The San Francisco call., 1898-08-20

strength The places of those Who are moving down the river is taken rom day to day by others who are just ar irving and have yet to learn the dlf- fcuIt conditions that, if they are 10 stay. they must meet and overcome The conditions become more dlf1lcult and burdensome every day. Each day the fringe of cabins adds another widened circle to the"outskirts of the town and the Ian who comes to locate next day finds himself compelled to be content with still another remove from the center. What a hardship this Is to the settler can only be appreciated when it is understood that the thlckly b..iIt LID most outward circle lies more than two miles from Front street, on top of a steep hill. To reach it the dweller there passes over a mile of country almost without a cabin upon it. The level swamp land and the slopes of the hill to the east and south of the town are comprised in the La Due townsite, for which patent has been issued, and to Stewart Menzies' application for patent for forty acres and to the Government reserve. On this last, a wide space sufficient to ac-
 
 and Government buildings are located There is a space northward of the townsite comprising about fifty acres of a sloping hillside where squatters were first directed. It is now the choice residence part of town ana every lot Is located upon. In this tract lots are now held by their private owners at not less than one thousand and as high as i've thousand dollars. In the La Due town site the most undesirable lot in the swamp is held at not less than one thousand dollars. So it will be seen the newcomer, unless he has plenty or money to spend for his temporary resi- dence is compelled to cross over the high-priced waste and practically seek a residence in the outer WlIds. The summer trail to the mines takes up the side of the hill east of town and on the top discovers a plateau, sloptng down to the Klondike River. To the hun dreds who went to Major Walsh on first arriving here asking where they might pitch their tents he told them to go to this distant plateau. This meant the packing of all their pro- visions and effects to the top of this high hill. Only those who meant to re- main there would do this and the woods are now full of their cabins or rather the woods have given place to their cabins. Tents have been pitched on the Government reserve about the bar racks and on the other reserve held by the Government toward the north near the hospital and on the property Of in dividuals, wherever consent could be gained, until the number runs above five thousand
 The thick fringe of boats and barges along the water front still accOmmo- dates a thousand more. These people for the most part are simply sitting a If iva In he to- visions they brought in with so much labor and wondering if something will not turn up for them tomorrow. The police have several times issued orders to have the Government reserves va cated, and Major Walsh, when the La Due patent arrived, gave out a proc lamation that he would sustain the company in it's effort to clear it's prop erty of squatters. So those who pull up to the water front at Dawson, be- lievfng that having reached their goal their troubles are over, awake within the hour to a realization of new trO'1- bleS quite as haraSSing as any they have seen. The orders to move off the reserve have been suspended as ofter as given, for the tented squatters there complain that they intend to remain but few days anyhow and 1t woulC be a great hardship to compel them tC climb the hill with their goods in the
 
 remains and the winter hurrieS on. TC clear the water front, especially a certain landing places, is more impor tant. Orders have again and agaii been issued, but still the boats clin, to the shore Iine A few days ago Northwest mounted policeman cut tn strings of a score of boats tied to tn shore within the reserve, and the. fioated off down the stream, beini pulled in, however, by boatman hal @ mile below. This was done to mak room for public woodward in contem plation. The Yukon River has bee rising and falling In remarkable fash ion for some weeks past, rising a much as foot and falling agai within the same day. This is cause by very heavy rains on some of tn branches of the river above. It ha been more effective in clearing tn squatters from off the bars in front ( the city than the police orders. It ha caused much loss and great discomfol among them. Every day the QueStio is asked with growing anxiety, "Wha are these people to do this winter? No doubt very many of them inten going out. They will probably f1oa down the river for more than 200 miles that lie between them and $ Michael in their small boats. Som have already started on the long voy age.
 It is feared, however, that tn great number who may be think ing of this means of escape will soothed by the beautiful summt weather they are now enjoying, an which may be expected to continue U to the very edge of winter, into T. maining too long. One day the war sun will be hidden by rain cloud, u rain next day will turn to snow, whiC will not melt again till next spring, few days later ice will begin runnir in. the Yukon, and the exit down strea is locked for this year. With those Ill familiar with the swift approach the Arctic winter when undertaking
 again claim this country, it is difficu to realize the danger The wealth has been extremely warm during u past week, the mercury rising to l degrees in the shade. There is grei deal of sickness in the camp, the being nothing less than an epidemic
 dysentery and also number of cas- of fever. There are forty-five patien in the hospital. Tim O'Connor of Ss Francisco died there last Thursday
 dvsentery. He leaves widow and chi dren in San Francisco. The dySentel