Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-08

. sends Us the following article, '
e which shows the true state OF y
= things I'm the Yukon neither so bad :
or So cheerful as various writer's '
. have portrayed them. '
A+AA4+444+++ ++++~++++%\t
O-orrespondcnce OF the Dispatch
sEAvTLE. WASH. February 15.-Much
has boon said and written of The great
and wonderful far Northwest country of
British Columbia and Alaska; tales have
l.-n told and retold which sound Ike
rters from the famous Arabian
-H,,. and but for the fact that the Mini
pts show the amount OF gold brought
..u that country the stories would bee
with the proverbial grain Of salt.
IT, must bee understood that gold can
rr picked mp from the grass roots nor
from the branches Of trees; 80
81 De- obtained by hard. earnest
M but let me proceed 20 my person
N riences.
IL.r. just arrived from Dawson. and
r.w returning. after ten days clay
.n Seattle. The people i'm the
.H. nave MUA n NNfnA ANAlNfNAiNA Va az
..rt and Importance Of Alaska. They
siam t, believe that the state is "a barren
.nl wilderness. the chief living
,.-e. I'm which are wild animals and
rs AT present there fully $500
on the Yukon. from the head Of
,. Bennett TO 81. Michael. There are
...~ sixty rivers. feeders of the Yukon,
are from 2O 10 800 miles in length.
,son can take q boat or canoe at
.h. head OF Lake Bennett and travel
.sq the yukon o distance OF 200 miles
is lust about the distance from
..v York 90 Seattle.
$50. with regard 10 the stories Of sur
and starvation I'm Dawson. Having
..... returned from there. 1 can say from
r.. r.r-.r.l knowledge and from talking
,..n tn. heads 0f the leading companies
....t.r- m chat .ountry that there are
f.r d. Dawson nd the camps near 10
r..t ... mon. than enough provisions 10
s.rr.g tts needs OF the present popula-
.. ..r. period Of eighteen months. NO
. ever starved 20 death i'm any OF
t.. mining camps on the Yukon, ana
probably never Will. for the miners OF
Alaska ana British Columbia Will divide
. AlEAA WIN - N'|
Dawson is not a baCkwoods settlement.
has the appearance of "A metropolitan
Ct,. with its electric lights, gas ights
lr. telephone system from Dawson 10
. ..adlng creeks.
There are thousands of claims when
500. PAY from IS 10 SO per day TO the
man. but provisions at his date are too
llt for these claims 20 be worked
WIN profit. A man had better be
working for wages than Try 10
-t "a living out Of a cheap
calm Of this kind. As soon as cheaI
.r.nortati0n can be had into the klon
so that provisions Will be about
ht tho price they are now. II Will pay
,U work an these claims, and they VII
Els. employment 10 thousands. CheaI
.r. quick transportation viii allow q
nan ro go into the gold regions IN th'
carly spring and come out I'm the follow
t., far Then ~thOusandsfOf miners VII
. ~ the opening of spring ana WOri
,... cheap claims, coming out III th'
aud returning home for the winter
THE country at present is IN us infancy
.. course. considerable mining has beer
.u. iu Alaska. but the area lhal ma
...n urospected is very small. AS ye'
...r have only worked three small places
t..t is Forty Mile. Birch Creek. and Nun
a.. k ON the American side, and Bonan1'
trict and "a few others i'm the VICINITY
DAWSON lu the Yukon Territory. ON tn
N dian side.
rs. wears ago one had TO endure grea
l.r...frs 10 get into or come out of th'
Alaskan cold-helds. Then it was neces
t.rE t1 puI your own sieds over the sum
r.. .t .r..k your outfit on your back,
... fortv-twO miles. Now you ar,
taken over the summit on a railroad train
rIe ais of this road inform m
f..t. t..r will. on the 18th day OF Ma,
r..f lave the road completed io th'
head Of Lake Bennett. Then no NOR
.n. ON the way 10 the YUKON
W... navigation opens, about that GATE
freight rates will average ABOUT
,.r.. per pound from Skaguay TO LAX
...tt. The present freight rates lloi
quay % Lake Bennett are ABOUT VI
Cents per pound. one year ago the TAT
a uJ cents per pouhu.
Wbare d after crossing h sulnmit'
f.e Yukon pilgrim took a "hlps"" O."
sawed out his own lumber 10 buid Il Doa.
l.w he win step aboard "a steamer an
l.te. % the Klondike In style
Ihe OUTPUT OF gold for next summe
.rum the bonanza District Will more Una
double last years output, when mean
ANW 600 or $25.00,oOO.
Dawson. al the present time, Is oVeiiu
with lahOr.ng men, fully hNe men 10
e-el job. II they would travel nlhet
short miles from Dawson. into the Amer
.a territory. they would find good dls
e. there that have been worked 10
y.ca and which were abandoned durln|
H. klOudike excitement. Now peopl
ate hoCking back there again.
Forty Mile Camp Is in Canadian terri
try A short distance below Fort.
NIe ls American creek. at the mouth @
Which Eagle city was established las
tmmer. 1t now has 1000 population. tn
Geek. from latest reports. Is turning on
sI and Eagle city Will probably b.
',e headquarters Of the United states
hoops.
Two hundred miles below IS Circle City
Supply camp for the Birch-Creek DIS
trlct. This Is the richest camp on tn
boom to-day Al MunOOk creek gOOs
Cse.ngs have been struck, and lots o
miners have gone up The Tanana, th'
IUreupine. and the Kuyukom, each %
tt. three last named being over six hun
orci miles long. There Is a new distric
called Atlln. or which / hear great re-
pofts. but am unable 70 verify them, no
having been i'm this part OF the country.
Alaska Is the coming tourist route o
TAO world. a person can leave New NOrl
ana ln fifteen DAYS arrive at DAWSON
Northwest Territory. His time VIII D'
divided az follows: i've days IN cross
lng the United states from he Atlantic
oeahoard 90 Seattle, Wash; I'VE dayi
travelling by vessels from Seattle TO SKA
quay, including transfer; three hours
.m SKnguay 10 Lake Bennett wa
NJ IiNT NuNa Qua XHI-s fAffa and Forty.