The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-21
ANACONDA NEWS.
!. THE BOYS IN KL0ND|KE
They Are Doing Very Well, Says
Il Charles II. Smith.
I BURNETT CUTTING STEAKS
Still With Tim Callahan-Dan Carmichael
and Several Others Have Good
v Things With No. 20 Eldo-
e,FE RADIO Claim.
BURNETT CUTTING STEAKS

\ Charles III. Smith. "Tamale of Ana
Feonda,' an old resident of this city,
FWrites the following letter to the Stand
ard from Dawson City, in which the
{ condition of affairs in Alaska are pre-
isented:
Dawson City, Dec. 13.-Editor Ana
Econda Standard: l have taken the re-
#sponsibility upon myself to write you
avicinity. I will give you a description
!, Of DAWSON from the first of August up
town SIN the swim" nearly all the
I mines were through with the wash-up.
4 Some of the mine owners had taken the
4 first boats down the Yukon with their
7 sacks of gold, while others remained
till later to arrange for this season.
Dawson was crowded to the brim with
"cheehok6Ass"s, SO called by old Yukon
pioneers, but better known as "tender-
feet by Montana cowboys. and very
appropriate name for the majority of
them.
Approaching Dawson townsite we
could obtain a splendid view from the
river and it was beautiful sight to
look upon. The fiat and adjacent hill
sides We're literally covered with tents,
! also the peach and sand bars We're
dotted with canvas. while great many
j had pitched tent on their boats. Along
the river bank the boats were ten tier
deep from shore, making it almost i'm
possible for another to land I'VE pull
X ed into Lousetown, since called Klon-
dixie city. Dawson townsite is on the
north side of Klondilke river. The prin-
cipal part of the town is built on
glacier, or has been at one time, but
age has made a deposite of muck on
top averaging, in thickness from IS in
ches to four feet. In the summer months
you go to your knees in mud and water.
In regard to sanitary conditions of the
town. it would be forgery on truth
to say anything in its favor.
Without doubt it is filthy place
and capable of breeding most any kind
of an epidemic from the smallpox to
the seven years itch. Typhoid fever
was prevailing last summer and fall.
You could see at any hour of the day
stretcher with one of its victims going
to the hospital, or cemetery. If they do
not improve conditions this spring there
VIII be lot more go to their home be-
yond Jordan this coming season
y There is one consolation in dying in
this country. They put you in cold
& storage; If they dig you up twenty
j years afterWard you are in fine preser-
& vatien, look as natural as life. So much
SO that all of your old partners will
: want to grasp your hand and ask you
where you have been so long and if YOU
have made any rich strikes.
On the resurrection day all the Maker
will have to say is presto change and
up pops the old timer in his orig
inal form and self only little worse
Y off for wear, and not quite up-to-date.
with probably a few icicles in his
whiskers. but with a little shaking up
q nf of 10 IL;
he will be ready to don a pack and start
up Bonanza to discover a new Eldcrado
Dawson has some good substantial log
buildings, such as hotels, saloons and
theaters. The N. A. 7. & T. Co and
A. c. Co. have large stores and ware
provisions Like all similar enterprises
in a new country they have practically
monopoly. They get a corner on GER
tain articles such as butter, sugar, milk
and other necessities of life, and charge
fabulous. prices. Butter 50, sugar so
cents milk 70 cents per can. Lumber
at one time last summer was selling at
$3.50 per thousand. After the fire it
jumped to $780,
While Dawson boasts of being the
richest placer camp in the world, it is
also maintaining the best order of any
mining camp of it's size. 1t is fact
that the mounted police do keep good
street you get go days and he gets 30
days for being one, and if you take one
drink too much of, Klondike boose you
get 10 hours on the barrack wood pile.
With no possible means of escape from
crime, good order prevails. The min
ing laws and royalties are something err
roneous, and also some of her most
high and honorable officials are too cor
rupt to live within bounds of civiliza-
ton.
If you stake claim you have to give
some of the officials an interest in order
to record, II not they will tell you there
Is another5 applicant, and for you to call
in ten days time and they will look the
matter up in the meantime they. will
send sonle one to stake over you, and
that is recgrded a t once, so have been
told, and at the expiration of ten days
you return to file on your claim, they
tell You it Is recorded and that you will
have to enter a protest, and you could
not win a case in thousand years.
The queens own subjects are the worst
'kickers'' on the mining laws in here.
For instance they collect $40 from each
resident in the city for wood that they
have to go, down the Yukon three miles
and pull up on hand sled, $40 for a
permit to cut a set of cabin logs. 1t is
reported they are going to collect roy
atty on the air we breathe. Oh, if the
good old stars and stripes were floating
over Dawson, there would be a hot
time in tie, old town every night.
If the reports are true that we get
from the American side, the officials
-