The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-15

winters, and for having enough to
keep their bodies and their dishes IN
healthy condition-forget It. There
are men in Alaska who haven't had a
bath in years.
When a pair first starts on pros
pecting hole their one topic of con-
versation, day and night, is what they
will strike and what they will do when
they strike it. After time neither
will dare speak the word 'gold" or
mention his hopes. 1t is peculiar how
the hard grind and the monopoly 90
to one s head.
Let a cabin run out of tobacco and
the men are more concerned than over
shortage of food AS the supply runs
low the partners will declare it is
good time to quit When it becomes
exhausted they viii pick up disgorged
cuds around the cabin, dry them and
smoke them, and when 1t IS all gone,
one or perhaps both will risk their
lives through long trips over the noun
tains to the nearest town.
Seattle prices double when the prod
uct reaches the river stores, and double
| again when they arespac ked into the
mining camps back from the river, 50
| it can be readily seen why war prices
are driving men out of Alaska by hun
dreds. When bacon reaches a dollar
pound no prospector can afford It,
| and bat few of the richest of the work
| ing claims can.
Some Of these days when the war is
| over and there is an over supply Of
diIigibles and aeroplanes, Alaska is go
| ing to have a thorough searching out
in the remote places where white men
dare not go now These fliers during
the summer season will go down the
streams to unknown places, and over
the mountains to unexplored valleys
and they will be able TO carry in
enough provisions and supplies to war
rant thorough prospecting of these far
back localities-places that absolutely
cannot be prospected now for the rea
son that the outfits cannot carry sup
plies enough over the trailless anC
toughest OF all countries to keep the
prospectors eating for a long enough
time. The fear OF starvation holds man
back from exploration. He dares no
90 farther for fear that he may no
be able to come back, that unforseel
difficulties may delay and he may starv,
| anu IICtIt-dIlu SldI NdtIou - lut on
nightmare Of the Alaskan prospector
With fiers it will be possible duriu,
the summer months to explore the grea
white wastes on the Alaskan map, I
90 up beyond the arctic circle to tn
Arctic Ocean, and to prospect ever
valley and stream. There is no doub
but what there are many strikes as ric
a. the kloudyke waiting for someon
to find them. and with air machine
making this possible Alaska will IL
doubt be thoroughly explored.
War time prices have played tn
devil with the Yukon river merchant
In these interior towns wants must b
anticipated, or guessed at, month
ahead and the goods for the comm
winter must be ordered months ahea,
!; This year the excessive prices in tn
! mining camps have forced many of ii
| small concerns, with low grade dirt,
J. quit, to simply shut down and go GU
; side until the war ends and prices Low
l. er, hence many store keeper, wit
the customary winter stock on han
finds there are very few to buy h
' goods and the bills are coming du
J. And a result will be that many dea
err with small capital and credit wi
7 90 broke