The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-09
THE ARCTIC GOLD-SEEKERS.
WHAT'S GOING ON ALONG THE YUKON
AND At CAPE NOME

Gold Was Found in Sand of the Shore.
TACOMA. Wash. Dot. 3.-While his fellow
officers have been winning glory In Cuba and
the Philippines. Capt. Abercromble. U. 4. A.
has been quietly doing work in far-off Alaska
that entities him to no less fame and consider
alton. 1t is the opening OF a short, practical
BILE. all-American mail route from tide water
at Naldes. near the mouth OF Copper River. to
the American mining camps on the Yukon
When Capt. Abercrombis began two years ago.
the region to be traversed was scarcely more
known than Thibst or the interior OF Africa
He and his mon have kept at the work until
the hardest part OF the mail route has been
built. ninety miles over tho mountains. and
the road laid out for the remainder OF the
distance.
H. G. Allis OF San Francisco. who returned this
week from Eagle City over the Absrcrombe
trail. saw Capt Abercrombie Just before leav-
ing Alaska. He says:
Capt. Absrcrombie has accomplished great
piece OF work. The mail trail is completed for
ninety miles from Valdes in the direction OF
Copper Centre. 1t is finished over the most
difficult divides. and the rest OF the route to
Eagle City. on the Yukon, 10 a matter Of easy
construction. l consider that Capt Abercrom-
bic has solved the trail problem on the Ameri-
can side. When you consider the facilities at
hand and the labor at his command, he has
undoubtedly accomplished more than was
ever expected.
He has now route absolutely free from
glaciers. For fully fifty miles it can be travelled
by wagon, and his idea is to widen 1t all the
way through. This will require a considerable
amount OF blasting. but it Will probably be done
eventually. The trail is practically ready for
use at any time. although mail deliveries over
it will not be AIDE for some time. | came out
from Eagle City over the trail and know that
the gu estion OF a quick route from deep water
to the Yukon has been solved.
Capt Abercrombie has given employment
to every hard-up miner who has come along
Tho average time OF working for these men
has been thirty-fve days. after which they
received transportation to Tacoma and S. in
money. Many OF these stranded fellows came
down on the steamer with me-"
Dawson papers are discussing the probable
high prices OF some food articles this winter.
While food will not be as dear as last year.
Dawson will get pnched in some things. The
Yukon S,tn says
The supply OF bacon Is now nicely under
control. and we will pay six bits pound for
this article before the ice moves out Of the
Yukon In the year 1900. Butter will again be
on the list OF shorts. while rolled oats and
cornmeal. which can be used for horse feed.
will find good stiff price. Flour can be bought
to-day for 50 per hundred while oats cost $40.
h05ss isea IN the way 81 grain Is now IN the
the Il me navigation closes. 1t is well known
fact that sugar sold here last winter and spring
from 70 cents TO S4,25 per pound. while there
was an ample supply on hand in warehouses
when supplies began coming In"
The freight lam at White Horse. Bennett and
Skagway grows more serious as the close OF
navigation approaches. and to add to the delay
the men at work for tho White Horse Tram
l'nTN tnk fTr ina of
OF from So to 81 n day. The men were idle a
couple OF days and then their demand was
the last steamer being scheduled to leave
White Horse for Dawson between Oct. 8 and
Oct, l. During the last few weeks 100 barRes
have been constructed hastily at Lake Bennett
as means OF breaking the freight block ade.
They have carried down an average Of fifteen
tons each. The demand for labor and lumb
in barge making caused sharp rise in prices.
sanws that cost S40V month ago were selling
last ws9s for sS2q 3 be o eor,s at
will not get down the river.
It is believed at Dawson that Major Perry
Northwest mounted police there. Col stesie
has been recalled by tho Ottawa Government.
rVss is that Col Steee rscs i. due to Ais
ing importation, Of liquors; He has been care
full to enforce oil the laws that have been m ade
for the Kloudike. This course dispeased the
men who had planned to mako fortunes in the
summoned enough influence to secure the re-
moval OF the official who turned back liquor
laden steamers and made OF Dawson almost a
A survey is being made for an electric rail-
road from Dyea to Bennett over Chllkoot Pass.
aud tho Upper Yukon transportation COM
panies. which are opposed to the close tratnc
f9nnections existing XII between the White Pass
pany's stsamboa line, both British concerns.
The boring OF a tunnel through the summit Of
n mile long. The thirty OnO n lie electric line
and tuAne! will cost $75O,00O.
Frederick ID. NOVEL; and associates are open
ing what 10 said to be an extensive coal mine
oil Admiralty Island, near Juneau. They have
sunk 4oV,d3oth shaft sphs sT vein OF
and Skagway at So IA ton. The present price is
erers OF the famous beach diGgines OF Cane
Nome. has arrived here, He tells, as follows. how
he and his companions. two from Wyoming
that has proved such a boon. to the horde OF
distresssd miners from the KIondike:
soldiers had forbidden some men from pros
pecting on ground 10 which a certain company
had laid claim. We went down ths beach about
PANIED three pans Of dirt and took the result
OF our labors to tho cabin and weighed the
cents to the pan, The next day we constructed
and Tire f us worked
Ss back ana ons Or oh.
rockers showed up and began working On
the third day more men came. and go on until
at the end Of two weeks 400 or 500 men were
rocking gold from the beaches As the work
progressed some rich returns were obtained.
For instance, | saw an old man named Hum
mel. who claimed to represent John ID. Rookie
feller. wash out twenty.siX ounces in four
hours Another man got as high as $1l to the
pan.
1t is a singular thing how hard a time had
making my friend and partner. A. l.. Coulter
believe we had found pay gold in the beach
sands. 1t WAS nearly week before could
get h i'm to go to the beach. One day he went
down with n rocker and took out about 800.
That convinced him. He is an expert with the
rocker and pan. so every day thereafter he
cleaned up from one to six ounces, seldom
working over six hours day.
The arrest OF the several hundred miners
by Lieut.. Cragie proved a good thing. Craigie,
unlike Lieut.. Spalding, has shown himself to
be a friend OF the miners. When he made tho
wholesale arrest he 81 Inn ply acted under orders.
Tho company claiming tho ground had pre-
vailed on someone in authority to issue the
order for the arrest. But when il came to a
question OF the complainantS having to stand
the expense OF feeding all hose hungry miners
the prosecution was soon dropped and the men
returned to the diRHngS
shortly after this tha revenue cutter Bear
came to Cape Nome. Her officers gave 1t as
their opinion that the beach was Government
ground ana no one had any authority to pre-
vent the miners from digging for gold IL they
chose.