The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-02-26
A Few Facts Demonstrating
What IL Means to Go to
the KlOndike.
RUSHING TO REACH GOLD
Extracts From "a Letter From
Newman A. Fuller, Uncle of
our TOwnsman, G. Fuller.

The following is taken from the
Hastings, Mich Banner of recent
date, giving extracts of letter
written by Mr.. Newman A. Fuller
regarding the Klondike, who by the
waNis an uncle of G.. N. Fuller, of
this city:
Recently Cashier Reynolds, of the
City Bank, RECEIVED "a long letter
from Mr.. Newman "A Fuller, from
which we are allowed to make some
extracts The letter was written
Oct 18th last, and according to the
postmark reached Portland, Ore,
Jan. 10Th. In regard to the rich
ness OF the country Mr.. Fuller says:
"Of all the camps in the world l
guess this beats the beater' in more
ways than one. 1t is the most diff
iicult to work; the most difficult to
get to, and the most difficult to
prospect. also believe it to be the
richest. | have taken out myself
over $50 to the pan. | have worked
on bed rock all day and every shovel
full put into the sluices would 90
from 30 cents to 80 dollars. But all
such ground, as far as heard from,
was located long before | got in
here. Perhaps | should say located
from August, 1896, to February,
1897, as August was the time the
camp was struck. "
Mr.. Fuller then tells of how he
had no idea Of going to the Yukon
when he left Hastings, but finding
some friends in San Francisco he
concluded to 90. He says that he is
located 30 miles from klondike
Dawson City, and tells of how he
found 30 letters awaiting him at
Dawson City when he went there
after grub. " Also that anyone
leaving Seattle as late as August
would surely get ice-bound ut ST.
Michaels, one of the most drcary,
desolate places on the whole coast,
and would not be able to leave there
before June of the next year. Con-
tinuing he says:
at is estimated that there are be-
tween 5000 and 1900 people scat
tered all the way from Skagua and
Dyea to Pella river, which is 200
miles from Klondike. They cannot
get here, and must stop and build
log cabins to shut out the cold, and
wait until the latter part of next
May, when the river again clears of
ice. The conditions are dreadful
men. women and children, some of
them without provisions enough to
last. The Skagua trail is fright,
so | am told, 1000 dead horses ~
ing along the path. many of them
with their packs still on their backs.
Any amount of people trying to
cross TO the lakes over that trail
have become discouraged and turn
ed back, sticking up notices on their
provisions and telling people to help
themselves. The party | came in
with came over the Dyea trail and
had a picnic. We hired 4S Indians
and landed 1890 pounds of pro-
visions, etc. inside of two days We
left Dyea at ~ o clock in the morn
ing, and /, with n few others, was at
Lake Lindcrman ut half past eleven
the next day. All were there about
q 0 clock that day. We paid ID cents
Il pound to have our stuff carried
over, but many have since had to
pay as high as 40, and then not be
able to get il on account Of the rush.
And what are the people rushing to?
Every claim of value, as far as
known, was staked long, long ago,
and the new conner, as well as lots
of old timers, must rustic for new
fields or get left. Wages are high,
or were ($l5 per day., but they have
been cut to $40 and next
year will go still lower on account Of
so many to do the work. A person
cannot work over half the time dur
ing the year aud everything is eX
pensive that you buy, consequently
do not consider this a good coun- |
try TO come to for day labor, and it |
is hard one to prospect in. Despite
this several will leave this place /
that year ago did not
have a dollar, and IA great many will
leave with 30 thousand, 100 thousand
Or 200 thousand dollars. Money is
coming to the boys awful easy and
lots of them are throwing it away
seemingly as fast as they can Eel
lows who have been in this country
10 or IL years and know what il is
to 90 into winter quarters with
sack of flour, u few beans, and less
bacon, are spending their money as
il there could be no end to it. My,
how some of them gamble. Cut the
high card any time for 81, 600 or
So 600 You can see poker game
running any time of day or night,
and nothing short of the ceiling the
limit. All kinds of gambling games
and devices are run wide open and
seem to flourish. All business is
lone in gold dust and all have their
scales waiting for you. In regard
TO the supply Of provisions he says
"IIunger starcs great many in
The face as the town is short of pro-
visions. Could not get boats
enough up the river on account OF
The low water to supply the demand
md the extraordinary rush to this
,ut OF the way place. ] will quote
you few prices on articles that we
,xl ,,n,, xv;ll coa thaf