The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-29
IA POET AT DAWSON CITY
JOAQUIN MILLER, THE BARD OF THE
SIERRAS, WRITES.
Advises the Stranger to Beware-'0ne of His
Ears and Several Toes Are
Frozen OFF.

on the way TO Dawson City. The Dprils
of the journey deferred many younger,
men, but Mr.. Miller, who is tfty-siy
years old, pressed on. From Circle Civ
| to Dawson 800 miles, he pulled his pro
visions on a sled, with the Thermometer
ranging from 40 to IS degrees below
zero. One of his ears and several Of his
toes were frozen off. Having been in
California during the gold excitement Of
the fifties. Mr.. Miller had a great desire
to compare the conditions there with tose
of the Kl0ndyke)
Dawson City, Northwest TERRITORY
December 10. 1871 left Circle
City October 81 with Mr.. Canovan.
late of the coast boundary survey from
Ottawa. and arrived at Dawson City
December 4; thirty-fvc days of excessive
storm and cold; the first sled through
from Circle City to Dawson; all quiet I'll
, along the river and plenty everywhere.
There had been some lawlessness Mt
Circle. such as looting two steamers of
supplies for Dawson and intimidating
the officers with threats of death. But
Captain Ray, United States Army, soon
set things right and sent the disturbing
element some FIVE hundred in number,
down to Fort Yukon, eighty miles below
where there are several hundred tons of
supplies. Some have gone on down to
the mines below Fort Yukon. some are
cutting wood for steamers, and all are
we'll fed and seasonably quiet
The mail service is simply abominablc.
The mail carrier refused to set ont with
us, saying we could not get through. The
truth is he is trying to bring through
sledload of candies. These articles were
reported to be selling at $3.50 each Mt
Dawson. hut they are only $50 TO $50
box, and there are plenty for the use Of
the miners for months.
The body of man by the name of An
ders0n. an actor. from Brooklyn. \. V,
was brought into Circle City two days he
fore I left. he having accidentally shot
himself while in an icc-SOree with party
trying to reach Circle City. At the same
time man by the name Of RYAN was
brought in frozen to insensihility As
two others had been brought in a while
before frozen. hut not seriously. a sort of
nanic arose. and reports that others were
in distress up the river made us start
little sooner than we should have done.
We had food to spare. and ar Cano-
van carried some simple remedies for
sled road which leaves Circle City by
way Of a c1lt off. but started straight I'M
the river along the scenes Of the trouble
and stranded boats. making only two,
three. FIVE or ten miles day. We pass
ed stranded boats on the ice. hut found
no one in trouble. nothing at all hut a.
bandoned boats and baggage. all the
travellers having reached Circle City.
-. -.
ono miles from Circle. and kept along
with small traders and other business
men. who had by this time set out in
stream from Circle. Some went into
camp from storms. a few turned back
hut in all the thirty-hve days We found
no hungry men. We were ali more or
less frozen. and some were hurt from
falls on the ice. but no one very seriously
except Paul. an Indian, who may die
from his injuries
At American creek some strikes were
reported. and we met a small stampede
below Forty Mile and Dawson going that
way. There are some big strikes report
ed on Chicken creek, eighty miles back
in the mountains from Fort Cudahy.
Forty Mile IS we'll supplied and prosper
Gus. Much sickness is reported among
the Indians at the mission near there.
The bishop of Selkirk told me that they
hadalready buried nine, but the health
of the white people Mt Circle, Dawson
and all along the Yukon. as far as |
Travelled, is reported perfect.
j find all serene here; good health,
good hopes and not a hungry person
heard from. About five hundred persons
have gone out, and dog teams are leav-
ir1os Ja.ilx tn. fxgO 10
men, mostly business men of great en-
Iterprise going up to meet supplies. All
things here average about one dollar a
pound but there is no panic now, or the
ghost of fear about food; still the
prices will remain high until the boats
come, and this is, of course, tempting
to small freighters and traders.
Some OF the men now going out go
East or TO San Francisco. and uthey do
not carry gold, but use checks from the
Alaska Commercial Company and the
North American Trading Company.
Some enormous strikes are reported
low down on Hunker creek where they
were hardly expected. But all reports
of big strikes now are sealed book,
pending the final action at Ottawa on the
20 per cent tribute laid recently on big
outputs of gold.
Claims are being recorded night and
day The gold commissioners told me
yesterday that over thirty-two hundred
had been recorded. There is more re-
cording now than ever before. Some
Of them are wildcat Let the stranger
beware. | am told by the responsible
miners here, and l believe it, that much
newly recorded ground is worthless, and
only recorded to sell.
1t is well to be cautious of ground re-
corded since September as about the end
of that month snow had fallen and legiti-
mate prospecting on the creeks remote
from the centres had, as a rule, ceased.
But perhaps this should not be said OF
Stewart river and its tributaries, as
many good men have gone there to win
ter and prospect with their base of sup
plies at the mouth of this promising river
At the same time all know that there
is too much recording for the number
Of men in and around Dawson.
The real miners are nearly all AT
work in Bonanza, Ell Dorado ana Hun
| kpr creek claims making hay while Uhc