The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-01

Seattle or ST Louis another year from
now.
Some Adverse Opinions
Nor is the advice by any means al
ir favor of Alaska should Judge ii
concensus is against it. The charge Il
frequently made that the transportation
companies are largely responsible fol
the craze. and some have said IL has
been carried to an extent little short Of
criminal. but I am bound to state that
this is untrue. That there 10 great rival
~ among the various railroad and
steamboat lines to get the business Is
true. and Of course the newspapers all
lay the strongest claim for their own
cities as outfirting and shipping points.
But the boom itself has needed no or
ganized or extraneous assistance. Sue
bumptious 1t is magnified as it is rolled
from tongue to tongue. Failure is quiet.
retiring and broods in silence.
Yet the cautious, discreet and con-
tented are on deck. They say it is wick
ed and criminal for so many to borrow
money, mortgage their homes and haz-
ard their all on proposition that stands
at least so chances of failure TO one of
success.
l heard this well meaning advice
given 10 a man here at the hotel the
other day, and this was the reply he
gave:
II guess you don't know my business
nc 10
You say have no chance of success up
there, but l know better than you do
how much chance of success / had
where l came from. :"
/ ventured to ask the man where he
hailed from.
81 own a farm in Nebraska" said
he, "or would if it wasn't mortgaged
for about all it's worth, and for the past
ten years I've been able to just about
make both ends meet
But wheat brings good price now?"
Eyes, when man has got any to
sell. But my buildings and crops have
been swept away twice by cyclones, and
we've had three droughts that burned
up my crops cleaner than a fire would
do it. / may be an idiot to hunt gold in
Alaska, but my wife and boy will take
care of the farm, and you can't lose
what you haven't got"
Thus, while adverse and conflicting
stories and advice may have caused in
dividuals to waver and in some cases to
turn back and while many who started
are already stranded and strapped"
owing to insufficient funds, nothing can
stem the incoming and outgoing tide.
A few days ago l talked with man
named Frank Hartman of Meadville,
Pa, who was grub staked by friend
and who left for the Klondike July 20
Of last year. He arrived in Dyea Aug
10 and went in over Chilkoot pass. The
journey to Dawson City occupied his
time and muscles until Oct. IL. He To-
Gated rich claim ON bunker creek
which he expects will pay we'll, but as
his food supply gave out and he could buy
no food except sugar he was compelled
to return for more. He started on the
return Dec. II and made the trip to
Dyea in 23 days over the same trail he
went in on, but he had no food to carry
beyond the amount he required for the
journey. He slept in the snow, froze
his ears, climbed ice packs ten feet high
and was obliged to wait over day on
two occasions to avoid losing the trail
in the storm. He is a rugged, deter
mined fellow and says he shall return
later in the season. When l saw him,
be said he was waiting in Seattle for
funds to take him home, which learned
be soon received. 1t occurred to me that
If it had not been too fearfully cold he
might have tarried day or SO longer at
MS claim and washed out few panfuls
Of gold or enough to have paid his way
home, but perhaps he had no means of
doing it. At all events, the young man
showed me the lease Of his claim from
the Canadian authorities, and I'have no
reason to doubt his story.
A Determined Gold Seeker.
The latest arrival among the Klon.
dixie gold seekers is Mr.. j. H. Blandy,
who, with his wife and child, came all
the way from Brainerd, Mimi, q dis
lance of 800 miles, in a small covered
wagon drawn by eight powerful dogs
He brought about 400 pounds of pro-
visions, and his dogs are we'll trained
While going over the snow belt he took
off the wagon wheels and inserted run
ners. Mr.. Blandy will take the entire
outfit to Dawson City.
have just returned from the wharf
to see large steamer sail for Dyea and
Skaguay. Her decks were crowded, and
of her passengers got aboard
at Seattle, the balance having been
booked at Tacoma. 1t rained-it always
rains in Seattle at this season-but there
was great throng at the wharf to see
the gold seekers off They stood under
dripping umbrellas for an hour and
finally waved handkerchiefs and hands
until the steamer was far out in the
sound.
And there is room for every one who
desires to take passage north, for all the
available vessels on the coast-steam and
being put into the Klondike
trade. Seventeen lines are now in actu-
al operation in this city, and each line
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