Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-02-04
THE KLONDIKE RUSH.
Thousands of Men Encamped in
Alaska Waiting for Spring.

1000 a Day are Arriving at Seattle and
100000 are Expected to Leave from
That Port---PestIlence Expected in
the Gold Fields.
Those who are fig ting their way in here
and those who puopose coming in without
capital and intending to prospect or mine
should bear in mind that the Klondke is
dead as far as they are concerned, writes a
correspondent of the New York Herald
from Dawson.
All the creeks upon which 500 foot claims
may be taken up are entirely located, and
those who are now prospecting along the
Klondike, Stewart and Indian rivers and
Henderson or other creeks or tributaries,
where only 100 feet may be staked, are do
ing so only because they do not wish to re-
main idle during the winter, or hope for a
change in the mining regulations.
No rich mines to compare with those of
Eldorado creek have been discovered, al
though hundreds of prospect shafts have
been sunk and hundreds of miles of creeks
| located.
1t is hard for many to tear themselves
away from the neighborhood of the Klondke
| loadstone, but as soon as travel toward
Birch creek and Tananah river is possible
and supplies can be obtained, hundreds will
go down the river and across the boundary
into Alaska.
Those coming here from the passes in the
spring may see a stampede already started
There are understood to be nearly 1000
persons wintering at st. Michael waiting
to come up the river as soon as steamers
can enter it from Norton Sound. There
are at Munook at least 1000, and at and
N,,lr. r,l h,,,, II IL
Gle City and in the Birch Greek mines there
are 400 or 500 meu.
OF all these and the people on the Cana
dian side of the line certainly two-thirds
are without claims of value or prospective
value, and are ready to rush off to any
newly-reported discoveries.
In the meantime men with money, here
and elsewhere, who have been able to buy
up claims and work them are doing well
Dawson is located on ground which thaws
out in summer and mud is almost knee deep
in the streets.
There is no drainage and all the filth and
garbage is piling up through the long win
ter. Every pound and drop of this is froz-
en- solid to await the spring thaw.
If pestilence is not bred the predictions
of the doctors are wrong. Last summer
there was a great deal of illness especially
typhoid fever, but it will be much worse
when this winter is over.
s. G. Durham, statistical expert Of the
bureau of labor, who was sent to Dawson
by government officials, writes: 81 consid
err the situation grave, but not desperate
There is food at Fort Yukon for 600 more
men than are wntering there, and this can
be freighted to Dawson, or part of Dawson
can go to it, 1t may be that the transpor-
tation companies can feed the population
next year, but it is doubted here | have
secured an accurate statement of the
amount of freight landed in Daw son by
the steamers during the season, made up
from the manifests of the boats and from
information obtained from the agents of
the companies. Less than POO tons
reached there, and between 700 and 500
tons of this consisted of furniture. whiskey,
hardware, etc, less than 2000 tons for
5000 men, and much of it was consumed
during the summer Prices are increasing
in Dawson, flour selling for $50 a hun
dred-weight, and many other staples in
proportion. Luxuries are not quoted, sim
ply commanding what man feels disposed
to paw for them. Dogs have sold as high
as $500 apiece there. and $500 has been
offered and refused here"
A Seattle, Washington, despatch says;
THE spring rush to the Klondike may be
said to have fairly set in. There are
about 1000 people arriving in the city each
day from all parts of the globe, and an
equal number are daily leaving for the
North by every conceivable manner of
vessel 1t is believed among the business
men of this city that not less than 500, 900
men will pass through Seattle"