The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1898-03-04
YUKON OUTFIT
WHAT THE GOLD HUNTER
SHOULD TAKE.
Sound Advice for Those who contem-
plate Seeking Their Fortunes in the
New Gold Fields of Alaska and the
Northwest Territory.

New Gold Fields of Alaska and the
Northwest Territory.
Special Correspondence
The most practical and vital question
to be decided by the man who intends
TO 20 to the Yukon next year is the
composition and quantity Of his outfit.
What should he take and how much OF
It. This is far more important ques-
ton than that OF the route he shall Sc
lect since by any regular route he
would probably reach his destination,
while should he not have a proper out
fit, he would be likely to find his labor
10 have been all in vain, with failure
and possible starvation staring him in
the face.
Whatever a man would require to
eat, to wear OF to work with he should
take with him. To 90 into that coun-
try depending upon being able to pur
chase any Of the necessaries of life or
successful work is TO run the risk Of
utter failure and calamity. Again and
again was this asserted by experienced
Yukoners when the excitement broke
out in July. Publicly through the
press and privately on all occasions
they advised gold seekers to take with
them a complete equipment for Is
months, certainly not less than year,
and to place no dependence whatever
upon being able 10 purchase what they
might need from trading posts. This
advice was BASED upon the well-known
conditions Of work and transportation
in that region. The miner might be
located several hundred miles by trail
impassable in winter from the nearest
trading post, while the post itself, even
if accessible, might fail to secure q
stock OF goods.
The soundness OF this advice has
been amply demonstrated the present
season. Hundreds who did not give i.
sufficient weight, have rushed into
Dawson City with not enough food "a
last them through the winter, only tc
find that not pound OF food is to be
purchased there. and that they are bui
adding to the distress Of those already
threatened with starvation. They
have not done this in ignorance, but in
defiance of the advice Of men OF expert
ence. The golden mirage OF their i'm
aginations has blinded them to the
practical, and they have rushed head
long to needless hardships, if not de
struction. Yet the majority Of then
took this advice seriously at first, ans
equipped themselves well for the jour
ney. Very few, indeed. OF those wh'
have reached Dawson with almost moth
ing for their support this winter, land
ed at Dyea or Skagway with less thai
a thousand pounds Of supplies each
The secret Of their present shortness
the difficulties of the trail and their in
tense eagerness to reach their destina
ton. They have disposed Of or aban
doned the bulk of their outfits, trustin
to luck or the deity supposed to hav
fools in his special charge, to &c
through the winter somehow. The
would have done better to have campe
at the lakes till spring, than to hav
gone on to Dawson short Of supplies
They would have done still better, whe
they found they could not get throug
this fall in good shape, to have returne
TO the coast and waited until spring f.
another attempt fully equipped. Thos
who followed this course are infinetl
better off than those who sacrifice
everything TO their insane eagerness
get through. and are now at Dawso
with nothing TO do and threatened wit
being overwhelmed by a calamity
their own creation.
The value OF the advice given to thol
who started last fall has been demon
strated by their experiences. The san
advice is as valuable to those who wi
20 in the spring. Take everythir
with you that you anticipate to nee
for year for any purpose, and do M
depend upon being able to buy anythir
whatever 1t is folly to take for gran
ed that there will be so many ne
steamers on the river next year that Il
country will be amply supplied vii
food and other necessaries. Assumii
that transportation facilities will be i
creased ten times, this will be offs
by the undoubted fact that more ths
ten times as many persons Will 60 in
are there now, and that the added tran
portation facilities will be used to car
them and their outfits. To the tho
sands who are already there and mu
depend entirely upon supplies brcug
in for sale. must be added the 9th
thousands who will not heed the vol
of prudence and will rush in light
equipped, depending upon PURCHASE
what they need for the winter. Il
extremely doubtful whether enou
goods for sale can be taken in ne
summer to supply this demand.
deed, in view Of the experiences OF Il
year, it is almost certain that they c
not.
Even IL it were not for this unc'
tainty, the conditions Of successful We
there require that the miner take il
iail equipment and have it with h
wherever he goes. The Yukon g
fields cover a great area of counti
while the trading posts are few and
present only along the Yukon riv
Other posts will doubtless be est;
lished next year. near such new d
tricts as may become populous. yet ey