facilities viii be used to carry
em and their outfits. To the thou .
nds who are already there and must ,
pend entirely upon supplies brought
Tor sale, must be added the other
onsands who will not heed the voice |
prudence and will rush in lightly a
uiPped, depending upon purchasing /
nat they need for the winter. 1t is {
tremely doubtful whether enough c
DDS for sale can be taken in next q
MINER TO supply this demand. In C