The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-01-07
PLENTY OF FOOD IN DAWSON
Stories Of a Famine in That
Country All a Hoax.
so SAYS A PORTLAND MAN
Statement of C. j. Christie, Who Left
Dawson City November 23, After
Stay of Five Weeks.

Statement of C. j. Christie, Who. Left
Dawson City November a3, After
Stay of Five Weeks.
Portland, Or, Jan. 3.-''There is no
likelihood of starvation at Dawson City
this winter. A few may be pinched
little before the river opens; but no one
will actually suffer from hunger.
The foregoing statement of G. J.
Christie, who left Dawson City Novem
ber 80, and reached Portland yesterday,
corroborates recent press dispatches.
Mr.. Christie, with party of four other
men and woman, made the trip out
from Dawson City in 231s days, which
he says is the record. He left Portland
on the first trip of the Elder, and spent
i've weeks at Dawson.
"When 1 left Dawson" he said,
Everybody was comfortably fixed for
the, winter, SO far as provisions were
concerned. When the boats of the
transportation companies were stuck,
down the Yukon, the companies fur
nished transportation down the river
for all that wished to go. To those
who had money they sold provisions;
to those who had no money, they gave
work, which would enable them to buy
what supplies they needed. OF course,
this made fewer mouths to feed. Then
many became frightened by early re-
ports of probable famine, and, selling
their provisions, came out over the ice.
This, of course, added to the supplies
at Dawson.
81 found, when 1 reached there, o.
tober 18, that there was really great
deal of scare. Reports had been
spread by men who came out early that
there were more supplies than needed,
and this led to the fear that none would
be brought in. This very panic led
many to leave the country, and still
further provided against famine.
Everything was going along
smoothly when I came out. Bonanza,
Eldor ado and Hunker creeks are all be-
ing worked for all they are worth, and
the rich claims are all and more than
have been reported. have prospected
great deal and seen many rich finds,
but Dawson City is the richest mining
camp ever saw. Numerous new dis
coveries are made right along. When
l left, the Holmes boys, of Albina, had
struck a claim from which it is said
they were taking out an ounce to the
pan.
We had no difficulty coming out,
though the ice is 'up-snded' in the
river, and it is the toughest place i'm
aginable The anchor ices5 which
formed in the bottom Of the stream has
risen in great masses, and is piled in
ali kinds vi fantastic shapes. - @''s'
"There were SIX of us in the party
one woman and five strong, hardy men.
We used dogs to transport our freight.
I had cached provisions along the way,
as I went in with the expectation Of
coming out Immediately, and these
were great aid to US. Once or twice
we had TO buy little food for the dogs.
We went right up the Yukon and over
Chilkoot summit to Dyea. The tenn
perature fell sometimes as low as 65
degrees below zero, tHt L didn't suffer
from the cold as much as would with
it below here.''
Christie purchased several claims
while in Dawson for himself and his
partners in Portland. He will return
to Dawson as soon as he can make ar
rangements to do SO.