All about the Klondyke gold mines Part 7

The natives make a fur coat, with hood attached, called a "parka," but it is clumsy for a white woman to wear who has been accustomed to fitted garments. Leggings and shoes are not so safe nor desirable as the moccasins. A trunk is not the thing to transport baggage in. It is much better in a pack, with the oilskin cover well tied on. The things to add that are useful, but not absolutely necessary, are chocolate, coffee and the smaller light luxuries.

VALUABLE EXPERT ADVICE.

A MINING ENGINEER'S WARNINGS AND SUGGESTIONS.

The New York Herald is authority for the statement that few persons in the mining world are more intimately acquainted with all its features than Mr. William Van Stooten, mining engineer and metallurgist. Besides being President of the South American Developing Company, which works the gold mines of Ecuador, he has relations with all the great gold mines of the world. To Mr. Van Stooten it appears that the gold discoveries in the Klond.y.k.e regions are the most important that have ever been made.

"Of course," he says, "there is a tendency to exaggeration in these matters which must always be discounted. It is well to bear in mind that the author of Munchausen was what was known in his day as a mining adventurer. Herr Rapp was a German who went over to England to develop the copper mines there. The nature of his business may have stimulated his imagination to the marvellous flights of that bit of fiction. But after making all possible allowances for exaggeration there is an obvious residuum of truth in the reports that come from the Yukon basin.

And that residuum indicates something more extraordinary than anything recalled by a backward glance at the facts of 'forty-nine.'

"No such specifically large amounts of gold were taken out by individuals during any similar period of California gold hunting. Two months of work in the water has realized more than any six months heretofore known in the history of gold mining. We know that Ladue, the Alaska trader, has actually taken in fabulous wealth in the natural course of his business.

"We had long been aware that there was gold in the Yukon basin, but the total output for the last ten years before the Klond.y.k.e developments amounted to not more than a million dollars' worth at the utmost. Now, within two months, five millions have been taken out of the Klond.y.k.e regions. It took the first eight months of work in California to pan out that amount under infinitely more favorable conditions of climate and weather. That is a straw worth noting.

"There are just two ways at present, each of which has its advantages and its disadvantages. You may go by way of the Pacific Ocean and the Yukon River. From Seattle to St. Michael's takes two weeks. In the right season it takes two weeks more to sail up the Yukon from St. Michael's to Circle City. As the waters along the way are very shallow only flat-bottom side-wheelers can accomplish the voyage. Above Circle City the waters become too shallow even for this sort of craft. It is three hundred miles from Circle City to the scene of the latest discoveries.

These hundred miles can only be covered by walking. Dog sleds draw all the necessary munitions. Reindeer, as well as dogs, have been tried successfully, and probably the deer will eventually supersede the canines.

"The other route, by way of Juneau, involves a tramp of seven hundred miles to the Klond.y.k.e. But in the warm season it is possible to traverse a large part of the distance in canoes through the congeries of lakes, all connected by more or less navigable streams."

"When would you advise prospective gold diggers to start by either St.

Michael's or Juneau?"

"Under all circ.u.mstances they should wait until the approach of next spring. It is too late in the season to think of going now. It is true that the distance from Juneau to the Klond.y.k.e can be made in sleds and snowshoes. But if the voyagers arrive on the spot after the middle of September they will find it entirely impossible to do any prospecting.

The creeks are frozen and covered with snow. No clew to the presence of gold can be found. Now, even if the diggers arrive in June it may take them weeks or months to locate a desirable claim. But, once located, they can continue their work even in the depth of winter. Great fires are built around the claim, which are kept continually burning. Thus the ground is thawed out for digging during the winter months and is made ready for the reappearance of the sun and the inflowing of the waters.

Then the dirt can be treated in pans or long toms. Owing to these peculiar difficulties it is likely that the place will continue one for poor man's mining and will be not be monopolized by capital."

"You advise people to wait until Spring. But don't you think the cream of the claims will be skimmed next year?"

"Not at all. One hundred thousand people might disperse themselves in the Yukon gold-bearing grounds and hardly know of the presence of neighbors. There may be other diggings over this vast area quite as good as the Klond.y.k.e diggings. As in all the gold mining regions, diggings everywhere vary considerably in value. It is not improbable even that the late comers will take up the abandoned was.h.i.+ngs of the earlier men and do well with them. This frequently happened in California. As settlements grow up and the facilities for comfortable living and effective work increase, it is possible that gold may be found in places where it was never dreamed of. There is no doubt that eventually a number of valuable ledges will be found, but the bulk of the gold will come from placers. This is nature's process for concentrating gold from the quartz ledges. You know, however, what is the natural course of development in newly discovered gold fields?"

"Well, here it is. First come the men with pans to gather in the riches that lie on the surface. It is possible for an active man to wash out a cubic yard, or 100 pounds of pay dirt in a day.

"Next follow a.s.sociations of miners using 'Long Toms' and cradles.

"The third stage takes the form of hydraulic mining, by means of water brought from long distances.

"Fourth, and last, comes quartz mining under ground.

"This is the sequence that has always occurred. But it may take years before the final stage is reached in the Yukon, owing to the difficulties already pointed out."

THE NEW YORK JOURNAL EXPEDITION TO KLONd.y.k.e.

The New York Journal, in keeping with its usual liberality and enterprise, has sent out a large expedition at its own expense. The Journal says:

"To investigate the riches of the Yukon gold fields and to tell the tale of Nature and human nature in the new ophir of the far North for the Journal, a company of five distinguished writers have been sent to the gold fields. Edward H. Hamilton, chief of the Journal bureau, is admirably equipped for his task. His writings have given him a high repute and his letters will discover to the world the life at Klond.y.k.e, as well as tell the sordid tale of the gains of the diggers. Charles Gregory Yale is one of the prominent mining experts of the West. For several years he has been statistician of the Mint at San Francisco and a.s.sistant in the California State Mining Bureau. He is a facile writer, having had a long experience as editor of the "Mining and Scientific Press," of San Francisco. Edward J. Livernash is a lawyer and journalist, a careful investigator and an able descriptive writer.

Joaquin Miller, the gray poet of the Sierras, will sing for the Journal a new song of the St. Elias Alps. Mrs. Norman Brough, known to readers by her pen name, "Helen Dare," will have the opportunity to write of a woman's experience digging gold in the placers and housekeeping in a sunless land, with the thermometer at 60 below zero."

SAILORS GET GOLD CRAZE.

DESERT THEIR s.h.i.+PS IN ALASKAN PORTS TO DIG FOR FORTUNES.

The gold fever has struck the hardy mariner at last, and desertions are numerous from s.h.i.+ps up north.

s.h.i.+ppers expect soon to hear of craft being tied up in Alaskan ports just as they were in San Francisco harbor in '49, when crews deserted wholesale to dig gold in the rich placers.

When the steams.h.i.+p Pueblo arrived, Capt. Debney reported that the mates of the Al-ki and the Topeka had both left their s.h.i.+ps in Juneau. Other steamer captains before they left recently said they would be lucky if they managed to keep enough men to work s.h.i.+p after they reached the northern ports.

Capt. Debney says that when the Portland reached St. Michael's on her last trip up one of the firemen, who had made friends with some of the miners aboard, handed in his resignation and asked for a ticket up the Yukon.

It was refused him on the ground that he was a deserter. He twice offered money without avail. The miners held the s.h.i.+p for twelve hours.

At the expiration of that time the company put up a notice that the Portland would start on her return trip at a certain hour. The miners held a meeting and appointed a committee of twelve to wait on the company's agent. The committee filed into the agent's office, where each man drew a revolver and laid it on the agent's table. They demanded that a ticket be given the fireman at once, and the agent complied. The fireman went with the party up the Yukon.

Capt. Debney reports that the Queen, which sailed from Puget Sound several days ago, pa.s.sed the American port officials all right, but when the vessel reached Victoria the customs officials decided that she was overloaded and took fifteen of the miners ash.o.r.e. They are now stopping at the Victoria Hotel at the expense of the Pacific Steams.h.i.+p Company, and will be sent north on a later vessel.

Capt. Debney has received a letter from his son, who is agent for the Alaska Commercial Company at Dawson. He reports that there are now at Dawson thirty-five saloons, one theatre, eight dance houses, three general stores, five bakeries, five restaurants, two barber shops, one candy maker and three laundries.

ONLY THREE DEATHS IN A YEAR.

THE HEALTHIEST REGION IN THE WORLD IS THE KLONd.y.k.e.

F. G. Bowker, of Dawson, says there was n.o.body there to die until less than a year ago, and that since then there have been but three deaths in that whole district as far as is known.

Of the three deaths one occurred just before the steamer Excelsior left Dawson. A man who had just sold his claim for $12,000 pa.s.sed away in his bunk with his head resting on the sack of coin which represented the success of his search for wealth.

In the graveyard at Forty Mile, which has served for all that section for some years past, there are only thirty or forty graves. Few die within reach of settlements without medical aid and spiritual advice.

There are missions of several Protestant denominations, as well as Russian and Roman Catholic missions, at frequent intervals throughout the country. Funerals are not as ostentatious as in the civilized world, but everything that is necessary is reverentially done by rough but kindly miners.

The tale about confiscation of dead men's effects by friends and neighbors is branded as a malicious lie.

It is one of the unwritten laws of the Yukon that these shall be turned over to the Government and disposed of according to statute laws.