Arizona republican., 1898-03-11
The Diadem Has Been Placed
 On the Brow of Seattle
THE GATEWAY TO KLONDYKE
The Mad NOrthWard CrOWdinG
 for Gold Continues
Whoever Starts for the Upper Yukon Before the Middle of April Is Doing Worse Than Fool Ing His Time Away.

| o"
 correspondence of The Republican.)-
 A week ago San Francisco was boom
 ing The streets were full of k1on-
 dykers eagerly discussing the journey
 means of transport, articles of equip
 ment and what not. The shops deal
 ing in Klondyke outfits, and they art
 legion, were full of men buying freely
 and in hurry. Steamship offices
 were crowded with hardy, eager look
 ing men, all fearful of delay in get
 ting off. Everything was lively, ac- I tive, moving.
 Today it is dead. Why? Because, to
 reach the gold fields via Seattle, costs s35 less than via San Francisco; that i is, from all parts of the United States l save California, Nevada and Arizona
 All prospectors who were here have outftted and gone. No more are com ing in. I never saw a change so com plete, so sudden and convincing. SaT Francisco is side-tracked and will! l doubtless remain SO, so far as the Klondyke trade is concerned. Out filters are packing up their entire stocks and sending them to Seattle Steamship companies have wired their steamers not to come south of Port land henceforth. The situation seems to be accepted by every one as final. The fight is over and Seattle, most fa- vored geographically, has captured the business of speeding the adventurers on their way-for a liberal considera- tion. Happy Seattle! The queen is Gead-long live the queen! am going ~ 8 tttlo vsmorrcw. >,
 The Klondyker is easily spotted
 He moves in an atmosphere of joyful anticipation so intense that it is visi-
 ble-almost tangible. He moves like king in his rough clothes; a set and resolute smile on his lips, a far-away look in his eyes. He sees the gold gold in heaps. Nothing else. No tale of hardship, idleness, or death affects him. Such things may happen to oth- CTS, perhaps, but not to him. For him there is the gold. have, partly as an experiment, partly in pity, talked my self hoarse to two or three consump- tive looking little fellows trying to persuade them to give it up. I knew it would be useless before I tried. couldn't even raise a doubt of success
 in their minds. They listened, but with pitying contempt I was the fool, the croaker, the calamity howler. won't try it again. It is unpleasant to be pitied by such miserable little enthusiasts.
 It is a disease-tnis gold craze as contagious as small pox, and prob ably, in it's results, more deadly. But suicide of this sort is legal. And yet, if my letters from there-from Seattle from Alaska itself, can but disuade one man from going into this Klon- dyke death trap, I shall be more than happy.
 For the immediate consideration of such of your readers as have their thoughts turned Klondykeward I send you certain facts, carefully gleaned and sifted. My sources of informa- tion being chiefly captains and owners of steamers running to Dyea and Skag- uay.
 The difficulties and dangers begin upon landing at either of these places the principal gateways to the north At Skaguay there is wharf and wagon road leading to the top of the pass. Thence nothing but the wide, frozen country and liberty to go as one pleases, or can. Thousands of tons of outfits are there and thousands of prospectors at standstill What is the use of road to the top of the pass? Is the top of the pass a com fortable or healthful objective point :? Is it strange that disease, under these terrible conditions, has laid hold of these little eastern clerks by hun dreds? Beyond the end of the road is
 snow and moss and rocks, as impass- able just now as the Arctic ocean. By
 the middle of April these people can
 move on-if any are left. They will
 not go back to Skaguay for they feel
 that they have gained a start that may | mean fortune. As it is, from one to
 two dozen a day are being put away
 under the snow. At Skaguay itself the
 conditions are hardly better. Five to
 six thousand people are reported to be
 there, with no sanitary arrangements,
 a polluted water supply and for the
 most part, tents to live in. Snow and
 sleet and fearful storms ring the eli.
 matic changes. Disease is rampant,
 living expensive and every day goo or