The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-16
WRITES FROM YUKON
George Hayford Once in Bust
ness in This City
TELLS INTERESTING STORY
How Gold Seekers are Getting
Along in the Klondike.

When the Klondike fever first struck this
city and while many were planning to close
| out their business and start for the POD
fields, George Hayford, one of the best
known restaurateurs in Wichita, found a
customer TO buy him out sooner than some
Of the others. and in a few weeks was
fulI-fedged Klondiker and sent word back
of his safe arrival in the cold arctic re-
gions. Several other communications
have been received since, and the last one,
dated December IS. 1898. reached the city
yesterday addressed to the Eagle. The
following is the letter:
Dawson City, Yukon Territory,
December IS, 1895.
To the Editor Of the Eag.e.
Dear Sir-This being Sunday, and a
gloomy day, my thoughts have carried me
back to Wichita and I thought I would
drop you few lines.
We are just in from Birthstone creek.
fifty miles from Dawson. Going out we
went by way of Bonanza and Eldorado
creeks, and coming back we took the other
route, by way of Hunker, Gold Bottom
and Klondike. There has been several
good strikes made on Sulphur Hunker and
Victoria, also on Dominion and Gold Run
On Victoria gulch they have got S25 to the
pan on No. II. This gulch is a pup Of
Bonanza, coming in at No. A. above dis
covery. The benches along Eldorado and
Bonanza are turning out we'll Many of
them are richer than the creek claims.
French Hill leads them ALL A little point
of a bench, projecting farther than any
other portion of the bench-not over 200
feet square-has surprised the world. This
is opposite No. IS Eldorado Just below
French Hill. where the pay stops, is plain
ly visible to anyone that a huge slide has
taken place some time. 1t landed right
into No. II (Swift Water Bills c.aim), one
of the richest claims on Eldorado.
1t is a great mystery to most people how
all this gold was deposited on the sides
fthese mountains. Practical men say
that at some time a river ran along the
same level that this bench now occupies,
and that some sudden eruption caused it
to change its course and left its old chan
mel high and dry on the mountain side.
But it doesn't matter. the gold is here.
1 have seen Sc washed out of a single quart
Of gravel from French Hill. Yes. this is
a fact, for l saw it with my own ewes.
They have taken out millions and there
will be millions more taken out for this
is rich country. But it's case where
there are too many crackers in the soup.
There are too many people here now. Re
member that all these rich claims have
owners. and they will not part with them
unless you put up fifty or one hundred
thousand dollars. Now the poor man with
a six-month grub stake and a hundred or
two dollars can't touch these Gains. He
must go farther away and prospect for
himself. There are many creeks and
gulches all around this gold district that
are yet undeveloped. Many of them will
no doubt turn out good, but it is very I'M
certain. man should be financially and
physically able to meet with total failure
in order to get back TO his family or
friends. There are not jobs enough to go
around. Out of ten men not over three
can get work. Wages are good, IS to SO
a day, but that don't count to the man
that cant get the job.
Now, about the man that goes prospect
ing. To the best OF my knowledge not
over 10 per cent strike pay, and not over
5 per cent strike it rich. There are many
going out over the ice. Two or three
thousand, I am told have already gone
Do you know what they will have to en-
dure? Many will never reach the coast
The majority of them will get through but
they will not forget the trip soon.
The thermometer registers anywhere
from 20 to 60 degrees below from this time
until March. We have already had 50
weather. in the latter part of November
There were five or six frozen to death dur
ing that cold spell. 1 merely mention these
things to show a man what he will, have
to contend with in making a trip to this
1t is hard enough to get in here !
when you have plenty of money, but it is !
ten times harder to get out when you get
broke; so think twice before you start, |
and then don't start at all.
Dawson City has a population Of about |
20 600 people. and is a very quiet and order |
~ town for of its kind. There are prob |
ably about eight or ten thousand people !
out on the different creeks mining. All |
these people get their supplies at Dawson, |
and a man can't haul on a sled more than /
30 pounds. unless ne has dogs; so that /
compels the most of them TO make trip |
about once month. and there are great |
many coming and going al the time. II |
keeps the trails open and in good condition !
All the time. There are plenty of bunk |
houses on all of the trails. 50 there is no I
danger Of being caught in cod snap
without shelter. You can call AT any mi |
ner's cabin for nights lodging and they |
will never say no. I suppose il is be-
cause misery loves company.
I viii quote you some prices here on grub |
as ii is selling now: Flour. 50-pound sack. |
S; bacon. 40c per pound; beans I5c; coffee.
Zoe; sugar (scarcel. Coo: butter. $50: po-
.atoes tfrozen), soc per pound; onions. SOC 4
per pound: Scar tobacco. 8 per pound: /
beef from 10 10 6oc per pound; moose
meat. soc; caribou. 75c.