The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-03-28
Rough Experiences Are Related
By a Reliable Man.
A REPORT ON SUPPLIES
Food Prices Go Up-Wages Go
Territory Now Taken Up.

In August last, Congressman BOdine
and other leading men of Paris, Mo-,
sent Geo. w. Young to the Klondike.
Mr.. Young is the law partner OF the
Congressman and gentleman Of cOur
age, resources, fine physique, perfect
health and absolute reliability. The
following is Mr. Young's report as
given to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat
and sent to the Advertiser by friend
in the States:
st took me nine weeks to make the
trip from Paris, Mo-, to Dawson City,
and if l live to be 100 years old l will
never forget that journey. l went in
by the Skaguay trail. All that time it
was one struggling mass OF excited
gold seekers, and was strewn with
horses that had been killed, crippled
or abandoned After a series Of hard
ships that no man could describe, /
reached the lakes and made the rest
of the trip down the Yukon with COM
parative ease. When l reached DaW-
son City in October, winter had al
ready set in and fully 1000 men had
been forced to leave for Fort Yukon
by high prices and scarcely of food.
My brother, whom l had expected to
join. had gone to Fort Yukon several
weeks before after locating and pros
pecting a claim that proved to be
worthless The stores had long before
quit filling orders for supplies, and |
could not have bought enough food
for a month, even if 1 had begged for
the privilege on my knees. Flour was
$12 per 100 pounds, beans II cents
pound, and coffee, tea, bacon and 9TH
er provisions, 81 pound. The stores
still had limited amount of supplies,
but were holding them for those who
had been in the country all season,
and who were depending on them, and
even they could only get a small
amount per week. A newcomer or
tenderfoot could not buy at any price.
Wages had been cut from $3.50 to ST.
and there was work for only limited
number. Many of the mines were not
| in operation because of the 10 per
cent royalty the Canadian Govern
ment is exacting on the gold taken
out the owners claiming that at the
present prices of supplies and labor
mines and pay royalty.
| 81 remained in Dawson City six
weeks | found that the richness of
the country had been terribly exag-
gerated and that we had only heard
of the bright side of it. Of course,
there are a few mines that are making
immense yields, but there are also
hundreds of claims on which men
have spent months of hard work and
great sums of money and have got
nothing in return. I know one man
who worked for weeks and weeks
Shedding eighty cords of wood to his
claim, and that was worth small
fortune, and after a season of hard
work he was poorer than the day he
lstarted. Those who go this season eX-
pecting to secure claims will be dis
appointed. Everything within thirty
five to fifty miles of Dawson City has
been taken and comparatively few of
these will pan out a fortune. Those
who are starting now will get to Daw-
son City early in the spring, two
months before supply boats are able
to get up the river. They will find nc
claims worth having, and no work to
, be had, and unless they have plenty OF
provisions they will find it the most
expensive spot ON earth in which to
exist.
Il found Dawson City to be town
Of about $500 inhabitants, $50 of whom
were women. 1t has Catholic, Pres
byterian and Episcopal church, and
saloons, gambling halls and dance
houses without number. The common
est whisky and beer a man ever swal-
lowed retails at so cents a drink
Everything considered, though, it is a
very orderly place. The place was
about out of Illuminating material
when / left, several mines having shut
down because no lights could be OBJ
tanned. [ remained in Dawson City
six weeks and the longer I stayed the
more | became convinced that there
was no show for me to strike any
thing.
E'On the 4th of December. in com
pany with six other men | started back
to the United States. We had provis-
ions enough Of our own for the trip
They were loaded on sleds and drawn
by dogs. The day we left the tier
mOmeter registered 60 degrees below
zero. The Yukon was frozen, and We
followed it back to the lakes anC
crossed the Skaguay pass. We met
! two parties on their way to Dawson
two men having 500 pounds of con
densed or evaporated eggs on sleds
The surest way to make money III
there is to take provisions across the
pass before spring and boat them t.
Dawson City as soon as the ice begins
to move. Boats going down the Yukor
will get in three weeks before steamer.
can get up the river, and of course
:. will find a great demand for goods a
big prices