The San Francisco call., 1898-03-18


 tember to the effect that Major Walsh and Judge Mcguire were on the trail up about the PelIy River, coming in with 400 pounds of mail, is still circu- lated here at intervals, but no mail ar rives except stray letters through pr1- vate individuals Even the officials here claimed to be in doubt about the whereabouts of the mail and Major Walsh. They say they have received no official adviceS.
 It is believed that Walsh and Ma guire are camped somewhere on the trail with the mail, but are afraid to come here on account of the scarcity of provisions. The American mail IS almost equally at fault. Richardson, the contractor, is the pr1nclpal owner of the steamer Seattle No. ?. He prom ised to meet the carrier of the Sep tember mail at Circle City with his boat, or in the event of failure of the boat to come up with dogs The boat failed, but he did not go up or send up.
 G. P. Sproul, the carrier of the Sep tember mail, is here in the hospital, or just out of it. It was his four pouches of mail that we carried to Circle City. Although passing through Dawson, 1t is distinctly American mail and con- tains no letters for this place. The re- turn mail is now being sent up by an independent carrier, old Ben AtWaters.
 There is great and general complaint because of this utter failure of the mail service here. Relieved by the exodus up and the exodus down the river, the fear on account of scarcity Of provis- ions here seems to have entirely passed away. There are number of restau- rants here in full operation running night and dav and a meal may be obtained for s2 50. although the price is still maintained at $4 50 by one or two restaurants-pie and cup Of cof- fee $1.
 There is a great deal of sickness here. Forty patients almost test the capacity of the hospital. A number are suffer ing from freezing, and still greater number from scurvy. There Is said to be also great deal of scurvy among the miners up the creeks.
 J. J. Miles of Seattle was frozen to death while on a stampede to Moore hyde Creek on Christmas day. He was a bookkeeper in the employ Of the Alaska Commercial Company and leaves a widow here. In company with S. Archibald he started up the creek which is just four miles below Daw- son. Becoming tired he told Archibald to go on and he would rest awhile and would have fire burning in cabin near by for him when he returned. He sat down by tree and Archibald went on. Returning he went to the cabin, and not finding Miles nor any
 
 to the place where they had parted. The frozen body of Miles was sitting exactly as Archibald had two hours before left him.
 Since the establishment of the Cham Der of Commerce and Mining new mining exchange has been opened here on Second street under the direction of Russell Ulrich of Chicago. It is To- cated in large commodious building and was successfully opened on the evening of February 1.
 There are no less than four newspa- per enterprises about to be sprung here. Two newspaper men, Wilkins of Pitts burg, and Settiz of Chicago, are at the head of the Dawson News, for which subscriptions and advertisements are now being taken. Two other newspaper outfits are on the river and will be here, one from above and one from below, when the ice breaks The outfit of the Yukon Press, which has heretofore been published at Fort Adams, is on a boat and will also probably be brought here. The mining situation grows in inter- est as the spring with it's clear-up ap- breaches. The work on Fl Dorado and Bonanza has thrown up mountains of rich dirt, out of which will be washed much greater quantities Of gold than was realized last year. Both creeks. wherever they have been worked. have fully met all the great expecta-
 
 last spring and summer.
 Bonanza Is being worked as high as lOO above Discovery, but like nearly every other creek in the country de- velopment is interfered with to some extent by the run of water from gla- ciers, the weather not having been cold enough so far to close up this source of annoyance to the miner. The heavy fall of snow that took place early in the season has protected the streams of water that flow under 1t and they have driven many men out of the mines. Not few lays have been given up on this account and many rich claims have for this reason not been worked. This is true con- corning the diggings of the whole country
 A number of new creeks have sprung into competition with Bonanza and El Dorado in public interest during the past two months. Hunker Creek leads them. It is being worked from above to 49 below Discovery continu- ously, besides a great number of more isolated holes that are being sunk. It is claimed that there is not one blank so far found on the creek and that the developments pan out from 50 cents to $2 a pan.
 Sulphur is also reported to be show Ing fine prospects, and Alex Mcdonald, one of the big operators here, has taken up string of twenty-five claims on Baker Creek with the purpose of sluic- ing, with excellent prospects being re- ported from there. Henderson's Gold Bottom, Dominion, All Gold, Quartz and Eureka creeks are all talked about and boomed by those interested. but
 Continued on Ninth Page.