Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-20
Army Officers Report on the Klondike
Region.
sFAKED FOR SPECULATIVE PURPOSES
Work Being Done Only to Hold
the Title.
LAND OF THE FAR FUTURE

Secretary AIger has transmitted to Con-
gress a complete report on the relief work
of the War Department in the Klondike
country, undertaken under act of Congress,
as a result of reports that extreme dis
tress among the miners followed the influx
to the gold country during 1S97-9S. 1t en-
braces the detailed reports of Capt. P. H.
Ray and Lieut.. w. P. Richardson, who had
charge of the relief work. Many of the
military reports have not before been
given, and as a whole they present COM
prehensive review of the Klondike situa-
ton.
The last of the military reports is from
Lieut.. Richardson, and is dated July last.
1t sums up general conditions as follows:
Good Order in Dawson.
THE output of gold from the Dawson
district for the past winters work C97-'9S)
will not exceed ten millions of dollars,
mora cOrservatively estimated at from
seven and half to eight millions. l should
judge the population of Dawson to be, at
the time l left, from twelve to fifteen
thousand, by far the larger part of whom
are still living in tents. Small boats arrive
continually from the upper river, averag-
ing, during one tWentyfOur hours, in which
they were counted, one for every eight
minutes
Most Of the small boats coming down
bring a surplus of provisions, including
fresh vegetables, eggs and fruit, and it is
to these small but numerous additions to
the supply of the commercial companies
THAT the people owe their comfort at the
present time. A few of the prevailing
prices at Dawson, which obtain with slight
modification at Circle and other points,
arr $50 for the planest meal (ham and
eSgS, bread butter and coffee. Beefsteak
costs eXtra-this is sold,io the restaurants
at 81 per pound. A stew of fresh oysters,
So. a restaurant wine card gives: Cham
payne, $40 per quart, so per pint; ale, 50
per bottle. pair of horses, wagon and
driver earn SO per hour: a good cook $15
per day; ordinary labor, S1.5O per hour.
These prices impress me as out of all pro-
PORTION to the output of money from the
country, the pres Mt abundance of supplies
there and the limited field of labor.
Only a small proportion of the people
now there can find steady employment, and
that phase of the situat ton is growing
daily worse. The stree is are thronged with
class who are not looking for work and
these, many of whom will doubtless float
down into our territory. will become
troublesome and dangerous element as the
winter approaches, unless controlled 1t
must be said to the credit of the Canadian
mounted police that Dawson has been and
is today, with all it's motley population and
vicious clements, most orderly and law
&C mparatively little sickness there"
Some Average Temperatures
Lieut.. Richardson also tells of the extent
of prospecting, the new leads being worked
the new towns springing up, etc AS show
Ing climate conditions to be contended with
he says:
The following average temperatures We're
taken during the winter and spring:
For the month Of
November, 1897, 1so F., taken am
december. 1897 s. F., taken am.
January. 1898. PAP F.. taken am
February. 1898. 90 F., taken am
March, 1898 above &c F., taken am
April, 1895, above 36o F.. taken II M
May, 1898, above 49o F., taken II m.
The coolest single day was January &c.
when the thermometer registered minus 60
degrees. The coolest period of seven days
was from February is to 30. exclusive
when the thermometer showed an average
of 80 II degrees below. No severe weather
was experienced after the end of Febru-
ary.'
ID