Mohave County miner., 1901-10-05
The Graveyard of the North.


and thereby brought down upon its
head storm of abuse and vituperation
from number of Pacific coast papers
located in port towns that we're being
greatly benefited by the Klondyke
rush. But the two years which have
elapsed since then have fully corrob-
GRATED with awful percision, the cor
rectness of that warning. Hundreds
and thousands of miners have met
death In its most horrible forms in the
northern ice fields and today the Klon
dixie gold fields are literally the grave
yard of the Arctic zone.
A California miner writing from the
far north has told some unpalatable
truths about the Klondike. He writes
dispassionately and treats the subject
from the basis of the fact, alone. He
says that II the same energy we're used
In developing mine at home that is
required to bring forth producer at
Dawson it would result in many times
over to the advantage of the states
miner. He says:
"There are already 10 men to each
chance Of employment, and there are
a number of men here now begging for
work.
ain the winter there is no work to
be had. There are three months in
the year In which mining can be ac-
complished--July, August and Septem-
ber The remaining nine months bring
no income. Shovelers out on the creeks
are paid So per day and board for 10
hours work, and at some places they
get their pay, provided it is taken out
Of the claim. 1t will cost one man 5O0s
to winter here. Every steamer from
the outside comes In here loaded with
hundreds Of men, and very few OF them
have enough money to last them over a
month. The business houses of Nome
are not doing the business that Cali.
fornia mother lode town would do.
The money in circulation now comes
from Dawson and the states. There is
creeks up to this date
"The country has been well covered
and there is not a spot of ground un-
staked in the district. l have just
come in from 80. mile rush and find
it staked to the mountain tops. There
is vast territory here, but it is not
all gold. The creeks are very spotted.
There are few good creeks about FIVE
miles from here that have proved very
rich. Anvil creek where the first dis
coveries we're made, comprises 13
claims, Dexter, Snake, Glacier, Dry and
few other creeks are very short and
comprise the cream of this district.
Think 1t reached its zenith this last
season.
"The beach is now being worked over
for the third time mostly by men who
have been out on the, creeks and found
their claims no good. The beach sands
all carry fine gold-so fine that silver
plates are necessary. Two men and
myself rocked on the beach all day
and cleaned up 1.70s-and we had as
good prospect as any Of the others.
"Stam impeding and stalking in the win
ter has proved very unsatisfactory, as
the whole country is covered with
snow and ice and no prospecting can
be done.
II Is always sad to contemplate the
loss of fortune or even the failure OF
the hopes Of the fortune seeker; but
this Is matter of no consequence in
comparison with the terrible loss OF
life that the gold rush has caused
When this fact was brought out in ar
editorial in these columns fully two
years ago, the Seattle papers flew tc
arms and berated all Colorado papers
individually and collectively, for being
actusted by q selfish motive to keel
deserving miners from indulging il
the chance to win wealth aplenty il
the promising Klondike fields- Nov
they must face the stern facts that 1
was the sensational and falsifying re
ports published In those Seattle paper
that caused the death Of hundreds o
American miners. And for what? Mere
ly that trade might be drawn to Seat
tie which was the largest outfittinl
point Of the coast. Was the spirit o
.commercialism ever more criminal.
mpantf-Denver Record.