Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-08-20

hsh we could eat, which we rellshed
greatly, We loaded our boat and
started down the lakes and rivers
May 20, a most remarkable and enjoy
able trir In our boat, which we call
the Oregon, as We all sailed from
Portland in the Oregon, all from
Oregon. We started on our trip,
when the lakes were full OF ice and
had some daring adventures with ice
In one instance we were closed in
with ice on Oncount Of the wind
changing and before we could get ont
several boats were crushed, but out
iitswere,saved by being carried ashore
over cakes OF floating 'ice by hard
quick work. Our party Of four boats
Oregon, Beaver, Tacoma and Portland
escaped with no damage and landed
at Stuart river. June 9, where | left
my party and partners and started
with the Oregon for Dawson, JuLe 10.
A beautiful mining village on the
banks of the Yukon, composed Of "a few
log houses, but more tents as most Of
thetown came down the river, AS
l stopped few days at Stuart river
they got there before me. Everybody
was in a hustle TO get cache built,
or some place to store their goods.
Nobody wanted to tsell anything,
Sugar was 81 pound, coffee 81 a
pound. / saw an old OK sold for 81 .25
a pound, on foot, and everything else
in proportion. The miners or mine
owners were just bringing down their
gold. 1t caused great deal of ex-
citenent, something like the excite
ment you have seen outside, but many
times worse. That excitement has
changed-tO IN excitement Of another
nature and that is how to get out of
the country back TO their homes.
Why? A simple question, and still
more simple to answer. First. the
rich mines here are few in number. l +
is true that they are rich, very rich.
1 have seen pack trains Of gold from
mine, while the claim next to it is no
mine and does not pay expenses. You
can count the mines on your fingers
that do pay, but those that do not
pay run up into the thousands and
sell at auction every day on the
streets from Sl5 to $3.50, according to
the locality of the claim and TO the
the size OF the bidders sack. Again,
you can go out and locate your own
claim and there will be some chance
for you to record If the claim is no
good, hut II there is any signs of your
claim being good you will be told to
come in again, ana when you do so
you will find claim recorded ahead of
you, and what can you do? Just keep
still. l myself staked claim that
the discovery showed good and the
whole creek was staked and when we
came to record they told US that the
creek was held for hydraulic purposes,
an0 there are lots of such cases.
There is nota day but what 30 or 40
buats leave Dawson TO 20 down the
river, either for America territory
or home. There is one thing certain,
this excitement will make some loyal
Americans after seeing how laws are
made here governing affairs. There is
lots Of sickness here and lots of doc
tors 10 treat them. When came here
meals were from $3.50 to s., but now
they are 81. They charge a man $50
month for ground or swamp enough
to put his tent on and from 800 tC
$3.50 per month for a room lOxl2 and
noC furnished, but just boarded, with
cracks so large you can see through
l made show case, feet long, here
for drug store and got 800 for the
labor only. The material cost $S7.
Lumber is from 5000 TO 1925 pei
thousand feet. paid 83 for incl
strap hinges. While there so many
that can not yet anything to do and
are dowGcast and discouraged,
have been one of the lucky ones, moi
to get claim but to not get one
and to have plenty to do at my trade
| am not writing this through dis
couragement, but there are facts
| would like To have the outside
world in general to know. The honest
industrious man who comes To Lhi'
Yukon field OF trial, In search OF golt
will meet with discOuragement aud
exposure on every hand. My part
ners aud party have just come dow
To Dawson after polling, roping