Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-09-01
CAPT. PURCELL HOME.
A PARTY OF KLONDYKERs RE-
TURN TO MISSOURI AFTER A
TRIP TO ALASKA.
Plenty of Gold, But the Mines Are
in the Hands of the Syndicates-
A Klondyker's Description of
the Country.
From the Jonesburg Journal.

From the Jonesburg Journal.
Capt. Purcell, J. O. Owings and
Henry owings, of olney, arrived
home from Dawson City Sunday
morning, after a journey of ~ days.
Mr.. Owings was in Jonesburg Mon
day and Tuesday and related some of
his experiences in thzr far away
country. When asked TO give an in
terview for publication he said: :"Well,
there is so much that would be of in
terest to the Journal readers that I
would hardly know where to COM
mence, and understand Elder Head
ington Is to give lecture here soon
and he is close observer and will
give the people better idea OF that
country than I am able to give, and
the people ought to turn out and hear
him. Personally stood the trip very
well. was very sick. at Dyea, and
thought at one time would be COM
| RoiACA W II DoSA lAoiA tAGxO. aktcE
I recovered from that spell of sick
ness began TO improve, and during
all the balance of the trip had splen-
did health, but after we arrived at
Dawson City my health began to fail
again and I made up my mind the
best place for me was back in old Mis-
souri,, so am here In perfect health
and abundantly paid for the money
expended, time lost and hardships en-
dured. Dawson City is very un-
healthy place at this season of the
year, and don't think our boys will
stay there very long.
We left the other boys all well. Joe
Camp, Theo. Beckord, Lorin Feiks, ].
P. Donaldson, Mordt and Gee. Purcell,
have leased mine and will dig for
gold on Sulphur Greek. I prospected
some but it did not take me long to
size up the situation. It is true there
are some very valuable mines in the
I Klondyke country, but they are in the
hands of syndicates and the prospects
for a man with limited means in that
country are very slim. 1t is true
wages are very good, as We would
term good in this country, running
from 20 cents to $3.50 per hour; but
when you take into consideration the
difference in the expense of living,
wages are no higher there than here.
The prospects are that the coming
winter will be hard one in Dawson
City, and there will be untold suffer-
ing and hardships; the long, hard
winter, the lack of proper food and
the unhealthfulness of the country
will make it hard for those who re-
main.
That country will never be noted
for its agricultural products. Very
little vegetation grows in that country.
There were few men threatening to
raise garden "sass," but the nearest
they came to it was that they pro-
duced onions and radishes about the
size of a 44-calibre rife ball and sold
them for $3.50 dozen-a man could
eat four dozen at sitting. Every
grain of feed and every pound of hay
has to be taken into that country,
consequently what little live stock
there is in and about Dawson will have
to be taken out or feed bought for
them at an enormous price. saw
one milk COW valued at 5000 and a
few chickens. The COW looked very
lonesome and am afraid the chickens
will starve to death when the long
nights come on.
| As for fishing and hunting, that
country is no paradise for nimrods and
the fabulous stories told about the
millions of wild geese and ducks and
oceans of fish In Alaska are fabrica-
tions of some transportation company
or some unscrupulous ticket agent.
There is better hunting in Missouri
and Arkansas than any part of Alaska
we passed through. So don't 60 to
Alaska on your annual hunt; you
would fare better down on Black River
in Arkansas.
Twas with Charles Neble during his
entire illness. He came into my camp
one evening and told me he was not
feeling we'll and I insisted that he stay
in camp with me. The next day he
was much worse and we sent Thos.
Kimble sixteen miles up the lake with
q dog team for doctor. The doctor
came and Charley seemed to get bet
ter, but this proved only temporary,
for he got gradually worse and became
Unconscious and died on the fifth day.
To get his body home was practically
an impossibility, 80 we sawed lumber
and made him nice coffin, buried him
on a beautiful mound, fenced in his
grace with substantial picket fence,
planted the prettiest flowers we could
find on his grave and placed at the
head of his grave monument and
engraved thereon his name, age, date
of death, etc. His sickness and death
was the saddest scene of our entire
trip.
I didn't 60 to Alaska with the ex-
pectation of striking 1t rich. had q
reasonable assurance that If ! went I
would regain my health. This I have
Idone, and while found no gold mine,
1 feel that I am much better on than
when went and am glad that went,
and am glad that am back in the best
lcountry on earth among the best peo-
lple under the canopy Of heaven.
| Young men and older ones, too. il You
are dissatisfied with Missouri don't 60
to Alaska.
Peace Commissioners Selected.
u WAsHINGToS, D. G., August %. The
peace commission has been selected.
The acceptance of Justice White, the
fifth member of the commission, has
been received and the commission win
, doubtless be announced by the Presi-
dent tomorrow. The commission ID