The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-26
THE GROWTH OF DAWSON
A Thriving Commercial Centre
With Modern Improvements.
The City Presents IL Marked Contrast
to the settlement of IS9S-Spien-
didIy Equipped Stores, Electric
lights and Good Hotels - Few
Houses for Rent-Wages of Miners.

The following story of the remarkable
growth of Dawson, British Columbia, and
prediction as TO its outlook has been sent
to the State Department by Consul Nc
Cock
Dawson today present a marked con-
trast to the Dawson OF 1898. Then no one,
except possibly the judge On the beach
wore a white shirt. The town was
thronged with miners, with packs on their
backs, prospecting for gold. The streets
were veritabIe mudholes. Today people
dress much as they do in cities of the
United States: it is unusual TO see man
with pack On his back. and one can walk
ever the town with polished shoes with
out getting them soiIed.
TO one just coming in Dawson presents
no appearance of a mining town, but seems
a thriving commercial centre, with rows
of sDIendfdly equipped stores, substantial
wharves and warehouses, good hotels, and
streets lighted with electricity. Electric
railroads are promised by New Year.
There are fewer houses in Dawson for
rent at the present time than since it was
a tented field, Notwithstanding the fact
that over S500,000 have been spent this
summer in new buildings Many new
frame buildings. Public schools have been
opened and are well attended. About Oc-
tobeT l We viii have direct communication
by telegraph via Vancouver and Victoria,
British Columbia thus avoiding the delay
by steamers carrying the messages from
Seattle or Vancouver TO Skagway.
Dawson is crowded just now. more
coming than going. Several hundred have
come back from Nome to make Dawson
their future home. Miners wages are
now about 81 per day.
The Government at Ottawa, it is re-
ported, will offer for sale at public
auction in Dawson every claim that has
reverted to it by lapse or otherwise, and
thirty days thereafter all claims not sold
Will be declared open for location.
The output of gold has been increas-
ing, in spite OF the fact that the average
values of the gravels worked have been
steadily declining, the richest mines hav-
ing been worked first. However, in the
mean me the cost of working has been
decreasing, which enables properties to
be worked that would not have yielded
profits in 1897 and 1898. There should be
continued output OF from fifteen to
twenty millions a year for many years to
come, if the expenses of working are
further reduced. The main causes for the
high cost of working at present are as fol-
lows:
20 Combination on the part of mer-
chants and trades 10 keep up prices. There
are in Dawson a great many people who
make a business Of watching the market,
forming corners, and raising prices. 1t is
not uncommon 20 see the price Of staple
articles of food double or treble in value
within tweHty-four hours.
"(2,1 High cost of transportation from
Skagway to Dawson OF by sea and up the
Yukon River TO Dawson.
"(3) Bad condition of the roads ard con-
sequent excessive freight rates TO the
mines. At times it is absolutely impossi-
BILE to take freight along the main creeks
except on mule back. This prevents the
moving of machinery and involves delay
The average rate OF freight from Dawson
to the mines during the summer, when it
was lower than it had ever been before,
was from 8 to 10 cents per pound, accord
ing TO distance, or from $50 to $500 per
ton. However, the Government is making
roads on several of the creeks, and these
viii afford considerable relief
90 Unsatisfactory mining regulations,
which cause many disputes as to title and
heavy cost for settlement This is due to
having regulations here more applicable H.
other districts, but the Government is now
taking steps to reform these matters.
'(5.) A charge OF 10 per cent on the gross
output of any claim over $4,000 per year
is made. This, with the miners license,
recording fee and other Government
charges, prevents the working Of great
many mines.
IS. There can be no doubt that gam
bling has done very much toward retard-