Evening star., 1898-02-12


January l, ls9s. brings the latest authentic
account of the condition of affairs in Daw-
son City and the Klondike camps
L ne latest reports from the districts so
iar received and published were dated No
Nember and 3. 1897, from Capt P H.
Ray, the United States army officer de-
tailed by the United States government for
service in the klondike last fall The fol.
lowing letter from Register Wade books up
the situation two months later, and throws
mood OF new light on the prospects of
renewing the people in Dawson City and
the klondike camps before starvation over
takes them
1t is interesting to note that Mr.. Wade's
letter came through to civilization by the
hand of a special courier a delegate to the
canadian parliament at Ottawa. Sent out
on New fea- day from the heart of the
1ukon country, in camp completely shut
m on from the world of mails. telegraphs and
railroads, with hundreds of miles of snow
and ice-bound country between it and us,
II was, nevertheless. typewriter The
canadian government representatives are
showed in for the winter but they evil
gently have a good typewrting machine to
help them while away their time and re-
cord their observations.
An Accurate Report,
MAJ Walsh, the commissioner of the
Yukon district, writes a letter in which
ne vouches for the accuracy of the report
made in Mr.. Wade's letter He says: II
believe both the statements it contains and
the conclusions arrived at to be correct
II Is the first reliable account 1 have seen
OF the winter habits of the Yukon and
should help in the solution of the problem-
how best To relieve Dawson"
1ChON RIVER, Junction of Big Salmon.
January l. 1888
Scarcity of provisions is no new thing in
lhe ukon country. Not year has elansed
since the commencement of placer mining
there on large scale without some suffer-
ing from shortage of supplies The ,nor-
nous influx of outsiders this year mas so
increased the demand for food that the
famine Is more widespread and acute than
ever before.
The transportation difficulty is. of course
the main cause T.rospectors who seek TO
enter the interior by the ChiIkoot or White
fass and water stretches seldom carry
more than sufficient outfit and supplies for
their own use The desire to reach the gold
helds Is paramount, and few that are met
with on the trail go to Dawson to truck
and trade a man who is his own packer
mas all that he can do to get his outfit over
the trail so as to reach Lake Bennett in
tune to go forward. If he buys pack
horses and forage, the inroads ON his can
ltal are very considerable, and at Lake
Bennett the horses. If they have survived
the skasway trail. are worthless
Ihe Canadian minister of the interior and
Maj Walsh, on their flying trip over the
Two passes in October last, bought horses
and forage at Lake Bennett To emnJov
pack trains for the SkagWay Pass or 70
reach Sheep Camp on the Dyea trail and
then TO pack from the latter point over the
summit to Linderman is quite beyond the
means OF the average man. This fall the
charges Tor packing from the coast to Ben
nett ranged all the way from 3S to 60 cents
per pound. and Bennett Is only twenty
eight miles from the coast.
High Prices Mt Lake Bennett.
Prices are reasonable at Dyea and Skag-
way; at Bennett in October oats sold as
nigh as $50 sack; flour. $50 for 5O-pound
Dag peer, 80 TO 90 cents a pound; whip
sawed lumber. $3.50 per 900 feet, and you
had to take your hat off, to get it at that
All this is due to the cost of transporta-
llon Ihe purchase of boats entails another
heavy expenditure. Those that travel GOO
miles TO Dawson are never brought back
AS new neetS leave Bennett nearly every
DAY Tor months at time suitable timber
Us so scarce that $3.50 per 1000 is not an
unreasonable price. A 20-foot boat, whip
FaweG out Of rough spruce with nitchei
seams. that would cost $40 or SIS in east
frn Canada. Is worth 500 at Lake Ben
nett The ferryman on Lonk Lake bought
boat for $500. made $3.50 in fares in two
weeks and resold 1t at the purchase price
IL is easily seen why travellers to Dawson
by the coast passes and water stretches
content themselves with carrying their own
outfits.
The only other means of access-I except
the Teshn route and those through the in
terror from Edmonton and other roints in
the Canadian northwest because thev have
not yet Dcen brought into general use-ara
the Dalton trail. frord Haines Mission on
the seacoast. twenty-six miles west OF
Dyea. over the Chilkat Pass. and inward
30 miles TO Fort Selkirk, thence to Daw-
son: and the ocean route to St Michael
ahd Dy natboat thence, eighty miles, to the
northeriy mouth of the Yukon. and eigh-
teen TO twenty days to Dawson
The route discovered by Dalton seems
10 De fair summer trail, but has not YET
hten used TO any extent in the winter
owing to the great depth of snow Cattle
terders who left Haines Mission on An
gust reached Five Firger Rapids on Sep
tember IL. and Dawson City about the
Hliadle OF october According to them
wood and water are plentiful all along the
tran, as well as an abundance of good
feed for horses and cattle. Four herds Of
cattle. about 800 head in all. and 800 sheep
were driven TO Dawson over Dalton's trail
last summer. For this reason fresh meat
contir Ces to be much more plentiful In the
klond.ke than flour and other staples that
cannot be driven in on four legs but have
10 De packed over the passes and carried in
boats. "
Three Months in the Year.
Hitherto nearly all the supplies for gem
eral use have gone in by the ocean route
tc ST. Michael, as this. though the longest
Is the cheapest and easiest mode of cccess
Yet adopted. But the ice in Norton sound
rerders it unsafe for passage till July l.
ana over the distance from ST Michael TO
the northerly mouth of the Yukon supplies
have 10 be carried in fatboats. for which
CAIN sea Is required. The first boat
Gees rot reach Dawson till late in july. as
the river freezes over in September. This
year the first arrived on July n and the
last left on its return trip down TO Circle
City on October !. AS in previous wears
many OF the fiatboats coming up stream
were frozen in at various points While
travel Is possible by the passes and water
stretches from May Is to November 1 or
five months and half. IL is limited on the
St Michael route to two or at most three
months. and is excessively precarious ar
that. Only two round trips can be mafa
and the second cannot be relied upon with
any certainty.
As the present facilities for Transporting
supplies to the Yukon are Inadequate nm.
der ordinary circumstances. It can easily
be seen what eject the sudden influx Of
thousands Of outsiders, In many cases
poorly supplied and miserably equipped.
would have upon the available food sup
ply and other resources Of the country.
Many who went into the interior carried