Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-05
DISLIkES KLONDIKE.
Fred E. Jenkins Returns to His Home
in This City.
Says Unfair Means arc Used to Lure the
People There.


March with a party raised by Editor
William Jeffrey and others, known as
the Alaska Yukon KlOndike Com
pany to go the Kiondike. He
visited the gplace. prospected for
sold, found none, and has now re-
turned to his home. preferring to get
ting living as Of old, than to stand a
chance of getting stranded in the froz-
en- North. Mr.. Jenkins returned to
Augusta, Saturday night, having come
home in company with Fred Jackson
OF Winthrop.
Mr.. Jenkins is AIN oals of patience
with THE region, and is more so with
the reports from that section, of the
large fortunes that are brought out
from there. These reports, he says,
are largely the result OF the magma
ton. He says there is much done by
the transportation companies to keep
the reputation of the place as good as
possible. To illustrate his point Mr.
Jenkins said 1t is common report in
the city of Dyea, that a man who
wishes to get home can, in many cases,
get a free pass to Seattle If ne will
but sign paper stating me has
brought out at least $75,O 900 with him.
AS soon as the paper reaches Seattle
1t is at once published. and the result
is that the newspapers are thus i'm
posed upon, as we'll as the people.
An instance came to the observance
of Mr.. Jenkins while upon his way
home, that will well illustrate the man.
ner the reports are exaggerated. On
the same steamer was a man who was
coming home and he had with him as
a sort of n souvenir of the trip, gold to
the amount of 500 that he had mined,
and that was every cent he had sue
ceeded in getting. Imagine Mr.. Jen-
kins' surprise at reading in the Seattle
papers. that this man had reached the
city with $4,000.
Mr.. Jenkins says the papers Of that
section cannot be depended upon, as
they are paid by the transportation
companies.
He says that in Dawson City the ty-
phoid fever is raging fearfully, and
the men are being buried in the night,
that too much comment will not be
made and thus brighten the people
away. The condition of the unfor,tu-
nate men in that city is something ter
rible. They are there and they can
not get away, for there is neither work
nor gold for them.
The description he gives OF the coun-
try is a vivid one. and many interest
ing things are to be learned of the
place. but they have all been so large
ly written up before that they will
not be reviewed here.
The party with which Mr. Jenkins
went to the Klondike met the Au-
gusta party in which were Mason Far
rar and Everett Hutchins at Lake
Bennett where they were building
their boat for the trip down the Yu-
kon. The Augusta party was then in
good qleaDth and good spirits, and ea-
ger to get to the scene Of operations.
with bad luck at times, though they
are prepared to stay for the rest of the
year. The Alaska Y ukon-K londike
Company have succeeded in getting
supplies to the party with which Mr..
jenkins was connected, and they have
staked out II claims since he came
away. 1t is understood they have TAX
en- out more gold than when he was
there. though they have not found
very large quantities.
The Maine party win take in the
sport of hunting. for the purpose OF
getting a supply of fresh meat, this
fall. There are many kinds of game
in that section and good sport as well
as large amounts cf meat, is assured.
While away Mr.. Jenkins met a man
who had an experience with one OF the
bald face grizzly bears that are thick
in that country. This man said he saw
a moose swimming across a lake one
morning, and upon THE bank was a
bald face grizzly. The man fired and
broke the bears lower jaw. He fired
again, this time injuring the beasts
shoulder badly. The bear started for
shelter in the spruce growth. The man
then did something that he had just
been warning friend never to DO; he
followed the bear into the growth.
The bear turned upon him. Another
SHOT was fired only wounding the bear
again as soft bullet was being used.
Something bothered about the rifle and
it would not allow. another shot to be
fired as the cartridge stuck in the mag
azine. With one blow from the animal
he was sent sprawiing. with the bear
upon him. The Beast made an ugly
attempt to bite the mans head and sue
ceeded in making two ragged easlles