The Dickinson press., 1899-08-05
From Alaska.

c. D. McCauley of Mandan, who left
that tow two years ago for the Klondike
has returned. In an interview in the
Mandan Pioneer, the returned prospector
gives his impression of the country. He
says:
"There are more people coming out of
the Klondike than there are going in.
The chances of locating rich mines is
very small, and is a gamble from start to
finish. There is plenty of work to do,
and big wages are paid, but after a great
deal of hard work and the utmost priva-
tions, the reward is not enoughto warrant
one in making the experiment. For ex-
ample, it will cost a man $500 to get out
there properly-pay expenses and fit him
self out for work. Then when he returns
it will cost him $3.50 to get back to civili-
cation. Suppose if he does work for a
year, not counting Sundays, at $40 a day,
when he has figured his expenses Of liv-
ing, and what it costs him to get there
and to get back, he will beivery little
ahead. 1t certainly is not a country for a
man to go to with a view of working for
wages. But if he only works a third of
the time, as will usually happen, he will
be out money.
"A man may 60 there and take up a
claim and strike it rich, but the odds are
heavily against him. Many of the men
who made hundreds of thousands of dol
lars at first, are broke now. They did
not know how to take prosperity. Others
who had a good chance, had to borrow
money at 10 per lei a month, and that
kills any mans financial prospects. A
good many men who have gone there
have been taken with scurvy and have
died, owing tt insufficient food of the
right sort. On the steamer that came
out ahead of me, one man died on board,
of scurvy, and was buried at sea-"
Speaking about parties from this Sec
ton of the country, Mr.. Livermore of
Bismarck will in all likelihood make
some little money mex winter. Bob Rob-
erts and his partner brought hay to Daw-
son and sold it at $3.50 a ton last year.
The logs that composed their raft they
sold for 500 a cord. They had only sew
en- tons of hay but it was worth a good
deal. Eatables are getting cheaper ev-
cry season, but last winter butter was
worth s. a pound, sugar sI.25 and con.
densed milk sI.5o a can. One mar has
a small farm near Dawson. He made
s., 900 last season off half an acre oil
ground, and this cal he expects to make
$4,000 off two acres. The frost is never
out of the ground, and it is a matter Of
surprise that anything will grow.
In regard to parties from this locality
Mr.. McCauley says that Mr.. Caravan has
prospects, although he has not done very
well.so far. Mrs. Canayan has two claim.
which she hopes will pan out, but there
is nothing sure about them. Geo. KEN
per bought out his partners interests il
his thawing apparatus, and last season
did we'll, more than paying expenses
Beckett and Foote and Mcdonald o
Dickinson, have done ~well-nothing big
but they have done more than the av
erage. Nobody has successfully foun'
out how the gold is distributed in tina
country. 1t is all a chance where it is t
be found, and while it is such a chance
many men will make nothing while a fe,
will make a big stake.
The Bismarck Tribune has interview
ed Ned McCadam and the following es
tracts are taken from the interview:
McCadam did fairly we'll in the Ala:
kan gold regions, although he says h
would not advise any n to 60 Their
with a view of lettering his fortune
Dawson City, he says, isoverdone. Their
is no assurance of work, although b
worked during the summer as forema
of a crew of carpenters, receiving $40
day. In the winter he vas mine foreman
and received SIS a day. He also pro!
pected a little on his account an
brought out a couple of thousand dollar
in dust, with many relics Of the countr,
He came down on the same boat wit
Lippy, who brought $4,000. Peopl
are coming out of the gold region j
great numbers, owing to the fact tn;
they have not enough to live on anotht