The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-08-11
Tell Heartrendlng Stories Of the Aardshlps
They Endured.
Strongly Denounce the Trading
and Transportation Companies,
as Well as the Canadian Off
Gals and Newspapers That Pro-
fusely Advertised the Route as
a Feasible One to the Klondike
Gold Fields.

RANGEL (AlaSka), Aug. via
Seattle, Aug. 1O.-The Stickeen River
steamer Strathcona arrived here to-
day with thirty survivors of the Ed
monitor Trail, among them being H.
Fenk and G. Gaffney Of Los Angeles.
These unfortunates tell heartrending
stories of hardships endured, comrades
lost and abandoned, and strongly de-
nounce the trading and transportation
companies, as we'll as the Canadian offl-
Gals and newspapers that so profusely
advertised this route as feasible one
to the Klondike gold fields.
To outward appearances, these men
certainly give evidence of the awful
sufferings undergone since leaving Ed
monitor eighteen months ago. Most of
them are sickly looking, with unkempt
boards and greasy clothes-pictures OF
physical and financial wrecks. Several
are prematurely gray and bear the
marks of Scurvy.
A few have just enough money to
reach Seattle or Victoria, but the ma
jority are without funds The citizens
of Wrangel have appealed to the Unit
ed States Government at Washington,
but up to this time no aid has been
received.
There are now about twenty-five des-
titute miners here. Many had narrow
from Fort Simpson to Mud River and
Fort Laird.
1t is estimated that there are still
more than 100 men scattered along the
trail between Laird post and the Pelly
banks, and relief parties have been sent
out by the Hudson Bay Company. The
last reports brought to Laird post
were that many were dying of scurvy
and hunger.
1t is estimated that there are thirty
or forty sufferers at Telegraph Creek
awaiting the next trip of the boat. The
sick that had to be carried on stretch-
ers had not yet reached Glenora when
the Strathcona sailed. Several starva-
ton cases are reported. About twenty
miles above Devils Portage two un-
known men were found frozen to death
last winter. A man bearing the name
of Johnson from New York was found
dead in a tent near the source of the
Mud River last fall. This poor fellow
had as covering only half of a
blanket, and in a diary still open and
in his handwriting were these words
opposite to the date of February 10.
1897: ct died of hunger"
All along the route from Fort Simp-
son, on the Mckenzie River, to Fort
Laird men with frozen limbs were as
sisted, while some, too weak to help
themselves, were necessarily left be-
hind by those more fortunate and able
to struggle along. Scurvy ragged in all
the camps more or less, but there are
few deaths from this disease reported.
A number of Canadians who attempt
ed a crosscut land trail from Fort
Simpson to Fort Francis last fall have
never been heard from. and it is likely
that they persisted. Beaupre was the
name of one of these men and he hailed
from Ontario
Provisions We're scarce and high at
all the military posts last winter, and
at several, including Laird Post and
Fort Francis, even the postmen were
put on short rations during the months
of April and May of this year. Flour
sold at $50 per sack, bacon % cents
per pound, and beans % cents per
quart This made up the daily menu
for several weeks. Many owe their
lives to the relief party under Scott
Simpson, sent out by the Cosca Trad
ing Company that reached Laird Post
on May 23d. This party left Laketon
in March, and made most perilous
trip across Dease Lake with dogs. AS
the ice broke up one of this rescuing
party was drowned. and nearly all the
dogs and sleds were lost.
The majority of the returning gold
seekers took the Mckenzie water south
from Edmonton. Coarse gold was found
in several small streams, and gold col
ors were often seen, though not in suffi-
cient quantity to work.