The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-05-25
THE YUKON COUNTRY
JOHN o. MGILLlvRAY TELLS OF THE
kLONDlKERS' INCONVENIENCE.

BE swindled Out of 100000 This Year.
The work done by the Canadian govern
ment for the district around Dawson City,
while SO far greatly hampered by the eli
mate and want of supplies, is worthy of
emulating in some respects by the federal
government for the Yukon section of
Alaska.
Through the instrumentality of the
Northwest mounted police the Canadian
government Is going about the establish
ment of regular mail service by building
posts. No mail has as yet arrived from
the outside but that Is for want of dog
food and supplies for the men, from Ia
gish down Couriers came in from that
place few days ago to ask for dog food at
Dawson City, but this Is the last place In
the world 20 come to for that purpose.
However, the first mail, of letter only,
will arrive in Dawson City In few days.
This will be the first since q few came in
by private couriers, the last dates of which
were the end of August This service will
have regular posts some 20 miles apart
and plenty of dogs and men. In Dawson
City Captain Constantine hns fitted up at
the police barracks a postoffice, and sa-
looms and stores will no longer be the dis
trbuting points for mail.
A contract was let by the United States |
government for monthly mail between |
Juneau and Circle City during the fiscal |
year at price that would not enable it TO
| be carried more than once or twice during
| the winter, and, so far as Is known here
and in Alaska, nothing has been done to
| aid In its forwarding. The contractors
talAl ttob
work, and their efforts can at best be but
| a farce
| So far excellent order has been main
tanned in Dawson City by Captain Con-
stantine with his small force of mounted
police-who, by the way, are not mounted
herein spite of the presence of large
number of thieves and other "hard cases. "
Yet the stealing from caches all over the
district goes on, although large number
Of arrests have been made.
These have little deterrent effect, for
they are not made known, as there Is no
newspaper in Dawson City. One can ap-
preciate the value of newspaper by liv-
ing in this place a few months. one or
more printing presses were started in last
| summer but none has reached Daw son
City.
The machinery should be quickly set in
| motion to incorporate the town OF Dawson
J City. for that would make 1t possible to
force the people to dig drains and clear
/ away the garbage now accommodating on
the town site which will in a few months
be residential marsh. Then the saloons
could be licensed and their keepers pre-
vented from selling "hoochinoo," pol
sonous decoction made here and favored
and sold as any drink that may be called
for.
D There is one man up one of the princi-
, | pal creeks who sells shot rum to weary
travellers for rs cents a drink. de has
sold many barrels of his stuff, but never
bought more than half barrel OF rum,
J. and that was before he learned to make
i "hooch."
The Canadian laws as to the use OF false
weights, If enforced here, would save
many thousands of dollars TO the miners
have written of how, in making small
purchases, the buyer loses from ~ 10 ~
U rer cent on his payments. l have DC
!. uoubt lhat the good people OF Dawson Olt!
will ia sv died out of more than $500, OOl
Il through M .se and incorrect weights an'
3. | iugglery of the scales this year.
None of the scales has been tested, ant
= many reputable people innocently use in
correct weights. A few days ago l mad
:" an examination of some mines, and 1t be
IT camo necessary to correctly weigh the sam
nles from my paintings. tried several o
the hest scales here and found them al
r. family. but finally obtained pair OF as
-, savers balances.
III Most of the coin and paper money
10 circulation is that Of the United States
hnt the traders and saloon Keepers al
caraful to keep as much of that out OF Gil
culation as possible
III There should come from the mines IN
ID year-mostly from Ell Dorado ana Doiah.
.ir $40. OOO, 900 or more. All this goio WI
On Tn Seattle and San Francisco ana
the United States minis. -,
yet Mt n small expense the Canada
IL government could establish an assay olil'
er here purchase this gold and put In ci
Id cuIation it's own money. such q st'
MIGHT lead TO a source of considerable re
enne for miners would gladly pay al
reasonable fees or rates for exchange ra'
Gu ar than submit to the exorbitant cnare
ut made by the trading companies ior 'ran
At nortation to the mint and Insurance OF
change. 40 ,,r Q,
TRANSPORTATION charges were ~ per l
last wear, and insurance the same. 40
understood that this years charges
1lb / be % per cent less, Or Pol eoh' -N
nortation and insurance.
This would give the two trading Co
NAMES $500, 900 for transporting the
tons of bullion that should come out u
ur- wear Yet many of the miners cannot w
for returns and must have money mn
diately after their clean ups mus IL
es. that the owners of the richest III DORA
mines grow envious of trading compahi
my nAIi that the traffic will bear Is chare
The miner Is the only man In THIS COZ
try who does not make money There
q, in Dawson no newspaper, no pank,
such thing as an insurance oihoe' no sn'
tea except those of the two trading compah'
where the clerks are to be bowed down
They are most insolent In their man
oi of charging 5000 per cent profit Tor
die One In Dawson must oonsiue,
ips be is being done a great favor 10 DC
lowed to purchase anything, ana IL
curious sight to soc Alex Mcdonald, We
ate several millions, endeavoring 10 oe
nm. nolite to a puny clerk from whom
wishes to buy few pounds OF mans
one of his hundred cabins. -.John A.