The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-10
Tspecial Correspondenee.I

Plentiful but OutFageOus1y ExD@A-
sive-sOne Good Claims.
Especial Correspondence.I
DAWSON CRY, Sept. 1O.-All the
available parts of Alaska are rapidly
filing up. People are crowding into
the country. Many return, but those
who remain are prospecting for gold
and working paying mines wherever
found. As prospecting and development
increase the almost limitless resources
of the country appear. Means of ingress
and egress are rapidly improving.
Within a few months two lines of small
steamers have been established between
here and Lake Bennett, making only
one portage, that at White Horse rapids,
and covering the round trip in 10 to Is
days Other boats are being put on,
and now the trip is an easy one, from
here to Seattle occupying less than 10
days. This time will be much shortened
when the tramway from Skaguay to
Bennett is completed. It is now assured
that there will be no lack Of food sup
plies for the people the coming winter.
Dawson is growing very rapidly.
Many good houses, some of them two
and three stories high, are being buiIs
on the business streets, while cabins for
private residences are rapidly going up
all over the city. The close of the build
ing season will see a city with fully
20, 900 people. This does not include
those who are mining on the different
creeks near by.
The tributaries of Forty Mile river
are found to be good and are now SO
far advanced in development that their
value is no longer questioned. The
American river is also yielding much
gold from the claims that have been
opened. Eagle City, now surveyed and
plated, is situated near the American
river and is being rapidly improved.
1t is a fine location for city, and it is
claimed that it will be chosen by the
United States government for a station,
being near the line between this ooun-
try and Alaska. Fully 1000 people have
left here during the last 80 days for
the Forty Mile river and its tributaries.
Hundreds of others have gone to Sew
enty Mile river. Trout creek, the Koyo-
kuk and other gold bearing regions.
In this vicinity on Bonanza, Ell Dora
do, Dominion, Sulphur, Hunker and
other creeks, the principal mining be-
ing done at this. time is on the bench
anu I'LL Cad4E1es A4dAy VI WuICA W6I0
thought 20 be of no value until recent
~, but are now proving to be very rich
indeed. In fact, it would seem that you
cannot get to the bedrock at any point
on the hillsides of said named creeks
without finding gold in more or less
paying quantities. The hill and bench
claims are generally shallow and easily
worked out, and as the limit of bench
claim is $50 feet square it does not take
q great while to work one out.
Many large and wealthy commercial
and transportation companies are get
ting foothold in the country and build
ing warehouses and trading establish
ments on the Yukon. The large increase
of steamboat transportation will insure
the delivery Of freights to the several
points on the Yukon and in proportion
will the price of supplies be reduced,
which will result in the reduction of
the price of labor and as a consequence
will increase the number of laborers
employed in the mines. At the present
price of labor, 81 per hour, only the
best mines can be worked. With re-
duced living and reduced cost of labor
many more mines will be operated.
A telephone line has been established
here and is now in operation in some
parts of the city and extends up to the