Evening star., 1899-04-06
GOOD FOR RICH AND POOR
Consul hoOoORs VieH of the Yukon Mining
Region.
The Weather of the Past Winter Has
Been Pleasant Surprise to Peo-
pie at Dawson City.


progress of events III the Yukon country
during the past winter are related in a re-
port just received at the State Department
from Consul McCock at Dawson City. He
says: i--
THE weather for the past three months
has been pleasant surprise to the people
who have spent their first winter here. The
coolest weather was between the Sth and
18th of November. the thermometer regis
tering 40 degrees to 30 degrees below zero.
The month of December was ideal winter
weather, the Thermometer then only regis
tering around zero, and there being no wind,
so to speak, the air was pleasant as in
November weather in the middle states. In
January we had a couple of weeks of very
cold weather, but nothing to be dreaded
when one is warmly clad, with the extrem
tiles of the body well protected against
frost bites. While there have been great
many cases of frozen limbs and amputation
is sometimes necessary, such cases mostly
came from long-continued exposure on par
ticularly cold days, or from exhaustion or
getting the feet wet on stampedes.
Stampede Started at Midnight.
"Stampeding to relocate claims where
owners failed to do the necessary repre-
sentation work, or to some reported locality
said to be good has been very frequent all
winter. The majority of such stampedes,
ic"tNel, ptoNcu lOl ihS1eihNC, III
the first week of January stampede took
place from Dawson down the Yukon river,
on which some 300 men and women started
at midnight. among whom were some we'll
known rich mine owners, who would not
be expected to go out stampeding unless
they had some information of positive
character. Any one who could get a dog
or two and sled and some provisions to-
gether started. After travelling all night
council of war was held by those who were
in the secret of the coveted locality. Heads
were counted, and, finding there were more
in camp than there could possibly be claims
to stake, the leaders concluded not TO go
farther, but to Starye out those Who had
brought only few days provisions along.
Many came back to Dawson for more pro-
visions and started off again in the effort
to regain their former position. Finally the
leaders made an onward movement up
creeks. across divides and hills, and, nav
ing 10 make new trails in the snow. unfortu-
nately lost the proper direction to the sup
posed goal. They had, therefore. to beat
a retreat to Dawson returning footsore and
weary. and many with frosted limbs. after
q week of fruitless search. There have
been, however, some successful reloeations
of good claims this winter. which Will pay
the possessors handsomely for all the
trouble and hardships they have undergone
Winter Preferable to Summer.
THE winter here as a whole, in my judg
ment, Is preferable to summer, as travelling
over the creeks and trails is much easier.
1t is not uncommon occurrence for one
to travel from fifty to sixty miles in sin
gle day with a couple. of dogs, starting at
daylight and completing the trip the same
evening In summer one must traverse
bog and morass wade through streams,
and frequently get into muck UP to the
waist, in going from nhere to the diggings
on Dominion and other creeks.
THE was lost sight of in Dawson on
the 9Th of December, disappearing from
view behind the hills and not reappearing
again until the 1th ofaFJanuary. The dark
of winter days. like the coldness of
this arctic region. has been very much eX-
aggerated. There has been good daylight
from 8 am. to p.m.:,r of course, in offices
and stores lights had to be burned all day,
with the exception ofea couple of hours at
midday This happily lasted but couple
of weeks" u
Fortunes for Men with Capital.
Consul McCook says: Many people who
have had lays or leases on claims, and
who failed after couple Of months to find
sufficient to pay, have quit and gone out over
the ice; goodly number have turned their
faces toward Alaska. To those who have
means to keep them couple of years,
Alaska will be found, after all, to be the
poor mans mining country, as when one
finds ground there he gets sufficient of it
twenty acres-to warrant his staying There
Is vast extent of placer mining. ground
In Alaska where man can get out, with
pick and shovel, one to four ounces of
gold per day. Great fortunes could be
reaped by companies who would buy up
mining ground already located In Alaska
and introduce modern mining machinery.
Forty Mile district Seventy Mile district.
the Tanana district near Circle City and
others open for such enterprise. 1t
takes capital; but capital, II put in the
right districts in Alaska, will be amply re-
paid. / have before me Il reliable list of
twelve claims prospected in the Seventy
Mile district, Alaska, all averaging almost
three ounces of gold per man per day. This
territory, with modern machinery, would
be most valuable