Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-03-10
DUNHAM'S STORY.
Interesting Report of Governments
Oilicial on the KIondike.

IOIlllNtSl VI DtNsp NHlCH All INC
river traffic to and from the Klcndike
passes, is the man whom the United
States government has sent out to
gather information regarding the Klon-
dixie which the public may know is &C.
curate-Samuel G. Dunham. Mr.
Durham is under the direct juris,lic-
ton of the commissioner of labor at
Washington. All the long winter
months he has lived in room in
$50, coo house at Circle City, house
that is made of logs and boards, and
whose real worth seems preposterous.
Mr.. Durham has sent some valuable
information to Washington-or to the
United States, az he puts it. While
Alaska is a part OF the United States
you never would think so if YOU lived
there and heard the people talk. They
always refer to the rest Of the nation
as: Back in the States"
1t is safe to say that of the thousands
already en- route to the new EldOrado
only small percentage are actually
aware of the real conditions that exist
in the land of their destination. AS
gorgeous pictures of wealth have been
painted for their ediiication as imagin-
alton could devise, and that is why
the cold facts that have come to us by
the aid of carrier, dog and sledge, and
finally the United States mail, create
something of feeling OF establishment.
Mr.. Durham tells us that there is
not work for the people who are al
ready in the klondike, and that before
the spring rush is half over the coun-
try will TEEN with the destitute and
homeless. However, the restitution
is not now so great as it was imagined
would be the case, and this because it
has been found possible for the differ
ent camps to help one another.
When Mr.. Dunham's report, which
is now on its way, reaches Washington,
it will be sent to congress at once,
but owing to the fact that the report is
not likely to reach the department be.
fore March, after the Kondike emigra-
ton has passed flood tide, Mr. Durham
has deemed it best to forward the more
important facts here presented. In
his latest letter to the Commissioner Of
Labor Mr.. Durham says:
II am making fair progress ON my
report, and have reached point where
| can give an outline of it's practical
features. l have completed an intro.
duction, giving a short sketch of the
stampede as l saw it from the other side
of the mountains; n chapter on the
klondike containing the first accurate
account of the original discovery and
the development OF the mines, and
what l hope will prove an approx
mately correct statement of the output
IAN exceedingly hard subject to handle);
chapter on Dawson and it's surround.
ings, giving full information relative
to wages, cost of living, opportunities
for employment, ETC., and ending up
with an account of the food famine and
the exodus, and chapter on navigation
of the Yukon.
81 have we'll under way a chapter on
Circle City and the Birch Creek dis
trct. and have all necessary data for
one on mining laws and local regula-
tions, incidentally touching on the only
form Of government that has been
known here previous to the present
year-miners' meetings. In addition
to these shall give considerable space
to the trails and the best means of get
ting here, expense, ETC.; the best routes
for railroads, which we assume are
bound to come within few years, al
though we do not know what is going
on outside; the possibilities in agrcul-
ture, which are considerable in the
Yukon valley. as wheat, oats, and veg
etables of many kinds can be grown
here successfully; the outlook from the
commercial point of view, etc.
"a thousand pages could be written
on the situation without exhausting the
subject or the reader; but shall stop
short OF 400 typewriter pages. 1t is
exceedingly difficult to get information
here, on account OF the great distances
and the unsettled condition of the pub.
lie mind on the food question. 1t is
hard to work when one hears constant
ly on every hand stories of starvation
and death from exposure. ! consider
the situation grave, but not desperate.
There is food at Fort Yukon for SOC
more men than are wintering there,
and this can be freighted to Dawson
or part of Dawson can go to it. 1t may
be that the transportation companies
can feed the population next year, but
1t is doubted here.
81 have secured an accurate state
ment Of the amount of freight landed
in Dawson by the steamers during the
season, made up from the manifests OF
the boats and from information obtained
from the agents of the companies.
Less than 2,700 tons reached there. and
between 700 and 500 tons of this con-
sisted Of furniture, whisky, hardware,
etc.-less than 1900 tons for 5000 men,
and much OF it was consumed during
the summer. Prices are increasing in
Dawson, flour selling for $3.50 hun
dred and many more other staples in
proportion. LuXuries are not quoted,
simply commanding what man feels
disposed to pay for them. Dogs have
sold as high as $500 apiece there, and
$500 has been offered and refused here.
"Our mail carrier is still here,
tranded-without dogs or provisions to
get out. The government pays 5000
for trip that costs 81, 800. Nobody
blames the poor carrier, but everybody