Evening star., 1900-11-26
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.

| 1.-THE talk about exhausting the coal sup
ply of America is the greatest nonsense
said Representative Sibley of Pennsylvania.
! at the Shoreham. "It is, however, stern
| reality in Europe. The collieries there have
| now reached such a depth that 1t Is very
| extensive to take out any sort of coal, and
the methods employed in mining operations
there are, to the American, Of an ancient
| and almost historic type. I believe 1t would
be possible for America to export 4O,OOO,oOo
tens of coal annually to the markets OF
Europe, pay the freight thereon and still
be able to compete with the prices row ex-
| tsting there. This would be an easy means
| of money making for Americans and God
| send to the miners Of this country, VINO
| would receive more wages for their WORK,
and would be another vast factor IN tne
| production of an annual balance OF trade IN
| cur favor. The coal supply in the noun
| tains of eastern Kentucky and western Vlr-
| ginia is practically inexhaustible. l. kno"
! personally Of clear veins of coal Whlcn ex-
| tend to a height of more than forty feet
| These regions are undeveioped Tor the very
| good reason that there are no railroads
| running through them, and until means ol
| transportation are furnished these mines
must remain idle and undeveloped
"To a person who has never experienced
! the rigors of an Alaskan winter the haro-
ships and sufferings of the gold hunter are
| inconceivable," said Mr.. NJ. F. Catlett, at
| the Raleigh.
with the improved means of transporta-
| ton the trip from Dawson to Circle City is
a dangerous one but before the rush to the
gold fields began one took his life in his
hands with small prospect of ever being
| able to hand it back again, If he attempted
the trip during the midwinter months
| will never forget the attempt l made to get
| through in the winter Of 81. Our party
| consisted of myself and two companions
and we left Dawson with what we consld-
cred ample supplies: We started IN August
| with our outfit the back of mule we
| Travelled the first 100 miles without mlshap,
but on the Sd of September we ran into a
| dense snow storm, and then our troubles pc
gan The mule soon showed signs OF giving
| out, and, in order to prevent this catas-
trophe We agreed to divide among the three
| of us a portion of his load. In this way we
travelled all day of the 9Th, but do not be-
| Iieve we made more than five miles, as the
| mule was continually falling down and
seemed unable TO help himself.
| The climax of our woes was reached the
next day While travelling along the banks
| of a river the mule slid down the embank
ment and went through the ice. Every
thing in the way OF food was lost, save {, a
few pounds Of dry biscuit. We worked all
| day to get the mule out, but after getting
him up the embankment we discovered that
| he was in such condition that ne would
|
| lost in the river we concluded to shoot the
mule and use his carcass for food.
| 1--WE now had only our blankets and wa
| ter-soaked biscuit and portion of the mule,
| and the weather having cleared, we made
| good progress the next day. On the follow
| ing day, however, we again ran into snow
storm and lost way completely. We
| wandered around the vast waste for three
days, and finally brought up at the spot
where We had killed the mule. Having very
| little of our outfit left, and our feet having
fn
| Gil of war we concluded to turn back. We
| divided UP the food and concluded that, for
the sake OF speed we mad abb, better abandon abandon
use of the remaining food, We were forced
| to live on twigs and bark during the greater
| part of the last three days of the return
journey. We finally reached Dawson after
| intense suffering, and were about as sorry
| looking outfit as you ever saw
Mr.. Catlett has spent many years in Alas
| ka and the northern portion Of Canada. and
| is considered an expert on placer mining
IT have noticed no material change in the
eastern situation since left Hong Kong
said Mr.. Welsey Clifford; that is, the news
columns of the papers have contained moth
ing to lead me to change the impression I
| had about the situation when I left there
Unless I am badly fooled with regard to
Russias intentions she will surely demand
slice of territory which will put her troops
in position to descend upon Pelxin at a mo-
ment's notice, and am satisfied that Eng
land will never agree to the cession, and
an international conflict will be precipi-
tated. Notwithstanding the diplomatic Ian
guage employed by the government ofiicials
and the correspondents In describing the
situation of the allied troops, the fact re-
mains that the camps Of the different ma
lions are almost as hostile to each other
as though an armed truce existed instead
of concerted action by the powers
II do not think It possible for the Chi
nese government to meet the demands OF
the powers for Indemnity, and the senti-
Enent among the foreigners located In China
favors the course Of the United States
that Of creating as little expense as pcs.
sible."
Mr.. Clifford Is stopping At the Ebbitt, and
iS cOuuectod with large fAa axuorffr1n intar.