The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-20
REPORTS ON THE KLONDIKE
ALGER SUBMITS REVIEW OF STTUA
IION TO CONGRESS-.
&142,00O Spent In Relief Work-Gold
Output I'm Dawson District for Is97-9s
Season VIII Not Exceed $1O,OOO,OOO-
Big Wages and Big Prices for Food
Nothing to Justify Great Rush,

Big Wages and Big Prices for Food
Nothing to Justify Great Rush.
Washington, Feb. 19.-Secretary AL
ger has transmitted to congress a COM
plete report on the relief work of the
war department in the Klondike coun-
try, undertaken under act of congress
as result of reports that extreme
distress among the miners followed the
influx to the gold country during 1897
49, 1t embraces the detailed reports of
captain e. II. Ray and Lieutenant w.
L. Richardson, who had charge of the
relief work. These latter reports give
graphic picture of the conditions in
the klondike, it's possibilities as we'll
as its hardships, with that candor char
acteristic of military reports. They pre-
sent comprehensive view of the Klon-
dixie situation. Secretary Alger in his
report of the appropriation of 100000
for the relief of mining people in Alaska
$l42O00 was spent. OF this sum $25, ,5S2
was expended on subsistence stores and
miscellaneous property.
Upon the abandonment of the relief
expedition there was transferred from
these stores to the army and Laplanders
and issued to destitute people in Alaska
supplies amounting to 6,452, exclusive
of the $31,772 paid to the Alaska Com
mercial company and the North Ameri-
can Transportation and Trading COM
pany for supplies issued from their
warehouses to the destitute by Captain
Ray. Under the authority granted to
the secretary of war by the act, sub
sistence supplies to the amount of $7,493
and quartermaster's supplies amount
ing to $9,025 were sold, which amounts
have been covered into the treasury, as
provided by law. The balance of the
stores and property is in the possession
of disbursing officers, upon which re-
turns have not yet been made. The 537
head Of reindeer were purchased and
transported from Norway to Haines
Mission, Alaska, for $63,S93, or about
$125 per head. The value, therefore, of
the 326 head delivered by the war de-
partment to the department of the in
terror, as provided by said act, was
$4o,750. For the supplies furnished to
the destitute people and miners from
the stocks of these commercial COM
panies Captain Ray received notes
from many of those who received relief,
payable to the government of the Unit
ed states and by him delivered to the
war department..
The last of the military reports is
from Lieutenant Richardson and it
sums up general conditions as follows:
'The output of gold from the Dawson
district for the past winters work
(1897-9S) will not exceed $10,0O0,000 more
conservatively estimated at from ST.
100000 to $s,0O0,O0O. I should judge the
population of Dawson to be, at the time
I left, from 10000 to $4,000, by far the
larger part of whom are still living in
tents.
Most of the small boats coming
down bring surplus of provisions, in
Guiding fresh vegetables, eggs and
fruit, and 1t is to these small, but num-
erous additions to the supply Of TIE
commercial companies that the people
owe their comfort at the present time.
A few of the prevailing prices at Daw-
son, which obtain with slight modifica-
tion at Circle and other points are $3.50
for the plainest meal (ham and eggs.
bread, butter and coffee) Beefsteak
costs extra: this Is sold to the restau-
rants at 50 per pound. stew of fresh
oysters, SO. A restaurant wine card
gives champaign $40 per quart. Wagon
and driver earn $40 per hour A good
cook SIS per day. Ordinary labor, $15O
per hour. These prices impress me as
out of all proportion to the output of
money from the country, the present
abundance Of supplies there and the
limited field of labor.
Only small proportion Of the people
now there can find steady employment,
and that phase of the situation is grow
ing daily worse. The streets are throng-
ed with a crowd of idle men. Many
belong to the class who are not looking
for work, and these, many of whom
will doubtless float down into our ter
ritory, will become troublesome and
dangerous element as the winter ap-
nroaches. unless controlled. 1t must be
said to the credit of the Canadian
mounted police that Dawson has been
and is to-day, with all it's motley popu-
Iation and vicious elements, most or
derly and law abiding town. Contrary
to report, found comparatively little
sickness there
Lieutenant Richardson also tells of
the extent of prospecting, the new
fields being worked, the new towns |
springing up etc. AS showing climate |.
conditions to be contended with he |
saws: The following average tempera-
tures were taken during the winter and
spring: -
For the month of November, 1897, Is
degrees F., taken at a. m.
December II, s degrees F., taken at
a. m.
January, 1898, "a degrees F., taken at
S d. n.
February, 1898, 30 degrees F., taken !
at a. m.
March, 1898, above degrees F., TAX
en- at a. m.
April. 1898, above SO degrees F., taken
at II m.
Nav, 1898, above 40 degrees F., taken
at 12 m.
1.-THE coolest single day was January
16 when the thermometer registered
minus 60 degrees. The coldest period
f,,@ q a1,,yto n