The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-02-23
TO THE KLONDYKE
A FORMER WELLINGTON BOY
GETS THE GOLD FEVER.

Western Union Telegraph Operator, now
in Seattle, Wash, Who Like Everybody
Region.
Seattle, Washington, Feb. 13. Now
that l am about tu attempt to describe
the excitement over the Klondike in
this city, as / know it will be of inter-
est to you, for all your papers are un-
doubtedly crowded with it, but the
greater part being so terribly exagger-
ated you could not help but become
disgusted over it, and as l can let you
have it direct trust thatit will arouse
your curiosity to such an extent, that
you will over look all mistakes.
1t probably would not be necessary
forme to state that the city of Seattle is
to-day the livliest and most prosperous
city of it's size in the world: All due
to the gold fields of Alaska. Every
hotel and lodging house is turning trav
elers away because they have no more
room, and the boats not being able to
handle near all of the immense crowd
from out the far east, compels great
many to erect their tents on vacant
Lotto To thair fI1rY, tO ,,,nua mouth
The city being so over-crowed causes
many to wonder whatit will be later
on when the whole world begins to
turn out. The Post Intelligencer this
morning states that Seattle will outfit
100000 people for Alaska. before June
1st and from what we learn of Iowa.
Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota,
there is no reason to doubt this figure.
You can form some idea of the strang-
ers now in this city, when relate that
] it took me just one hour to get to the
general delivery window at the post
Office this morning, there was three
rows of people reaching from the win
dow to the opposite side of the street,
and pick pockets were plenty, there
J being number of the farmers from
Ohio persume, who were relieved of
their days earnings. am afraid
Seattle will be considered something
awful by those who come here, expect
ing to find the western people dead easy
The weather has been very warm
of late, especially for one who
} has been used to zero weather at this
: time of the year. The city parks being
places of amusement as they are in the
east. In July, Lake Washington is al
ways crowded with those who seek
pleasure in the row boat. Some of
them being very successful in landing
the gamest fish of all, Salmon Trout,
while others are more successful in
shooting the wild ducks, brant and
geese which are always very abundant
on this lake. For those who never
gazed upon the Cascades when covered
with snow cannot imagine what a
beautiful panorama it is to sit in a
small building called the Cliff house
upon the shore of this lake and
look south and east of you. Mt, Rain
er which is covered the year around
seems to be only few miles away, for
all it is nearly hundred miles away.
The Olympic mountains to the north
west are very grand, these mountains
are considered the widest portion OF
Washington, which l fully believe
from the three months experience we
had, about II miles south of Cape
Flattery, wild game being as plenty a:
4 it was in the early days of Ohio / per-
1 sumo. Some of the old hunters in
that country claim that the Olympic
mountains will produce greater ex-
element over the gold which the
D creeks are full of, than the Klondike
color can be found all along the banks
Of Lake Crocker, but quartz min.
D ing demands 80 much capital and there
being no roads of ;any kind to get the
necessary machinery there, am in
clined to believe that the placer min.
ing of Alaska will always be preferable
to the Olympics.
For those who are contemplating
coming to Seattle to purchase theil
outfit for the north / can say that
know of no better place on the coast
Mr.. Allen and / spent .about two
months in Los Angeles, Fresno, Frisco
Portland, Tacoma, Port Townsend
Victoria, Vancouver, and we fount
everything cheaper. Our outfit for Il
months cost US 1925, including every
thing, which is $50 cheaper than W,
could do elsewhere, besides our outfi
is nicely packed in waterproof sack
and placed upon the boat free of charge
! This all comes extra in other cities
We expect to leave on the Blakely Fri
: day night for Copper River, Alaska
We intend to draw our stuff on sled
about fifty miles, or until we get passe,
I the glaciers, and then build small
boat and work up a couple of hundre,
miles east and north. Fred Wilbur.