Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1898-02-04
MINING CONDITIONS IN THE
KLOSDIKE.

NS"o iEO" tuc hlouuihS Seiohs
under date OF December 81, is in the
form Of a letter from Dawson City to
the New York Times. The conclu-
sions OF this correspondent are APP
parently so Just and reasonable, and
confirm so completely the advices
which we have heretofore received.
says the Mining and Engineering
Journal, that we give below several
extracts from his letter, winch wa
published i'll the Times OF January
23d:
TO poor men or men OF small means
who imagine they see in this terri
tory opportunities to make fortunes,
and who, Notwithstanding all that has
been said about the difficulties to be
encountered at every point along the
journey, and the probable disarpoint-
meuts which await them on their ar
rival here, are still willing, perhaps
anxious, to start on the journey to the
new Eldorado, my advice can be
summed up i'll one word-'don't.'
There are many disappointed,
Eeartsick men working on the dumps
here, winding on the windlass, expos
ed to the rigors OF the climate and
with the thermometer standing ut
from - degrees to G degrees below
zero-and there is worse I O come
who had been advised not to Mt
tempt the trip.
And yet they are here, and while
they tell you their troubles and figure
out how small, after all, is the remun
GRAFTON Of $50 per hour-nnd the
average wages here are Sl.25 while
many are working for their grub
Tor six or seven hours Il day, they
urge the writer to Gdvise others To
stay away.
at Is feared here that there will be
Another rush-many hre perhaps al.
ready on the way. Nothing hut dis
appointment and loss await those
who come.
~Ihe mining district known as the
Klondike region comprises only two
creeks that arc known to be rich-Bo.
IL and its tributary, Eldorado.
Every claim on the crcck-bed. rs well
as all the bench claims. have been
located. Not all the claims even on
these two creeks are known tn he rich
enough to pay the expenses Of min-
ing them at the present rate of wages
which are after all, only sufficient
to pay living expenses. Others are
fabulously rich. Some OF those ON
Eldorada will Yield perhaps 800, 900
each. while others adjoining them will
not pay for the working. The same
is true Of Bonanza.
There are many other creeks here.
about. every one Of which, lying with
III a radius Of fifty miles, has been
stakcd from mouth to source, and in
many cases to a point beyond the
summit Of the slope from which they
run. There is, therefore, absolutely
no chance Tor prospecting or locating
i'll this district. 1t will bc necessary
Tor anyone coming to this country tO
prospect in other dist ricis and with
very little chance OF success, for there
are hundreds OF men here now who
have spent anywhere from three to
fifteen years i'll the Yukon districts
prospecting for the gold which is said
tn be there, aud who are still looking
with longing eyes for the fortune for
which they have hoped so long. When
men who were within 80 miles OF
Dawson when the strike was made
are still without the means to buy
food for the winter. how u n man
1000 miles from here hope to pick up
Il rich claim in the Klundikc region?
There are many such here. cannot,
knowing rs much as ! do of the coun-
try, use language strong enough to
advise those who are thinking OF COM
ing to this dcsolatc country To give up
the notion. No matter how %,liacour-
aging may be the outlook at home, |
can assure the render that there are
more through which to make
Il living and perhaps a comfortable.
fortune, mt home than are presented
by the seemingly rich KIUndike.
"llierc are hundreds 81 mon here
today who mOrtgagcd their little
homes aud left wife and children
poorly provided for in order to raise
the necessary money tn make tho trip
to a land which promises so much.
They spent every ZEN Of that money.
which represented the Ia Dor md sav-
ings OF ycnrP, in getting over tho
Skaguay and Dyca trails, and bore up
under hardslIips which they would
not have thought themselves capable
IN the hope Of getting possession ut
tho last ~ Il rich claim in this region
where they had heard TINT men be-.
came rich in II day. To-day they re-
greet their madness and curse the day
whom they gave up all-amd received
nothing in return. Many have not
ever reached the New EldoradD.
Many played ont md they were com
PEELED to winter on the pass, while
others were frozen " in tho river
and will either have to haul their ont.
Hts down on sleds or ~ 1.-Two in Idle.
ness and cat tho food which on mn
average. cost them more than 81 per
pound To get over the pass.
"Of those who did reach Dawson.
about 5000 in all, some 800 wore com-
nnllnl In nn lLnmn lin rivnr In En.I