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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 » -f- T^ - '- 1 ."^^ • af,rrJ- r'".- 3 ^ 1 ij.-.-iy. ,. ■fc „.v » »,'-.;/> ~?1!,'!t- <■'.'< - ; ^^'ff-; -^SC^^j, iV* «-.*■< '~ectors were passing up the stream at the rate of fifty per day. As most of those entering the district are practical miners and fairly well outfitted, it is safe to jiredict that Forty Mile will show a large output ao the result of the coming season's work. The American Creek district was thoroughly prosj)ected last winter and a great deal of development work was done, but it was impossible to secure any accurate data in regard to the output. It is reported that some claims yielded 3 ounces per day to the man. Several claims have been sold at prices ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. At the mouth of Mission Creek, of which stream American Creek is a tributary, a town known as Eagle City has sprung ui) during the past few months, and on June 25 there were about 300 people there, living principally iu tents. A number of substantial log houses have been built, and many more are in course of construction. This is the natural distributing point for the Forty Mile district, there being a short portage over a low divide, and the mines at the head of Seventy Mile can also be reached from American Creek. The commercial companies are establishing trading posts at Eagle City with a view of supplying the American Creek, Forty Mile, and Seventy Mile diggings. Capt. P. H. Ray, U. S. A., located a military reservation at Eagle City in February last, and has recommended the establishment of a post there. Much prospecting and some development work have been done in the Seventy Mile district. Over forty new creeks have been staked, the locations numbering over a thousand. A few sales are reported at small Xnices. Old timers have great faith in the future of Seventy Mile, and hundreds of men will try their luck iu the distri the coming year. A town site has been located at the mouth of S<^ /cnty Mile Creek, and the place is known as Star City. A number of buildings vrere in course 1636r.8 792 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. of construction there Juno 25 and tlie town contained a population of about 250. The Birch Creek district, for which Circle City is the distributing point, still maintains its i)Osition as the richest and most productive gold field on the American side. A score or more of the owners of Birch Creek claims returned from Dawson during the winter and worked their properties in a limited way, the scarcity of miners and supplies making it impossible to operate the mines to their full capac- ity. Early in June the owners of two adjoining claims on Mastodon Creek sent requisitions to their agents in Circle City for 200 miners for summer work, but they were able to secure the services of only 8 or 10 men. At that time about 350 men were at work in the district, and it is estimated that the output will reach $500,000, half of this product coming irom Mastodon. Eagle Creek has produced some dumps which washed up $2.50 to the bucket or 50 cents to the pan. A rich discov- ery was made during the winter on the North (or Miller) Fork of Eagle Creek, i)rospects showing as high as $2 to the pan. Many 20acre claims have been located in the district for hydraulic purposes, and a number of properties have been bonded, sales of this nature having been made at prices ranging from $5,000 to §40,000. Wages remain at $1 per hour. Coal Creek, 50 miles above Circle City, was thoroughly prospected during the winter, and was staked for 30 miles. While no large pay was found, the creek promises well for hydraulic operations. This statement is also true of many creeks in the American Creek and Sev- enty Mile districts. On April IG a discovery was made on Jefferson Creek, a small stream coming into the Yukon from the eastward about 4 miles above Circle City. The discovery was made about S miles from the mouth of the creek, 13 cents being found in the first pan washed. A stampede immediately followed, and within two days the creek was staked from its mouth to its source, a distance of 10 miles, and many of the tribu- taries were also staked. Some attemi)t has been made to boom this creek, but up to June 25 no pay had been found, although a shaft had been sunk to bed rock, the prospectors employed in this work report- ing that they did not find a color. About twenty Birch Creek miners left the district in midwinter on a prospecting trip to the Tanana River, whence marvelous tales o^ rich placer ground have come for several years. They struck the stream about 150 miles southwest of Circle City, and sank several holes to bed rock, but found nothing. It is reported that a party of prospectors who reached the headwaters of the Tanana by way of Forty Mile Creek found good pay on several small creeks, but these reports lack confirmation. The Minook district shows very satisfactory developments as the result of last winter's work. Three or four steamboats, having seveial THE ALASKAN GOLD FIKLDS. 793 hundied passeugers aboard, were cauglit in tbe ice last I'all in that vicinity, and a town knowu as Rampart City sprang up at tbe nioatb of Miuoolc Creek, about 50 miles above the Tanana. The town, which is well built, had a population during the winter of four or five hundred, many of whom thoroughly prospected quite a number of the principal creeks in the district. No ground of value has been opened up on Minook Creek. Little Miuook, which enters Minook Creek about 8 miles from the Yukon, has proved to be the best creek in the district. There are about thirty claims on the creek, each 1,000 feet in length, and nost of them paid wages. From ISTo. G to No 10, inclusive, the claims are rich, so far as developed. No. 8 produced $30,000 from 45 feet of ground. This output was the result of five months' work by two men. Xos. C and 9 are also very rich. On Hunter Creek, 2 miles nearer the Yikon, coarse gold has been found all along the creek. Two men on No. 1, above Discovery, shoveled in for a short time from the rim rock, 10 feet above the bed of the creek, and averaged $20 each per day for the time employed. There is pay in the benches along Huuter Creek. Quail Creek, which is near the head of Hunter Creek, was discovered late in the season, and 15 or 20 men are working there. The ground is shallow, making good summer diggings. Prospects running from 25 to 40 cents to the pan have been found. On Julia, Leonora, Miller, Hoosier, Gold Pan, and Chapman creeks, all of which run into Minook parallel with Little Minook, coarse gold has been found. The cVi.^'=' have not been worked, but simply represented. About April 10, 1808, a discovery was made on the hillside above No. 0, on Little Miiiook, and within a few days $1.00 to the pan was obtained. There was immediately a stampede, and the hilltops between Little Miuook and the Yukon were all staked. This formntion is similar to that on the hills between Eldorado Creek and Skookum Gulch in the Klondike district. It is supposed to be an old river bed or glacier channel, and can be distinctly traced for miles by the bowlders and the gravel shown on tlie surface. With a crude rocker SG7.50 was taken out in six hours, and the hillside claims have yielded nuggets Aveighing from §4 to $8 each. Work is being prosecuted there now. The claims are 1,000 by GGO feet. Surface water is utilized in the spring for wash- ing up the dumps. Minook gold is coarse and very inire, the returns of the Seattle assay office showing that it luiuts $19.50 per ounce. The largest nugget taken out in the Minook district during the winter weighed $184. A great many nuggets were found, the owner of No. 8 on Little Minook having taken out $3,500 in nuggets weighing from $6 to $G0 each. There are a great many creeks in the district which have not been staked or prospected. Several quartz locations have been recorded, tut they have not been proved to be of value. The ore is refractory, selected specimens assaying as high as $200 per ton. There is plenty of wood on every creek for cabins and iirewood, while there is an abundance of water and sufficient grade for sluicing. The 794 nULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LAIJOU. total output for tlio district for tlio season was between $100,000 and $ll]0,000. On Ilussian Creek, wliich enters the Yukon about 4 miles below llanipart City, good prospects have been found, running' from 15 to .'>0 cents to the pan. As predicted in the former report, there was no serious shortage of supplies in Dawson during the winter, although many articles of lux- ury were exhausted long before the opening of the river. Condensed milk sold for $3 per can ; tobacco, $5 to $10 per pound ; coal oil, sji* 10 per gallon, and whisky, $10 to $75 per gallon. A representative of the Alaska Commercial Company made the following statement: Flour sold as high as $180 per sack of 50 pounds, a great deal being sold for from $50 to $150 per sack. A large number of men who had good outfits sold them and went out over the ice, and this greatly relieved the situation as to the food supply. Wo asked the miners to let us keep as much food as they could spare in order that we might help out others; so, from time to time, we had some supplies for cases where there was actual need. A man could buy from us a sack of flour for $0 and go outside and sell it for $150. There was the greatest induce- ment to rascality. The police could not arrest a man and confine him for the reason that they could not feed him at the barracks. They could not punish a man for stealing. Up to the time of the break up of the ice flour sold as high as $60 ]}Gv sack, although it sold on the gulches in March as low as $30. During the winter moose meat was obtainable at $1 to $1.25 j)er i)ound. Beef lasted till spring, when some of it had to be thrown away; prici, $1 per pound. Mutton lasted nearly all winter, and sold uniformly at $1 per pound. In my opinion the dilli- culties in regard to the food supply will be twenty times more serious this year than last, and unless immediate steps are taken to get the destitute people out of the country the Government will be obliged to issue rations to at least 10,000 people at Fort Yukon and St. Michaels during the coming winter. Firewood cost $40 per cord during the Avinter as a rule, as high as $00 and $75 being paid in special cases. Nails sold for $5 per pound. Small boats began to arrive from the lakes during the second week in May, bringing down large quantities of fresh vegetables, eggs, and fruit, as well as many other articles of luxury-. Oranges and lemons sold as rapidly as they could be handed out for $1.50 apiece, Avhile apples met a ready sale at $1 apiece. As late as Juiic 12 oranges sold for 75 cents apiece, lemons and apples bringing 50 cents. On June 24 oranges cost 50 cents apiece and lemons $3 per dozen. The iirst eggs brought down the rivcu sold for $18 per dozen. Within a week they dropped to $10; on June 10 they were selling for $3, and on June 15 they could be bought for $1.50, but their quality was not guaranteed. Oysters, on the opening of navigation, sold for $20 per can, and on June 25 cost $10. Canned roast beef sold at $1.40 per pound; moose meat, $1.75 per THK ALASKAN iiOhl) FIELDS. 71)5 000 and 4 miles from If) rtago of 5 of lux- udenseJ , $40 per of the 'al being who had \ greatly liners to re might for cases k of flour itinduce- iifine him s. They cak up of gulches btaiuable of ifc had learly all L the dilli- re serious ) get the (bligcd to Michaels 1 high as Olid Aveek L'ggs, and d out for is late as bringing ns $3 per Within )r $3, and Y was not m, and on 61.75 per pound; ham, $1.75 per pound; fresh sausage, $1.25 per pound; fresh lifh, 81.25 per ])ound; sugar, $1 per pound; condensed milk, $1.50 per can; sail, 50 cents per pound; lobster (one-half pound can), $3; fresh onions, $1.50 per pound; potatoes, $1 per pound; canned butter (U^ I)ounds), $10; canned tonuitoes, $3. As late as Juno 25 tobai^co was selling at retail for from $5 to $7.50 per pound; cigars, $25 per 100, and cigarettes, 50 cents per package. On the above date Hour sold on the river bank for iVoiii $;.» to $0 a sack; bacon, 25 to 40 cents per pound; granulated potatoes, 35 to 50 cents i)er pound; butter, $1 per pound. These abnormally low prices Avcre due to the fact that the sellers had become disgusted with the situation and were anxious to leave the country. During the latter part ot tae winter there was a whisky famine, what little stock there Mas being in the hands of a few saloon keeiiers, who charged $1 per drink. The first licjuor to reach Dawson from upriver was 100 gallons of brandy, which sold for $75 per gallon. A favored individual, who had a iicrmit for the ontry of 2,000 gallons of whisky, arrived in Dawson early in May, and within an hour sold his cargo in bulk for $15 per gallon. Ho subsequently assured his friends that after paying all fees and legitimate expenses he had cleared by his venture the sum of $G0,000. Tuis supply was consumed within a few days. On June 8 the steamer ]\[ay West arrived from below with IG barrels of whisky, which was retailed by several saloons at $1 per drink. The steamer Wcare, which arrived on June 11, brought up from Fort Yukon 47 barrels of whisky and high wines and several tons of case liquors. The whisky was immediately distributed among the numerous saloon keepers, in accordance with orders jdaced by them, and within a few hours a score of saloons were running in full blast and selling whisky at the old price of 50 cents a drink. The price charged for the liquor by the commercial comi)any was $25 per gallon. One saloon keeper, whose allotment was 5 barrels, turned his purchase over to another dealer for $37.50 per gallon, stating, as he received payment, that while he was grateful to the con^pany for its kindness in selling him such a liberal supply, his duty to his customers required him to make the sacrifice, he having provided his bar from other sources with a better grade of whisky. Large profits were made in clothing and all lines of furnishing goods brought down the river. Ordinary sack suits, which sell in the States for from $10 to $20, brought from $50 to $80 in Dawson; hats, which sell outside for $1.50 at retail, sold for $7; cowboy hats, costing $3 at retail in the States, sold for $10; shirts, which could be purchased out- side for 75 cents, were disposed of readily for $0; and $3 shoes sold for $15. Two men, who brought in a selected stock of merchandise weighing about 10 tons, sold their cargo in bulk to local dealers for $05,000, making a profit on the transaction of $48,000. Notwithstanding the immense proiits, amounting in many cases to i9<; IJILLKTIN OF THE DKPAKTMENT OF LABOR. respectable fortunes, miule by the more fortuunto si)eciilator.s, a very large proportion of those engaged in the enterprises enumerated a', ove made but little, if any, profit, while many met with actual loss owing to the fact that the mai'kct was greatly overstocked with the lines of !;oods they brought in. Moreover, a number of boats loaded with mor- I'handiso were wrecked in TliutyMile River and at the rapids, and tlio owners suflorcd a total loss of their cargoes. So the statement made ill the former report still holds good, that while this field of enterprise yields enormous returns in case of success, the difficulties and risks are so great that conservative men who know the conditions are loath to outer it. One restaurant kept open almost continuously during the winter, with the following bill of fare tacked on the wall: " Bowl of soup, $1; mush and milk, 1.25; dish of canned corn, $1.25; dish of canned tomatoes, $2; stewed fruit, $1.25; slice of pie, 75 cents; doughnuts, pie, or sandwich, with coffee or tea, $1.25; beans, coffee, and bread, $2; plain steak, $3.50; porterhouse steak, $5."' After small boats began to arrive in May restaurants were opened on every hanil, and on June 20 seventeen were running in Dawson, the charge lor a regular meal being *2.50, Meals consisted of brcid and butter, coffee, soup, fish, a small moose steak or stew, a potato, eggs, and pudding or pie. A porter- house steak ordered by the caid cost $5; poached eggs on toast, $2; hot cakes and maple sirup, $1.. A leading restaurant, having a seating capacity of thirty-two, employed three cooks, one of whom received •jf 100 i)er week, and the others $1 per hour. Four waiters (two men and two women) were employed on the day shift and two on the night shift — wages of the men, $50 per week, the women receiving $100 per month. Dishwashers and yard men received $5 ])er day. AH employees were ))oarded by the restaurant, but were required to lodge themselves. The rental of the building, which is a canvas structure 20 by 40 feet in size, was $900 per month. The wine card of a leading restaurant for June 20 read as follows: "Champagne, $20 per liint, $40 per quart; sherry $15 per pint, $25 per quart; claret, $15 per pint, $25 per quart; ale, $5 -per bottle; half- and-half, $5 per bottle ; mineral water, $3 per bottle." Notwithstand- ing the high figures appearing on a Dawson wine card, it is quite as frequently consulted as the more elaborate wine card of a first-class restaurant in our large cities. Lodging in bunk rooms, containing from 12 to 24 bunks, costs $1.50 per night. A single room costs from $3 to $8 per night. In order to secure a night's lodging it is necessary to make application forty-eight hours in advance, and the application must be accompanied by the cash. The leading gambling house and dance hall employs three bartenders, two weighers, a bookkeeper, and a porter. Bartenders receive $15 per day; the bookkeeper, $17.50; weighers, $15; and the porter, $10. In the THK AT.ASKAN (iOLD FIKLDS. 7i)7 oi'.s, 11 very ated a', ove loss owiii}»: ho lines of I witli mor- tis, and the nicnt made enterprise d risks are ro loatli to ;bo winter, f soup, $1 ; of canned lougbnuts, bread, -12; ts began to on June 20 meal being sli, a small A porter- I toast, $2; g a seating II received '0 men and gilt shift- ier month. 3yees were lemselves. 40 feet in ,s follows: pint, $25 ttle; half- vithstaud- s quite as flrst- class osts $1.50 order to [)rty-eight ed by the irtenders, e $15 per 0. In the ganibling department, one man at the crap game, one uian at the rou- lette wheel, ibur faro dealers, one weigher, and two stud-poker dealers receive $20 a day each. In the dance hall twelve women are employed at $50 per week and 25 per cent commission on all drinks arul cigars sold through their blandislnnents. Three musicians receive * 17.50 per day each. The establishment pays $10 a barrel for watei', using two barrels a day. The proprietor ol' the leading saloon states that his receipts for the tirsfc three days after his "grand opening" in March amounted to $15,000, and the average daily bar receipts from April 1 to .func 20 were over $2,000. The Pavilion (a variety theater and dance hall) opened about the middle of June, and the bar receipts tho flrst night were $12,200. The theater had three actors and six . ';tres-'^s undoi engagement, at $150 each per week. Eight girls are employed ii. the dance hall, their com- pensation being 25 percent commission -^mi drinks and cigars consumed by their partners. As champagne .sells in this establishment for $10 a liint, and is frequently called for, their earnings are large, even meas- ured by Klondike standards, one girl stating tlmt her commissions for the first week amounted to $750. The one tinsmith in Dawsou did a large business during the m inter, principally in the manufacture of stoves, over GOO having been made, ranging in price from $40 to $75. Quite a number of ranges were made; a range constructed of !N"o. 10 iron, 5 by .'> feet, costing $300, and a pastry oveii with a capacity of 72 loaves costing $560. This establishment sells a Yale night-lock for $0 and a pair of door butts for $1G. From five to ten workmen were constantly employed during the winter, at $1.50 per hour. The charge for outside work has been increased from $2 to $3 per hour. The principal firm of contractors and builders on June 20 had twelve men employed in the shop on various kinds of woodwork, at wages ranging from $10 to $17 per day. Skilled woodworkers receive $17, carpenters $15, and laborers $10 per day, ten hours constituting a day's work. The charge for outside work is $20 per day. This firm charges $250 for a poling boat 24 by 4 feet in size. Three tailor shops were running full of orders June 20. Tliey charge $135 for a sack suit and $150 for a dress suit, and pay their workmen $1.50 per hour. On the same date four barber shops were in operation, employing from two to five barbers each. The prices are as follows: Shaving, $1; hair cutting, $1.50; shampooing, $1.50; baths, $2.50. A barber receives 05 jier cent of the receipts of his chair, making from $15 to $40 per day. The four laundries in operation charge 50 cents each for washing •Mdershirts, 75 cents for overshirts, and $1.50 for white shirts, and pay their help $1 per hour. Three sawmills, rur ning day and night at their full capacity, produce 798 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. about 800 fe'»t per hour each. Eough lumber now costs $150 per tliou- sand, as agaiust $140 last year, a like increase Laving been made in tlie price of other grades of product. The increase in price was caused by tbe scarcity of logs. Wages vcmaiu tbe same as last year. A sawmill Las been erected on Bonanza and another at the mouth of Bear Creek. Three or four typewriter operators keep fairly busj^, charging 50 cents per folio and 25 cents for duplicates. During the winter newspapers brought in over the trail found a ready sale at $2 apiece. On June 13 a news stand displayed for sale news- papers and periodicals as follows: New York Journal and World, April 13; San Francisco Call, May G; Seattle Post -Intelligencer, May 8; Puck, April G: Judge, April 9; Harper's Weekly and Leslie's Weekly, April 7 ; Scribner's and Cosmopolitan for April. The price of the maga- zines, Puck and Judge, and the Journal and World was $1 each, while the weeklies and other jiapers sold for 75 cents each. Large sums of money were made by packers at Dawson during the winter. Twelve head of horses wintered there and were used success- fully in sledding supplies to the mines. One packer who worked five horses states that he cleared $25,000 as the result of his winter's work, although he had to pay as high as $1 per pound for feed and $1,200 per ton for hay. This is in marked contrast with the experience of the unfortunate packer whose disastrous journey to Circle City last fall was described in the former report, and it may be interesting to state here that the three horses constituting the remnant of his pack-train returned to Dawson in March, making the trip over the ice in nineteen days and drawing 950 pounds each on sleds. On June 25 they were in excellent condition, and had been for some weeks earning $200 a day for their owner. Just before the breaking up of the ice on the Klondike the rates for freighting reached the highest point ever paid on the Yukon, as high as $000 pe thousand feet being charged for hauling lumber to 30 Eldo- rado, 17 miles from Dawson. On June 20 the rates for packing to The Forks (13 miles) was 10 cents j)er pound, 10 cents greater than last year, while packers receive the same ^ages, $250 to ^300 per month and board. Feed is scarcer than last year, oats costing from 30 to 50 cents I>er pound. Hay is shipped from Seattle, and has sold this summer as low as $250 per ton, the i)revailing in'ice being $350 per ton. During the spring a great many horses and mules were brought down the river in scows, and on June 25 there were between 200 and 300 head in the district, nearly all being used in packing to the 'nines and in prospecting. Prices ranged from $250 to $750 per head. At the above date there were ten 2-horse teams at work in Dawson, hauling lumber, etc., the charge for services being $10 per hour, and all the teams were working ten or twelve hours a day. Drivers received $300 per month and board. Considerable attention is being paid to vegetable gardening in the THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDH. 799 per tliou- [le in tbe lused by . .sawmill ir Creek. 50 cents I a ready le news- Id, April May 8; Weekly, lie maga- cb, while iririg the success- •ked five r's work, 1,200 per ;e of the last fall to state ick-traiu nineteen J were in :00 a day rates for as high 30 Eldo- g to The ast year, ntli and 50 cents mmer as ;ht down 300 head 3 and in he above ■ lumber, i,ms were r month g in the vicinity of Dawson. One man has 7 acres planted in potatoes, ruta- bagas, cabbage, lettuce, and radishes. He had three men employed in June at $1.50 per hour each, and stated that he exi)ected to make a small fortune from his garden this season. On June 11 the Yukon Midnight Sun, the first newspaper printed in Dawson, made its appearance. It is a three-column, eight-page sheet, published weekly at $15 per year; single copy, 50 cents. On the IGth the first number of the Klondike Nugget was issued. It is a four-col- umn folio, issued weekly, the subscription price being $1G i)er year; single copy, 50 cents. Each olfice employs two printers, their wages being $1.50 per hour or $2 per thousand cms. Up to the 20th of June between twenty-five and thirty printers had applied at the two offices for employment. The job-printing department of each office was lull of orders, the charge for letter heads, billheads, and business cards being $35 per 1,000, and for sixteenth-sheet posters, $25 per 100. On June 25 four or five men were on the ground who announced that they had printing plants on the way, and it \a probable that before the close of the summer there will be six (\v seven printing offices running in Dawson. Building operations in Dawson were quite active during the spring, and on June 25 the front street, which in October last contained but a score of scattered buildings, presented for four or five blocks a solid line of substantial structures, quite a number of whicli cost from 820,000 to $30,000 each, while between two and three hundred resi- dences had been built on the hills overlooking the town. Dressed lumber is very largely taking the place of logs in the construction of buildings. There was great activity in the Dawson real-estate market all winter, prices steadily advancing. Property on the front street, centrally located, increased in value from $500 to $1,000 per Iront foot within two months during the latter part of the winter, and many sales were made, llesidence lots near the hospital, at the lower end of town, were worth from $250 to $2,000, the latter price having been paid for lots on high ground near the springs. The size of residence lots in this section is 50 by CO feet. Lots on back streets, in the flat, sell for from $100 to $1,000, according to location. The prices of bushiess property on back streets fluctuated greatly. A lot 50 by 100 feet on Second avenue (the second street from the river), which sold in May for $10,000, could have been purchased on Juno 25 for $5,000. This sudden depre- ciation in values is attributed by property owners to the action of the Canadian authorities in leasing the river front to a syndicate for build- ing purposes. A strip of land on the river bank, 1,050 feet in length and varying in width from 50 feet down to a point, has been appropri- ated as a Government reservation and leased for $30,000 per year. The lessees charge a ground rent of $8, $10, and $12 per front foot per mouth, the rental varying according to the depth of the lot. This 800 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. entire tract bas been solidly built up, being occupied by restaurants, small stores, laundries, etc., and yields to the lessees a gross income of about $10,000 i)er montli. The Alaska Commercial Company and the Xorth American Trans- portation and Trading Company, working in harmony, on June 1 adopted a new scale of prices for Dawson. The price of flour was tidvanccd from $12 to $1G per hundred pounds; bacon, from 40 to 50 cents per pound ; ham, from 45 to 60 cents ; coffee, from 50 to 75 cents ; canned corned beef, tongue, etc., from 50 to 75 cents per can; canned sausage, from 75 cents to $1, and other food supplies in like proportion. The price of shovels and axes was increased from $3 to $4; nails, from 20 tO 25 cents per pound ; coal oil, from $G to $8 per 5-gallon can ; candles, from $G to $8 per box ; gum boots, from $12 to $20 per pair; whisky, from $17 to $25 per gallon. The average increase on staples is 33.V per cent, and on luxuries, 50 per cent. With but slight modifi- cations, these prices have been adopted by both companies at all points on the river. The representative of the Alaska Commercial Company at Dawson states that the advance in jirices will not seriously affect the working miner, as he will be given the advantage over the ordinary purchaser of a discount on his year's outfit which will make its cost but little more than under the old scale of prices. Early in June the Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Bank of British I^orth America established branches in Dawson, which are now actively engaged in a general banking business. The banks are put- ting large amounts of bank notes in circulation through the purchase of gold dust and in the ordinary course of business. During the first eight days after it opened its doors the Canadian Bank of Commerce purchased $1,500,000 worth of gold dust. Dust is accepted at $14 per ounce, the depositor receiving the balance, less deductions, after assay. The charge for exchange is 1 per cent. The new system is a groat relief and accommodation to the public, as the cost of exchange pre- vious to the establishment of the banks ranged from $75 to $100 per $1,000. Cold dust is still the circulating medium in general use, and there is much complaint of unfairness in weighing, many of the smaller dealers using heavy weights, which give them an advantage over the purchaser of from 10 to 20 i)er cent ; but this condition will soon be a thing of the past. The Korth American Transportation and Trading Company accepts gold for shipment to Seattle at 2i per cent per $1,000 for expressage and 2\ per cent per $1,000 for insurance. The Alaska Commercial Company accepts gold for shipment only as far as St. Michaels, charg- ing 2 per cent for expressage and insurance to that point. Since the establishment of the banks neither comjiany issues drafts. Complaint is heard on all sides at Dawson in regard to the mining regulations in force in the district. At different times duri^ig the past year four sets of regulations have been in force, all radically differing, it THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDS. 801 taurauts, income of ,11 Trail s- i Jniic 1 lour was I 40 to 50 75 cents ; ; canned oportiou. 4; nails, Hon can j per pair ; a staples it modifl- ill points Company sly affect ordinary I cost but Bank of 1 are now are put- purcLase the first omuiei'ce fc $14 per er assay. i a groat ngc pre- BlOO per use, and i smaller over the 0011 be a accepts pressage nmerciiil 8, cliarg- ince the \i mining the past liffering, especially as to the size of claims, and as a consequence the records, are badly confused, rendering it necessary to suspend locations on some creeks. The fault does not seem to lie with the gold commissioner^ who is a conscientious officer and lias made every effort to accommo- date the public, but is attributable to the fact that the regulations are formulated in Ottawa by officials who are ignorant of local conditions^ the gold commissioner having no discretion in their enforcement. The> principal complaint is directed against the royalty of 10 per cent charged on the output of the mines, and many mine owners have announced that they will simply rei)reseiit their iiropertios during the coming winter or until sucli time as the royalty shall be declared oft"^ or modified. They feel that the royalty is a discrimination against thO' producer, the speculator who purchases a claim for the purpose of reselling it escaping taxation. Under the regulations in force Ju'.ie l-*5 creek claims are limited to« 250 feet along the general course of the stream. The discoverer is allowed to locate 500 feet. "Every alternate ten claims shall be reserved for the Government of Canada — that is to say, when a claim is located, the discoverer's and nine additional claims adjoining each other and numbered consecutively will be open for registration. Thou the next ten claims, of 250 feet each, will be reserved for the Govern- ment, and so on." A royalty of 10 j)er cent on the gold mined is levied and collected on the gross output of each claim, the sum of $2,500 being deducted from the gross annual output of a claim when estimating the amount upon which royalty is to be calculated. The gold conunissiouer's fees are as follows: Miner's license, $10,* location notice, $15; transfer, $2; mortgage, $2; i)artnership agree- ment, $5. The duties of the mine inspectors are to exercise a general super- vision of locations, to see that the law in regard to representation is obeyed, and to collect royalty. When a discovery is made on a new creek, the locator is required to report to an inspector, who visits the creek, if easily accessible, to ascertain whether gold has been discov- ered. If tho creek is at a great distance, the inspector takes the affi- davits of the locator and others as to the fact of discovery. Up to Juno 23 over 3,000 free miner's licenses had been issued, and at that date they were being issued at the rate of forty per day. A miner's license gives the holder the privilege of cutting timber for his own use, for mining purposes, the building of boats, the construction of cabins, etc. Timber berths are granted to manufacturers of lumber. These are disposed of at Ottawa, through the department of the interior. A bonus of not less than $250 per square mile is charged, and a stumpage of $2 per 1,000 feet is collectetl. Berths shall not be ss than 1 mile in breadth and shall not exceed 5 square miles i'; extent. Not more than 7443— No. 19 2 live berths of 5 square miles each .shall be 802 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. ■ n I! issued to any one person in the provisional district of tlie Yukon. The yearly license is lenewable. The holder has the right to all timber for firewood or any other i)urpose. All timber within 3 miles of Dawson has been reserved for the use of people who desire to cut their own wood, those without a miner's license being charged a stuinpage of 25 cents per cord. All of the accessible timber lands along the Lewes and Yukon rivers, from the head of Lake Lindeman to the boundary line, below Forty Mile, have been taken up by sawmill owners and speculators. A charge of 50 cents per ton is made for tlie privilege of cutting hay. While, as stated, there is much ill-feeling in regard to the raining regulations in force in the district, the administration of the civil and criminal laws gives general satisfaction. Hon. Thomas H. McGuire, the Justice for the Yukon district, prepared the following statement relative to the local government and the functions of his court: T?'? Canadian Government has been very anxious, from the begin- ning of gold mining in their territory along the Yukon, to proyide for the security of life and properly and the preservation of peace and order. At first the population was sparse and scattered, and it was thought that the presence of a police force and oflBcers having magis- terial functions wouh^ be sufficient, until it could be seen to what extent gold might be found and whether any considerable influx of miners would take place. In the Northwest Territories there had been for many years a quasi-military force, known as the Northwest mounted police, composed of picked men, the commissioned officers being chosen with special reference to their fitness for the mixed military and police duty to be performed by the force. From this police force the Gov- ernment, in 1895, selected an experienced and tried officer, Inspector Charles Constantine, who in 1894 had been sent out to the Yukon and had made a report on the state of things in the district, and sent him in command of twenty men to establisli a iiolice post at Forty Mile, which w^as then the center of the Canadian mining territory. Captain Constantine and Inspector Strickland and these twenty men came to Forty Mile and built a post now known as Fort Constantine. Both officers had magisterial powers, which in Canada are limited to deal- ing with criminal matters. As to some offenses, they had jurisdiction to try and punish; as to more serious cases, they could hold a prelim- inary inquiry, and if they deemed the evidence sufficient, commit the accused for trial by a competent court. They had no civil jurisditition except in case of disputes between masters and servants, as to their hiring, or wages, or desertion of employment. During 1895 and 189G the police not only dealt with the various offenses brought before them, but from the necessity of the case and the absence of a civil court, frequently dealt with matters belonging more properly to a civil court. These were chiefly disputes over tl.e possession of chattel property, or as to the e(iuitable division of partner- ship effects, such as food and boats, for i)ersons who had agreed to prospect and mine in partnership very often fell out on the way and decided to separate. In these cases the officers when appealed to would endeavor to act as arbitrators between the angry disputants, and generally succeeded in effecting a fairly satisfactory arrangement. These rather informal proceedings had some advantages not pos- sessed by proceedings in an ordinary court; they cost the i^arties T kummt ssmsa THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDS, 803 Icon. The timber for )f Dawson tlicir own page of 25 the Lewes boundary vners and tting hay. lie raining- i civil and McGuire, statement rt: ;he begiu- >royide for peace and nd it was ing magis- I to what 5 influx of i bad been b mounted ng chosen ind i>olice the Gov- In spec tor Ilk on and , sent him M*ty Mile, Captain II came to lie. Both d to deal- risdiction a prelim- lunnit the risditition s to their various case and belonging ; over the f partner- agreed to J way and pealed to isputants, mgemcnt. not pos- le parties nothing, and were prompt and without delay. This mode of dealing Avith both crimes and disputes seems to have given ver - general satis- faction, for Captain Constantiue was a fair and just man and his decisions were generally accepted as impartial. When, however, the discovery of the rich finds on Bonanza and Eldorado set the world on fire and caused such an extraordinary rush of prospectors and minere to the Klondike, it became necessary that a regular court of civil and criminal jurisdiction should be established. Such, a court already existed in the eastern portion of the territories, having jurisdiction generally throughout the province, but so far no judge had been assigned to reside and administer justice in the Yukon region. The Government accordingly selected from among the judges of that court Mr. Justice McGuire, with instructions to establish a court at Dawson. A clerk of the court, a sheriff, and a crown ])rosecutor were appointed, and a new district entitled the judicial district of Yukon created. The new court officials arrived in Dawson in February, 1898, and at once addressed themselves to the organization of court work, first dealing with certain prisoners committed to jail awaiting trial. By the IS'orth- west Territories act certain oflVjnses, such as assaults, including aggra- vated cases, stealing of property not exceeding $200 in value, and a few others, can be tried by the judge alone without a jury. As to all other crimes, with the consent of the prisoner, they can be heard and disposed of by the judge alone, but the prisoner is entitled in tliese cases to a trial by jury. The jury panel is composed of persons chosen by the judge, from whom six are balloted, the prisoner having the usual rights of challenge peremptory and for cause. So far no prisoner has asked for a jury, preferring to leave his case to the adjudication of the judge alone. This practice permits of prompt disposal of oli'enders. There are no regular fixed times for the sitting of the court; it in fact sits every day but Sunday, and whenever the prosecution and defense are ready the trial takes place. In case of nonagreement as to a date, this is fixed by the judge after hearing counsel for the prisoner. The procedure in civil cases is very simple, being based on and adap- ted from the judicature act in England. A writ of summons, with a statement of claim in ordinary language, is served on defendant, who has ten days within which to file an appearance and six days further to put in his defense, which is a simple statement in unambiguous terms, of th^i facts or law relied upon. After the close of the plead- ings, on application by the'plaintili" and on notice to the defendant, a day for trial is fixed by the judge. In all civil actions where the claim is ex contractu and does not exceed $1,000, and in actions in tort not exceeding $500, the parties are not entitled to a jury; in all other cases either party may demand a jury of six, selected as in criminal cases. No regular times for the sittings of court to try causes generally are fixed, but each case is tried as soon as the parties are or ought to be ready. The sheriff is at present Superintendent Constantinc, the ol!icer in command of the police. The police are employed in executing war- rants and summoning witnesses in criminal causes, and generally in carrying into effect the decisions of the court. Owing to the nature of mining business, the large interests involved, and the frequent necessity for immediate action, a liberal use is made of the procedure by way of injunction, with or without the appoint- ment of a receiver. Where the circumstances warrant it, the summons to the other side to show cause why an injunction should not issue » 804 HULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. contains an interim injunction until tlio return day of the summons, usually tlie second or thirrobal)ly .$2,000,000 below the actual output. i\y-. BBS THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDS. 805 suinnions, ar to tliosc rimiual law 3 boundary liis or tlieir icient force lie sparsely ) growth of and crimi- lired. iive to tlio •s refuse to i, referring- as learned L royalties, 10,000. At als stating ore during evasion of 00 will be produced Ltion, liave nts of the f the facts, 19,000,000, Eldorado, 10; Domin- ithusiastic 1 the prob- ,000,000 to icquainted The mint lat about August 1, iver below $4,000,000 Id leave in troduct, in ear. It is r the mint $3,000,000 g medium low that on imonuteil to is ])robal)ly and for investment in mining properties and business enterprises. The fact that money commands from 5 to 10 per cent interest per month v/ill have an important effect in keeping gold dust in the country. Tlie returns from the Seattle assay ofllice show that Eldorado gold mints from $14.70 to $15.00 per ounce and Bonanza from $15.00 to *17 per ounce. While the output as here stated must prove disappointing to many people on tlie outside who have invested in Klondike properties, and who have been led by alluring i)rospectuses to believe that it would bo three or four times as great as it.really was, the production is remark- able when the adverse conditions are considered. Owing to the scarcity of provisions, many men who were anxious to work were unable to do so, and it is probable tliat at no one time during the sea- son were there more than 2,000 men at work, while less than 1,000 made full time for the working period of about six months. This would indicate a production of over $9,000 to the man — a most extraordinary yield, and one which was probably never equaled in any other placer mining district in the Avorld. There have been no new developments during the winter in the vicinity of Dawson worthy of special mention, except on Dominion and Sulphur creeks and in the bench claims at the mouth of French Gulch. A great many stampedes occurred, and up to June 23 the number of recorded claims in the district had increased to nearly 9,000, as against 1,000 October 1, 1897. A large nunjber of bench claims were located, there being on June 23, approximately, 300 such claims ou Eldorado, 300 on Bonanza, 50 on French Gulch, 30 from Little Skookum over to Eldorado, and 15 on Sulphur Creek. As the result of in(i[uiry among intelligent operators and conservative n.ining experts, it is possi- ble to make a detailed statement relative to the season's developments and the character of the various creeks : Eldorado forks at claim ITo. 47, where Chief Gulch comes in from the southeast. (Jood i>rospects have been found above the forks, but no mines have been proved. From 38 to 47 little has been done, but that portion of the creek may be as good as the rest. All below 38 is known to be good. In one respect Eldorado is better than any creek ever worked in the district, or in any other part of the world; that is, all the claims from the mouth up to 38 that have been prospected at all have proved to be very rich, and uniformly rich. There is not a claim in the 4 miles that is not worth $200,000, and few of them are worth as little as that, some being worth a great deal more. O 1 Bonanza the last winter's work was done largely by layholders. The fact that the owners gave their claims out on lays is a pretty good indication that they had not proved the value of their claims or they would not have given a lease at 50 per cent. Many layholders complain that they made only wages or but little more, and in some cases less. This is particularly true of Bonanza below Discovery, 806 BULLETIN OP THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. ll: where many lays were abandoned during tbe winter; yet on a number of claims a long distance down Bonanza, as far as GO below Discovery, it is claimed that very good pay was taken out. Some of these repre- sentations may be caused by a desire to boom values; but in other cases it is pretty certain that very good claims have been proved. The best claims on lower IJonan/.a are not, at best, one-half as rich as the ordinary claims on Eldorado. On upper Bonanza, in the 20's and SO's, very rich pay has been found — in many cases nearly, if not e as rich irom Dis- ery little fers good liydraulic or eight , comi)ar- hing like not been are likely cted last ir, Alki, Quigley, in creeks siderable t winter; in Daw- ave been nay turn liey have ilaims on ich ones, )uth of a few of them; for example, the first two claims on Skookum, a branch of IJonanza, have been jjrovcdto be quite ridi. So it is with a number of other of these creeks; but farther up, while good prospects have been found in a number of cases, no claims to compare with even the good, average Bonanza claims have been proved. I'eople have taken claims on these tributaries or ''pups'' to the States for the purpose of selling them, representing that they are as valuable as claims on the main creek. So far as known, none of these claims on pups, except at or near the mouth, have been proved to be of value. It would be unwise for anyone outside to buy claims on any of these creeks except upon the reports of experts after examination. Along the hillsides from Xo G Eldorado, across a low divide into Skookum, across Skookum and Little Skookum, but lower d^wn on Little Skookum, and down into Bonanza, are some extraordinarily rich bench claims. In most cases the pay lies within three or four feet of the surface. The nuggets found here are unworn, showing they have moved but a short distance ; in fact, they are less worn than tlie nuggets found in I'^ldcrado and T'>onanza. Many of the shafts sunk in this territory have uncovered very little i>ay, and the total number of claims that pay well is very small compared with the total number located ; but further prospecting may and very probably ^\ill develop a great many more claims that will pay very well, even under present methods of working. At any rate, enough has been shown by the shafts sunk where the poorest pay has been found to indicate that in time, with cheai)er methods of working the hillsides, hundreds of acres will pay enormous profits. Some modification of the California method of hydraulic mining can probably be introduced here. On the hillside below the junction of French Gulch and Eldorado six or eight A'ery rich claims have been worked during the past few months. These claims were discovered about the 1st of March. They are nearly all on the rim; that is, where the gravel is thin. Some deep shafts have been sunk farther back, and many shafts have been sunk all the way to bed rock for half a mile or so below French Gulch without finding as rich pay as they have been looking for. They have always found gold, however. The shafts have all shown that there are splendid opportunities for the introduction of cheaper methods. On Bonanza, at three or four points just below the junction of pups, are other bench claims, not as rich as those of French Gulch or Slcookum, but still rich enough to pay for rocking. So far, in nearly every case, the rich bench claims that have been found are near the rim of the bed rock as it begins to slope from the deep overcovering of gravel and other covering at the beginning of the steep declivity, and are just below the junction of a small creek with a big, rich creek. Many of these bench claims are as much as 300 feet in elevation above the bottom of the main creek, on the brow of the hill. 808 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LAI50R. I "1 I!„l, 111' Tlio following statement relative to the bench claims in tlie Klondike district wan furnished by a surveyor of the Dominion Goverunient who- has given much attention to the subject: The bench claims of the Klondike district have probably been more of a surprise to the average miner than the creek claims of Eldorado and lionanza. During the early summer of 1897 a certain amount of excitement was cre.ited among the newcomers by the discovery and successful working of isolated spots on Bonanza that could hardly be termed true benches, but that were more of the nature of hillside claims. Then came the location of benches on Eldorado, on muck banks and slides which covered the creek-claim pay, under a law that provided that the creek-claim extended only from base to base of the hill, with- out rog.ard to the lay of the bed rock. It was not until a prospector in September, 1897, struck his pick into the hillside adjoining the mouth of Skookum Gulch that the true richness and nature of the bench claims of the Klondike were demonstrated. Although the surface of this man's ground was a steep hillside, he had stru(!k the lip of a terrace of bed rock, and on tunneling into the hill ho found that the bed rock was level with a large mass of gravel overlying it. His first ''coloi" was a $20 nugget, find ho is said to have taken out $1,100 in one day with the aid of a rocker. Numerous claims were immediately located in the vicinity, but as none of them w ore worked for some time the strike gradually came to be looked upon as a jacket. Later in the season, however, a hole was sunk farther up the hill from the original discovery, and another on the Eldorado side of the hill, and good pay was struck on a higher terrace than that on which the original dis- covery was nmde. The usual excitement followed, and miners began to prospect in earnest. Little Skookum benches were the next ones struck, and then came the discovery of the extraordinarily rich French Gulch benches and the Adams Gulch benches. All tliese strikes were at a vastly higher level than anyone had expected to lind gold, and from the character of these bench diggings people have been led to discard the pocket theory in favor of otliers that agree more closely with the con- ditions under which the pay has been found. Taking all the conditions into consideration, it seems reasonable to suppose that the gold was originally deposited at a much higher level than that of the present creek beds, and that the creeks have gradually eroded the bed rock and crosscut or sluiced down the pay to its present level in the gulclies. Whether similar benches will be struck in the Indian River district remains to be demonstrated. Reports have reached Dawson of sirikcs in that district, but the formation of the country there does not encour- age the belief that anything similar to Eldorado and Uonanza benches will be found in that district. The hills on either side of the gulches have a gradual slope from the summits to the creek beds, and as far as a superhcial examination of the ground can determine there is no sign of any terrace formation similar to that on Eldorado and Bonanza; but the face of the country is so covered with rock slides, muck, and debris of every description that a superficial survey of the ground is inadequate to give any idea of the lay of the bedrock, the great determining factor in runs of gold. The theory most favorably received as to the original factor in the deposit of gold is that it is due to glacial action, the character of the gravel on the hills confirming that theory, it appearing to have much more of a glacial than of a river origin. The probability is that bench diggings will continue to be found for the next ten years, and eacli new f.t. Klondike ineiit niio- Ijecji moio Eldorado [iinount of >very and Id hardly >f hillside ick banks j provided hill, with- spector in ho mouth he bench surface of ' a terrace bed rock It ''color" 1 one day ly located time the tor in the e original f?ood pay ginal dis- begaii to es struck, ch (Julch vere at a ind from scard the the con- onditions gold was 3 present rock and gulches. ? district 3f strikes it encour- ; benches ope from mination ormatiou s country scriptiou any idea 3 of gold. )r in the er of the ;Ve much at bench oacli new THE ALASKAN OOLH FIELDS. 80J) strike is liable to be more of a surprise than the last one, and even- tually for hydraulic companies the hills may prove to be a vastly better working proposition than the gulches, owing to the latter having so little grade that it is diflicult to obtain fall enough for dump. Once the water can be brought on to the benches from the creeks (and this can not be nntd the latter arc worked out), an enormous amount of gold will be taken from the hillsides, and the world Avill probably be more surprised than ever at the wealth of the Klondike. On the Indian lliver side two creeks have so far proved of value, Dominion and Suli)liur, which head very close together near one of the domes, then spread, and linally join before entering Indiair IJiver, about 25 miles below. Dominion has been proved, as far as indications go, to bo as rich as Bonanza, and probably richer, from a little below Upper Discovery (so called) to some distano below Lower Discovery. Alto- gether 320 claims have been located on Dominion, or about 30 miles. From some little distance below Lower Discovery Dominion has not been prospected, yet it has been boomed for the whole distance. Between the two Discoveries and for some distance on either side (about 4 miles) exceedingly good prospects have been found, and claims range in value at about 850,000, as against •'25,000 in February. Some claims have been proved to be worth more than the prices offered. Two claims above Upper Discovery were recently purchased by one of the most conservative operators in the district for $10,000 each. It may be said that so far as proved Dominion shows uj) better than did Bonanza a year ago. On Sulphur, from about 40 above to 32 below Discovery (nearly 7 miles), hardly a shaft has been sunk that has not shown very good pay, and claims in this territory are held at from $20,000 to $40,000, sales having recently been made on this basis. A claim just below Dis- covery which was offered for $0,000 in April could not be bought in June for $30,000. The creek is narrow and the pay somewhat con- fined, and it can be easily worked. It is about the same as the other creeks in dcptli. Owners on Sulphur and upper Dominion who are not in need of money are holding their properties, believing they will turn out as rich as claims on Eldorado. Eureka Creek comes into Indian River from the other side. While some prospecting has been done, no sensational reports have reached Dawson, and although claims are held at good prices the developments have caused no boom. (^)uartz Creek, which also runs into Indian River, has never been prospected to any extent. It is a large creek and may turn out well, but so far no pay has been found. Cariboo, Calder, and Opliir lie in the same neighborhood, but have not been prospected to any extent, and no rich i)ay has been found on them. Gold Run, a branch of Dominion, lately reports good prospects, and is so situated that it is believed that good pay certainly will be found 810 HULLKTIN OF THE DKi'AWTMllNT OF LAllOR. '11 1 i I i ill it. It lieadH in the tlivido between Sulpbur ami Dominion and runs into Dominion. All other cioekH in the Indian Hiver district have been fully located, but so far, except in some cases on claims near the junction of the main stream, show no indications of rich claims. They may be rich, but they have not been i>rosi)ccted. Of tlie creeks llowing into the Yukon immediately below ])aw.s()H, Moosehide is the most favorably situated, being" but ',1 miles from town. Good enough pay has been found in the gravel to Avarrant the belief that the creek can be worked i)roritab!y under some nu)diflcation of existing hydraulic methods. Colorado and Dead wood have simjdy been stampeded and located, no prospecting having as yet been done. On all of the streams in tlie Henderson Creek district considerable energy has been expended in locating, but very little iu prospecting. While there may be rich pay on Henderson Creek and some other streams iu the distri(!t, so far nothing but good, ordinary wages diggings have been found. Most of the (trceks entering the Yukon above iwson are remem- bered only by the people who stampeded them. \ cry little work has been done on any of them, and no good prospects are reported. There may be rich pay in all of them, but no work has been done to prove whether they are valuable or not. During the winter two men who had been cutting wood on the island just below the mouth of Enslay Creek, 10 miles above Danson, sunk a shaft to bed rock and found pay. They went through 12 feet of muck and 2.") feet of gravel — round, washed gravel deposited by the Yukon. Rich pay was found in the seams of the bed rock. They found small l)ay, consisting of line gold, in the gravel, but irregularly distributed. Bed rock was reached just before warm weather set iu, and little drift- ing could be done on account of the inflow of water; conseciuently it was not proved whether pay was continuous or only spotted. As high as $8 was found in a single pan, the dirt being taken from a bed-rock seam. The island was given the name of Monte Cristo. Considerable excitement was caused by this discovery, and all the islands for ir> or 20 miles above and below Dawsou were quickly staked. Owing to the ruling of the gold commissioner, that claims might not be recorded iu any locality until gold had been proven to exist there, most of these locations have been abandoned, because at that time warm weather was coming on and it was impossible to sink shafts. That there is consid- erable gold in the gravel and on the bed roclc on these islands — iu fact, in the bed of the whole Yukon iu the vicinity of Dawson — there can be no doubt. An island such as Monte Cristo has some advantages for working, as the current of the river can be utilized for raising water, pumping, and hoisting gravel. If the pay should be ])roved continuous throughout the island as in the shaft sunk, it will pay very well to work it. THE ALASKAN GOLD FIKLDH. HU n and runs lly lociitod, )l' tlio iiiniti li, but Ihcy \v ])awsoij, fioiii town, tlio belief ificiitioii of limply been loue. )n!sid('riible rospecting. sonio other esdiggiiiya ire renicm- e Avork has ed. There ic to prove I the island ^on, sunk a et of nuiek he Yukon. DUiid snmll istributi'd. little drift- c(iuontly it As high a bed -rock )nsiderable Is for ir» or ving to the ecorded in st of these eather was 3 is consid- Is — in fact, lere can bo mtages for iing water, L'ontinuous iry well to I (NiUHlderable attt^ition has boon given to the subject of dreflgiii;!: for gold in the river and criielv b(!ds, but theie are so many opjiort unities for tlie iuvestnuMit of capital wliere th"re is a greater certainty of return, and so much ground that is not taken up where it is known that there is pay and where it is known that hydraulic methods, etc., can be used to ad\ aiitage, that it will i)robably bo i5ome time before dredging in the river bed will be resorte*! to. Ultiniiilely dredging will be done, but only after e.onsitb'rable experimenting has bee:: done to show where tlier«», is good pay in the beds of the streams and also aftei' cost of working has been reduced, because dredging cannot be done unless the cost is low, for the simple reason that dredges can not handle large quantities of gravel as compared with hydiaulic appliances. It would cost a great deal to bring in dredges, and thc^'e would be a largo risk in such enterprises. There are certainly great opportunities for dredging in the Yukon and its tributaries, but it will probably not be extensively undertaken for the present, as there are many problems to be solved; moreover, the seasons are short, and it is not known to a certainty that the bed of the river is not frozen to such an extent that it will be injpossible to work it at all. Eventually there will be great opportunities for hydraulic operations in the Klondike district. Kldorado and Bonanza creeks have been butchered so far by drifting ami the subsequent sluicing in summer time of the dumps, and yet not one-quarter of the gold has been taken out. Only the richer spots have been worked, and no attempt has been made to work any excejit the very rich spots. The result is that today both of those creeks are ruined in many places for a continuation of the present methods of work. On Eldorado many rich spots are left, where it is known that there are small beds of gravel containing all the way from $5,000 to $50,000, which can not be worked, except at great expense, by drifting or even by summer sluicing. The mine owners all admit that the only way to obtain the gold from any of these claims is through some systematic method by which all the gold bearing gravel and bed rock mjvy be handled and the tailings disposed of. About half of the richer claims on Eldorado have been " gophered j" the other half will probably be next winter, and after that there will be left on that creek, within the limits of the creek claims, more gold than will have been taken out. That this will be mined in time there can be little question. The same may be said of Bonanza in a general way and in different proportion. Some x>arts of Bonanza that are known to be rich have not been touched. Ultimately all of the creeks upon which work has been done so far will be worked by some sluicing method, probably some modification of hydraulic mining such as that in vogue in California. This can be done only by capital, for to obtain a sufficient quantity of water for hydraulic mining the supply must be brought from the upper Klondike in ilumcs, a distance of from 50 to 80 miles. When this is done the cost of working should not exceed at the most per cubic yard v hat ' 'I I! I 'I i'lllli m ¥ ! i ( ' ;ii ill''! |i I'' I'.jr 812 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LAUOli. may now be obtained from the poorest gravel in the bed of any of the streams which have been located. There are probably 1,000 miles of creeks in the district which will then i)ay to work, while at the present time and under present methods, with the cost of supplies and labor what it is, there are not over 400 claims, or 40 miles of creeks, in the district which, so far as developed, will pay to work. Furthei^ at the present time not more than from 50 to 150 feet in width of the richest part of any creek will pay to work, while under new methods the entire width of the creek bed, from 200 to 1,000 feet, will pay; and more than that, the hillsides, extending up on either side of the creek, Avill pay as well as the creek bed itself, for the cost of working will be small. This means that where one square yard will now pay, a hundred square yards will pay under cheaper methods. The cost of moving gravel per cubic yard up to the present time has varied from about -$4 to $15. The cost of moving gravel by hydraulic methods in use in California and other Western States varies from 2 to 10 cents, or in some cases some- what more, per cubic yard. Very little gravel in all the creeks which have been located so for in the district will pay less than $1 per cubic yard, and there is no reason Avhy the tost of working should be any- where near that figure. This leaves an immense margin of profit, for in many cases whole claims will yield in their pay channel of 100 feet or more over $100 per cubic yard. It is true that hydraulic mining can be conducted on the Yukon for but a few mouths in the year, but the seasou in which water was obtainable in California and Montana in the palmy days in many districts and on many of the richest and best mines was no longer than the season would be on the Yukon. It will be impossible, on account of the formation of the soil, to bring water in ditches, and flaming will have to be resorted to. This will increase the expense considerably, because good timber for fluming is somewhat scarce. Generally speaking, it may be said, however, that the pay in the gravel is so great that the expense of fluming will be more than counterbalanced. Some problems have been suggested with reference to uncovering the ground by removing the muck, moss, etc., but it has been demon- strated that there is but little difficulty to be encountered in this respect. A. much greater difficulty arises from the fact that in very few of the (;reeks on the Yukon is the grade sufficient for direct sluicing with hydraulic giants. Heavy grade for the sluice boxes will be required, tor the reason that the gravel is so angular in sliape, very few rounded ebbles being found. As a consequence, it will be necessary to do hydraulic mining on nearly all the creeks by means of hydraulic ele- vators such as are used in California. This, of course, will add some- what to the cost ot working. On the Alaska side, in the Forty Mile and some of the Birch Creek diggings, the grade is greater and the gravel looser, and sluicing can be more easily done. A company known as the Klondike Government Concession, Limited, I THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDS. 813 ' any of the OOO miles of the present js and labor eeks, in tlie thei^ .it the the richest Is the entire i more than will pay as mall. This Ired sqnare ? gravel per $15. The lifornia and cases some- eeks which !l per cubic iild be any- f proiit, for f 100 feet or mining can 3ar, but the ntana in the t and best on. It will i\g water in ncrease the somewhat the pay in more than uncovering cen demon- his respect. few of the Slicing with c required, !W rounded isary to do ilraulic cle- add some- Forty Mile ter and the n, Limited, has obtained control of 3 miles of the lower end of Hunker Creek for hydraulic purposes. The valley of Hunker Creek is very broad, being nearly a mile wide at the lower end. The company has a twenty one years' cession. It is proposed to bring water from the Klondike lUver at a point probably 40 miles above the mouth of Hunker. The bring- ing in of flumes and the opening up of hydraulic mining in any case must be undertaken by capitalists, because the initial outlay will be heavy. Wages in Da\vson in most lines of employment remain the same as last year. There was no reguli. ' scale of wages in the mines during the winter. On Octobci 20 the miners on Eldorado and Bonanza struck against the reduction of wages from $1.50 to $1 per hour, and resumed work November 14, under -, compromise which fixed the rate at $1.25 per hour. A large proportion of the miners worked all winter at that rate, but many received only $1 per hour, while a few were paid the old rate of $1.50. Early in May, at the beginning of the clean up, the mine owners voluntarily restored wages to the old rate of $1.50 per hour, and this rate prevailed on all the creeks through the season. Bed-rock men in many instances were x)aid from $2 lo $2.50 per hour. There was a great deal of sickness in Dawson and on the gulches during the winter, and there were sixty patients in the hospital June 15, most of whom were snftering from scurvy. Dr. J. J. Chambers, of Dawson, furnished the following statement relative to this much-dreaded disease : Scurvy was very prevalent during the winter. Most of the cases v/ere among newcomers. A large proportion of those who came into the country last year were men of sedentary vocations — clerks, doctors, lawyers, etc. — who had as a rule led quiet and regular lives. Suddenly they were thrown into a condition of intense excitement, entering a phase of life entirely new to them. For weeks they had but little sleep and ate their meals irregularly. When they reached Skagway or Dyea they found themselves in the midst of the mad rush for tlie Klondike, and oji account of the high rate for packing were forced, through lack of means, to pack their outfits to the lakes. The reports of those going out that food was scarce here and that there was danger of starvation created a high nervous tension that was killing in its effects. Nearly all underwent great physical hardships, packing loads on their backs for long distances, without proper food, over almost impassable trails, often carrying packs which they could not have lifted under normal conditions. The situation was analogous to that which is seen at a fire, where men will rush into the burning building and with apparent ease carry out heavy articles of furniture, which they could not move except under intense excitement. This strf^.in lasted from sixty to ninety days, and when they got to Dawson the "stampeding" had commenced, and they went on trips to distant creeks for the purpose of staking claims. They would start out with two or three days' provisions on a trip that could not possibly bo made in less than four or five days. Being strangers and not wishing to impose upon the hospitality of miners along the trail, they would go two or three days with insufficient food, lying outdoors at night without proper bedding. Then the river froze up and the food panic followed, and they realized their condition 11 . m \ 111 1 ! ^illij M I t K"'l 'I' i m. 814 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. and bv^came " homesick," the worst disease with which wo have to cope, Eone of them were making fortunes, as they had hoped to do, the more fortunate, at best, fuelling a claim hero and there for a few hundred dolhirs or working a few months at $1 or $ 1.50 per hour, which means as a rule only $0 or $8 per day. Xaturally they be(3ame despondent. Their food was in many oases insufficient and lacking in variety. Many had never cooked before in their lives, and as they were forced to pre- pare their own food, they simplified matters by confining themselves to a few articles, with the result that their blood was soon in an impov- erislied condition, which rendered them peculiarly susceptible to dis- ease. The popular notion that scurvy is the result of a diet of bacon, the lack of exercise, and uncleanliness is not correct, if wo may judge by the cases Ihat developed here last winter. Many men wlio were particularly cleanly in their personal habits and who took plenty of exercise and had an ample supi)ly of fruits and fresh meats Avere taken down with scurvy in its worst form, and some of them died. It is probable that fully 10 i)er cent of the newcomers were alt'ected by scurvy in greater or less degree, while the oldtimers were practically exempt from its ravages. In all cases the liver and spleen were affected more or less; sometimes the bladder was affected, and frequently the prostate gland was involved. Patients often passed blood from the urinary organs and bowels, and in many cases bied from the gums, but when the bowels ^vere attacked t!io gums were affected but slightly. During the winter there were ma^^y cases of a serious throat and lung affection, resulting from the gases formed by burning in the mines, and there were several deaths from this cause. Kg attempt has been made to improve the condition of the Dawson townsite by the construction of drains, and as a consequence the greater portion of the flat between the river and the hills is a bog, which forms a natural breeding ground for ma'arial fever and pestilential diseases. On June 25 there were about seventy patients in the hospital, a large proportion of the cases being fever and scurvy. Dysentery was preva- lent throughout the town, many newcomers suffering severely and a number of deaths being reported from this complaint. The supply of wholesome drinking watc) is insuiflcient for the large population, the only sources being two or threo springs on the hill at the lower end of the town and the Klondike, a mile or more from the center of i)opu- lation. Many ot the i)eople take their drinking water direct from the Yukon, and nearly all who depend on tbis source of supply are attacked by dysentery. Water from the springs costs 10 cents a gallon delivered in town, some of the saloons paying as high as $10 a barrel for it. The charge for hospital accommodations is $5 per day, medical atten- dance costing the patient $5 i)er visit and special charges being made for surgery. The records of the hospital show that since it Avas opened on August 20, 1897, it has taken care of 293 patients. Of these, 104 iiad scurvy, 25 fever, 25 dysentery, and 13 pneumonia. Of the 28 deaths recorded, 9 were from fever, 7 from pneumonia, and 4 from scurvy. The hospital receives its principal support from subscriptions, there being in June about 000 subscribers who pay an annual fee of 3 ounces of gold ($48). Subscribers are entitled to the privileges of the hospital MtaaiMaiirBTiiTiiiwri THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDS. 815 ive to cope, 0, the more w hundred lich means espoudeut. Jty. Many "ced to pre- theni selves : an impov- ible to dis- it of bacon, may judge who were J plenty of ware taken lied. It is kll'ected by practically ire affected uently the I from the gums, but slightly. it and lung mines, and le Dawson the greater hich forms il diseases. ;al, a large ivas preva- rely and a ''he supply opulation, lower end r of popu- b from the e attacked I delivered for it. ical atten- Bing made as opened le, 104 iuid 28 deaths tu scurvy. ons, there f 3 ounces e hospital in case of sickness. Non subscribers are required to pay $5 per day, as stated, and the physician's fee makes the cost to the patient $10 per day. According to the best information obtainable, about one hundred deaths occurred in the district between October 1, 1897, and June 25, 1898. On June 25 there were about seventy-five physicians in Dawson, and they were still coming. Ten or twelve were actively engaged in practice. Fees have been reduced since last year from $17 to $10 per visit. The charge for office consultation is $8.50, the patient buying his own medi- cine, proscriptions costing from $2.50 to $7.50. So far as could be Iciirued by careful inquiry, this is the only instance in which there has been a reduction in cliarges for professional or other services on the Klondike. The river broke at Dawson on May 8, and as the ice moved out it was followed by thousands of people in small boats who had been waiting at the lakes for the oiiening of navigation. Over two thousand people ai'rived in town from the upper river in one day. During the iirst three weeks in June five or six steamboats arrived from below, bringing four or five hundred people who had been forced to spend the winter at various points on the lower river, and by June 25 there were probably 15,000 people in Dawson, two-thirds of whom were living iu tents or occupying their boats at night. At that date the river bank for a dis- tance of two miles was so thickly lined with small boats that it was im- l)ossible for new arrivals to find a landing place, and they were obliged to go to points still farther away from the center of town, Avhile it was exceedingly difficult to find a place to x)itch a tent, as all available camp- ing ground was already occui)i6d. All small boats going down the river are required to register at the customs station at Lake Tagish, and are given a number. On June 18 the register showed that 7,200 boats had passed the station, and it was estimated that on an average each boat contained five passengers. While at the above date the great rush was over, boats were still passing the station in considerable numbers, and it is probable that by August 1, 40,000 people had left the lakes for the gold fields. A very large proportion of this vast number stopped temporarily at various points on the upper river for the purpose of pros- pecting, it being estimated by the captain of a small steamboat which ascended the Stewart lliver on June 19, that between 5,000 and G,000 had gone up that stream at the date named. Eventually, and before the river closes, practically all those now on the upper river and its trib- utaries will reach DaAvson, where they will greatly aggTavate the difli- cuKies which confront the authorities. The mounted police stationed on the lakes during the winter adopted the rule that no one should be allowed to go down the river with an outfit of less than 1 ,000 pounds, but latterly this rule was not strictly enforced, and, as a consequence, probably one-half of those who passed through the lakes were inade- quately equipped with food supplies. Thousands of this improvident 816 BULLETIN OF THE DEPAUTMENT OF LABOR. li^ I i class are practically penniless, and even if tlie commercial companies succeed in getting sufllicient food- supplies into the country, many will sufier for the necessaries of life. Compared with the increase in popu- lation, the opportunities for employment for wages are even more lim- ited tban they were last year, for the reason that there have been no new developments in the district worthy of note, except on Dominion and Sulphur creeks, while, as already stated, many of the owners of rich claims on Eldorado and Bonanza have announced that they will not worlr their properties next winter nnless the royalty is declared oft'. Many men seem to have broken up their homes in the States with the idea of making permanent homes on the Ynkon, taking their families with them, and on June 25 there were fully 1,000 women and children in the town. In walking along the river front scores of wom-^n, leading their little children by the hand, were encountered in the throng, and the scene reminded one of the concourse at a county fair. The thoughtful observer could see nothing in the immediate futnre for the majority of these unhappy people but want and misery. Already the Canadian authorities had taken steps to induce the surplus population to go down the river to the American side, and up to June 25, probably 2,000 people had heeded the warning and departed in small boats, many proceeding direct to St. Michaels for the purpose of return- ing homo by ocean steamers. Unless this movement down the river to St. jMichaels became more general than then seemed probable, there will be a repetition this fall of the sad scenes of last year, but many times magnified, and our Government will be obliged to take care of eight or ten thousand destitute people at Fort Yukon. The commercial companies were more unfortunate than usual in their efforts to get their boats into the river at the beginning of the naviga- tion season. As a result of the exceptionally warm weather in the early part of May, the break-up of the ice was accompanied by the highest water known for years, and the four steamboats that wintered in the slough at Circle City were carried by the action of the ice far out on the bank, where the receding waters left them high and dry 200 feet from the running water in the stream, from which they were cut off' by an immense ice jam. It Avas necessary to blast trenches through the ice and construct ways to the channel, and this work was rendered unexpectedly expensive by a strike of all the white and most of thf Indian laborers in Circle City. A large force of men had been employed for several weeks in getting the boats to a place of safety, receiving a compensation of GO cents per hour. At a meeting held on May 1.'?, tlio day after the break-up, a resolution was adopted declaring that no one should work for less than $1.50 per hour, and was signed by 89 men, including several Indians. The resolution stated that this action was taken for the reason that the North American Transportation and Trading Company had raised the prices of provisions during the winter 25 to 100 per cent. This increase in wages brought the cost of launch- li,';! il'hl i THE ALAi^KAN GOLD FIELDS. 817 ,1 companies f^ many will sase in popu- 311 more lim- ave been no m Dominion ic owners of at they will is declared I tbe States taking their ,000 women int scores of iountered in at a connty 3 immediate and misery. ! the surplus up to June rted in small seof return- the river to le, there will many times 3 of eight or sual in tlieir tbe naviga- ther in the aied by the at wintered o ice far out dry 200 feet e cut off by ;hroiigli the IS rendered most of tlip sn employed receiving a May V,\, tlio that no one by 89 men, action was rtation and f the winter b of launch- ing the boats up to a high figure, the representatives of the companies stating that the total expense Avas nearly $15,000. The Victoria was launched on May 30, and proceeded to Fort Yukon, where she loaded with 45 tons of flour, nails, etc., and returned up river to Dawson. The other boats were not launched until June 4, when the St. Michael left for St. Michaels. The Weare went to Fort Yukon, where she loaded for Dawson, which point she reached on Juno 11 with 150 tons of mer- chandise and 158 passengers. The Bella proceeded to Fort Hamlin and loaded for Dawson, taking in tow her barge at Fort Yukon on her return, and arrived in Dawson on June 24 with 390 tons of merchan- dise and 50 passengers, having spent a week on a sand bar Ju«t below Circle City. The steamer Hamilton, which was frozen in at Kussian Mission last October en route to Dawson, was launched June 1, and arrived at Dawson on June 17 with a full cargo of merchandise, 74 tons of which were taken on at Circle City, and 150 passengers. The Margaret and the Alice, of the Alaska Commercial Company's fleet, wintered on the lower river, and on June 27 had reached a i^oint about 20 miles below Circle City, where the Alice was fast on a sand bar and the Margaret was trying to get her off. The John J. Healey lay in the canal at St. Michaels all winter, and left for Dawson on June 10 with a barge and about GO passengers. She dropped her barge at Anvik, and on June 29 was taking on wood at Weare, the town established by the Xorth American Transportation and Trading Company oj. osite the mouth of the Tanana. Of the numerous steamboats belonging to private expeditions that attempted to ascend the Yukon last year, only one, the St. Michaely succeeded in getting above the Tanana. The details of her trip from St. Michaels to Circle City were given in the former report. The Mare Island, a large side-wheel boat from San Francisco, was abandoned last fall, and is lying in the canal 18 miles from St. Michaels, it having been found that she clicw too much water to get across the bar at the mouth of the Yukon. The Jllcrwin and the Thomas Du-ijcr, two small stern- wheelers, went into winter qn.arters at Nimivak, on the lower river, and W3re successfully launched in May. On June 20 the Meririn, with about 40 passengers aboard, was 100 miles above Circle City, en route to Dawson, and making a progress of 50 miles a day. The Thomas Du'jjcr ran onto a sand bar just above jMinook and was abandoned. The Governor Stonemau, a small tugboat owned by a party of pros- pectors, wintered at Xowikakat, 50 milcsi below the Tanana, and arrived at Fort Yukon June 3, with 10 men and their outfits. She ran onto a sand bar a few miles above Fort Yukon and stuck until June 27, when she was launched and proceeded up the river. The ^[ajJ West, a small boat of 54 tons register, was caught in the ice about 10 miles below the Tanana, and her i)assengcrs, 35 in number, wintered at JMinook. She got afloat May 25 and reached Dawson on June S, being the first boat 7443— No. 19 3 41^ il i! i'\ y iiii I' 1 I 818 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, to arrive there this season. The Seattle Xo. 1, with about IGO passen- gers, who left Seattle in August, 1897, wintered just below the Tauana, and her passengers spent ^"ae winter at Minook. She was launched May 25 and proceeded up ihe river. On June 3 she was caught on a sand bar 18 miles above Circle City, and remained there nearly three weeks, finally reaching Dawson on June 25 with 220 tons of freight and 140 passengers, nearly all of whom had been eleven months on their way to the Klondike. The May West was the first steamboat to leave the Klondike this season, as she had been the first to arrive. She left Dawson on June 18 with 08 passengers, the charge for passage to St. Michaels being $100. She took down about a ton of gold, valued at 8500,000. On June 12 the North America)! Transi)ortation and Trading Com- I)any posted the following notice: This company will now book first-class passage to Seattle to parties intending to ship gold dust by express on our first boat. Kates : Express on dust to Seattle, 2^ per cent per $1,000; insurance to Seattle, 2^ per cent per $1,000. I'irst-class fare to Seattle, i' <5luding meals and licrth, $300. Baggage allowance, 100 pounds. Steamer will leave Dawson about June 15, 1898. No dust received on steamer except it is shipped by express. This announcement caused much disquietude among the large num- ber of men who were anxiously awaiting an opportunity to embark for Seattle or San Francisco, with the reasonable expectation that the old charge of $175 for passage would be m*M.intained, for nearly all of this class were debarred on account of their inability to produce gold dust in amounts of $1,000 for shipment, while but few had emerged froi.i the extortion practiced on them during the winter with the requisite $300. Events proved this disquietude in large measure to have been groundless, for at closing time on the 15th it had become apparent at the booking office that the select class designated in the notice was not numerous enough to insure a remunerative passenger list. The usual delay occurred, the departure of the company's first boat being post- poned from day to day until the 24th, when the Hamilton left for St. Michaels with 178 passengers, many of whom were of the comparatively impecunious class mentioned, the nine days' delay having enabled them, by various humiliating expedients, to secure the necessary means to meet the greatly increased charge for passage. The Weave followed on the 25th with 42 passengers and about 3^ tons of gold, valued at $1,500,000. On the 29th, when 50 miles below the Tanana, the Hamil- ton broke a hogchain and became helpless in midstream, and the Weave took her in tow, arriving at St. Michaels on July 5, ten d.ays from Daw- son. The regular "first-class fare'' on the Weave for the first four days out from Dawson consisted of poorly baked bread, indifilercnt butter, stale corned beef, brown sugar, Indian trading tea, and an insipid decoc- tion which the waiters called ''coffee," with bacon and beans every other day for a change. The fare on the Hamilton was somewhat better, the i "Mi.. THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDK. 819 100 passen- blie Tanaua, IS launched caught on a iiearly three freight and ths on their ondike this son on June haels being mo. ?adiug Com- le to parties es: Express attle, 14 per s and berth, bve Dawson t is shipped ) large nuni- embark for that the old y all of this le gold dust lerged froia Id requisite have been ipparent at tice was not The usual being post- left for St. [uparatively abled them, y means to followed on , valued at the Jlamil- l the Wcare 5 from Daw- () miles from l']diii()iitt)n. From Fort McPhersou there is a dillicult portage of *M) miles to La Pierre House, on Bell lliver, a tributary of the Porcupine. There a boat is constructed and the journey by water resumed. It is tO miles from La Pierre Uouse to the mouth of Bell lliver, whence the traveler descends the Porcupine IJOO miles to Fort Yukon, situated on tlic Yukoi. just above the mouth of tlio Porcupine. There is an ofl'shoot of the l-Almon- ton route known as the Peace lliver route. This trail runs to the north- westward from Edmonton to the west end of Little Slave Lake, about 200 miles, thence to Peace River, 85 miles, and thence to Fort Dunve- gan, GO miles. Beyond Fort Dunvegan, which is about 1,000 miles in an air line from Dawson, little is known of the trail, but it is supposed to lead through alternating forests, barrens, and mountain ranges to the Liard lliver, and thence to the headwaters of the Pelly lliver, from which i)oint the Journey can be completed in boats. According to newspaper accounts, several hundred men chose this route last fall, but as no one could bo found in Dawson late in June who had succeeded in getting over the trail, it is impossible to describe it. There are numer- ous dangerous rapids in the Athabasca and Slave rivers, and great care is required in passing down those streams. A small steamboat runs on the Athabasca lliver from Athabasca Landing to Grand Rapids, a distance of 105 miles, and steamboats run between Fort Smith, on Slave River, and Fort McPherson, a distance of 1,270 miles, but as they are emi)loycd exclusively in the transportation of supplies for the Hudson Bay Company, they are not available for x>asseuger traflic. On June 2 two young men arrived at Fort Yukon from Edmonton. They started from that place on August Oof last year, i^assingdown the Athabasca, Slave, and Mackenzie riven^ and arrived at the mouth of Arctic Red River September 30. They were lorced to discontinue their journey by boat at this point by the heavy run of ice in the Mackenzie, and made the portage of 100 miles to La Pierre House, where they spent the win- ter, their only companions being a few half-starved Porcupine Indians. It re(|uired two months of hard labor to sled their outfit across the portage. They left La Pierre House on May 30, and the next day, while shooting the rapids at the lower end of the Upper Ramparts of the Porcu- pine, their boat was capsized and swept away with the remnant of their outfit, and they were left struggling in the ice-cold water. In an ex- hausted condition they succeeded in reaching an exposed rock in mid- stream, to Avhich they clung for twenty-four hours, when they were res- cued by two prospectors who were descending the river and taken to Fort Yukon, penniless and without a change of clothing. They reported that they passed 800 men last fall en route from Etlmonton to the Klon- dike, but up to June 27 they were the only ones of this large number who had reached Fort Yukon. Here they were greatly suri)rised to TTT^ ' i\ S24 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. Icarii thiit they were still as far from the Klondike, so far as the cxpcnso of travel and time are concerned, as they would liave been at Dyea or Skagway, It would now seem that at last the residents of the Yukon Valley are to have a regular mail. A seniiraonihly service has been established between Juneau and Tauana, at a cost to the Government of ij(r>(},000 per annum, and a monthly service is in-ovided for between Tanana and St. Michaels, at a cost of $23,000 per annum. Mv. John P. Clum, a post-office inspector, to whom had been given the power to appoint postmasters, traversed the entire length of the Yukon during the pres- ent summer and established post offices as follows : Eagle, at the mouth of Mission Creek; Star, at the mouth of Seventy Mile Creek; Y'ukon, at Fort Yukon; Kampart, at the mouth of Minook Creek; Tanana, opposite the mouth of the Tanana (the station designated in the pro- spectuses and on the maps of the North American Transportatioii and Trading Company as ''Weare"); Koyukuk, at the mouth of the Koyukuk, and Anvik, at tlio moutli of the Anvik IJiver. Upon the recommendation of ^Ir. Clum, the Post-Office Department has issued instructions to the postmasters at Juneau, Tanana, and St. Michaels authorizing them to employ sjiecial carriers to perform the service whenever the contractor shall prove delinquent. This wise provision, lacking heretofore, will solve the problem of a legular mail service on the Yukon, so :f;ir as human agencies can overcome the difficulties. There is a perioa " -i>'^"t a month in the spring, ju'-'- preceding the breaking up of the river, «..,' ^rother in the fall, following the closing of the river and varying from thirty to sixty days, when it is impossi- ble to travel, and until permanent trails or roads are constructed, the post-offices along the Yukon will receive no mails during the periods indicated, {a) At St. Michaels reliable lii for motion was obtained in regard to affairs at Kotzebue Sound, the scon ■ A the most profitless of all the stam- pedes that have occurred as iiocompaniments of the general movement to the Klondike. Kotzebue Sound lies just beyond Bering Strait and forms the. southern arm of tho Arctic Ocean. Tlie three princi[)al rivers emptyii.g into it are the Noatak, Kowak, and Selawik. During tho past fall and winter the newspapers of the Pacific coast published numerous articles setting forth that marvelously rich placer ground existed on these three streams, particularly on the Kowak. As a result of these stories, -which seem to have been based on a rumor that the Indians of that region occasionally brought small quantities of rt As this Bulletin goes to press, it is learned that it is the purpose of tho Canatliau Govornmcnt to maintain a fortnightly mail service during the -winter along the Yukcr. hctweeu Skagway and Dawson, with post-offices at Bennett, Tagish House, AVliite Horse Rapids, Lel)arge, Ilootalimina, Big Salmon, Little Salmon, and Sixty Mile. It is presumed that a post-offico will also be maintained at Forty Mile: if so, it will 1)0 de])cndont npoii our service, as the Canadian service does iiot extend below I THE ALA.SKAX GfOLD FIELDS. 825 10 exponso it Dyoa or V^allcy arc 5tablislio(l )f |r)({,000 inaiia and *. Chun, a appoint [ the pies- he mouth Lj Yukon, Tauana, 1 the pro- atioii ami h of the Upon the las issued Micliaels le service provision, service on ilHculties. 3ding the le closing 3 impossi- icted, the e i)erio(l8 to afi'airs the stam- novement Jtrait and principal During published r ground k. As a UDor that utities of Can.icliaii along the ;i8U Ilonso, , and Sixty \Ulo: if so, tend below gold dust to the coast, a large tMiuiW- of vessels saih'd for Kotzebuo Sounil during the spring, and probably 1,000 men took passijge on them. Trustworthy men who have asi.cnded the Ivowak L'OO miles say that no gold has been found up to that point, and that it is impossible to reach the headwaters with a boat on account of the rapids. It is in-obable chat gold in paying (quantities axists on the headwaters of the Kowak, but the fact is not yet proved, and the only practical way ol getting there is by ascending the Koyukuk and making a i»ortage of 100 or 150 miles. It is therefore inevitable that the prospectors who have gone to Kotzebue Sound will liavc to retrace their steps, bringing ba<;k nothing but experience and cankering recollection of liberal con- tributions to the bank accounts of conscienceless instigators of an empty "boom." Authentic reports from the Copper lliver country indicate that while some good indications have been found, no discoveries liavc been made that war;, nt the influx of prospectors which has occurred, and thou- sands who took part in that movement will be forced to return to their homes empty-handed. The Klondike stampede was unicpie, considered from nearly every point of view, and it inay be interesting, in conclusion, to survey the situation briefly with particular reference to its most fascinating fea- ture, the financial result. It is a common assumption among those familiar with the uncertainties of mining for the precious metals, that everj ■ ollar's worth of gold extracted from the earth costs somebody at lease one dollar in money or labor. Api)lied to the case under con- sideration, this assumption is so far within the bounds of truth that it presents itself to the mind of everyone who participated in the move- ment as a self-evident fact. By actual count, 40,000 men started for and reached the Yukon gold fields during the year beginning with July 15, 1897. It is conservatively estimated that 20,000 more undertook the journey, but were unsuccessful in their efforts to reach the Y'likon, a large iiroportion becoming discouraged and returning home, while many thousands joined the collateral stampedes to various points on the coast or are stdl struggling on the trails to the Klondike. It is fair to assume that the average expenditure of these 00,000 men for outfitting and transportation was $500 each, or a total expenditure of $30,000,000. It is probable that the money invested in ocean and river vessels and the organization of commercial companies lor operations on the Y'ukon would add $5,000,000 to this sum. Without considering the large amounts that have been absorbed in the capitalization of Klondike mining companies, a few legitimate and many wildcat, it may safely be assumed that this great movement during the year following its incep- tion cost the participants $35,000,000, and it is equally safe to assu?ne that in the case of 75 per cent of the individuals involved their contribu- tions are an absolute loss to them ; for having iiiiled in the main object of their venture, mining, the country offers them no other kind of I'M- li ^\ 826 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. employment, and they must return to the States. As against tliis enormous outlay, we have for the period uudej- consideration, as indi- cated by the mint returns, a gross product from the Yukon i)lacers of less than $12,000,000. Although this statement as to the immediate result of the Klondike "boom" can not be refuted, it would be mislead- ing if allowed to stand without qualification. The condition described is almost entirely due to the exaggerated statements as to the extent of the new discovery so widely published in last year's newspapers and magazines, and should not be ijermitted to obscure the fact that there is now being developed on the Yukon a mineral zone of wonderful rich- ness, whicli will eventually contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the wealth of the world. The lesson to be learned from the present situation is that it will take years of hard work to bring the mines up to their highest point of productiveness, and that the country offers no opportunities for professional men or others who are not equipped by nature for the most exacting manual labor. AVhon common carriers on the Yukon who depend upon the public for supi)ort are ready to carry for the public without discrimination in favor of selected patrons; when "competition" in commerce there shall come to mean a decrease and not an increase in the cost of living, and when the people of that long- neglected section of our common country shall again attract the atten- tion of Congress and hold it long enough to secure the enactment of laws for the protection of life and property, then, and not till then, will it be possible to bring to full development the marvelous riches of the Yukon gold fields. In Ai)ril, 1898, Mr. J. C. McCook was appointed United States con- sul at Dawson, and arrived early in July at his post of duty. He has sent to the Department of State a number of reports, whicli liave appeared in the Consular lieports, and as they contain authentic infor- mation relative to the situation on the Yukon of a later date than that given in this paper, they are quoted here : Consul 3IcCook has sent the Department of State an undated rc])ort from Dawson City (received September 12, 1898), Mr. McCook says: "Dawson City, probably the largest mining camp in America, is built on a bog or swamp and contains a shifting population which now num- bers about 20,000. Forty thousand prospectors have passed through here from the White and Chilkoot passes. Most of them had a year's provisions. Hundreds are going away daily, not being able t> istay long on account of the cost of living. A dinner costs $2.50, and break- fast and lunch $1.50. Lodging is $1.50 per night in a bunk, and a hotel charges $G.50 for a bed per night. " The price of property in the business locality is enormous. A lot of convenient size upon the main street can not bo Jiad under $40,000. Lots in a bog off Main street bring from $5,000 to $10,000. To rent a log cabin costs $200 per month. With the exception of the warehouses, the theaters, dance hally, saloons, and gambling houses are about the only establishments M'hich can atford these terms. Along the river, ground leased from the authorities brings $10 per front foot per mouth. m THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDS. 827 linst this as iucli- [)lacei'.s of muiediate 3 mi si ad- described lie extent Eipers and liat there rful rich- dollars to present mines up ofters no lipped by arriers on " to carry ns; when ease and ihat long- the atten- !tnient of then, Avill les of the ates con- hity. He lich have I tic infor- thaii that « ed rc])ort )ok says: a, is built low num- . through a year's c t,) stay id break- ik, and a is. A lot • $40,000. To rent a rel louses, ibout the he river, H' mouth. \"i ' 1 M This, with the 10 per cent royalty charged on the gross output, yields a very large revenue. "The prevailing price of labor is $1 per hour, but there arc so inauy idle hands waiting for employment that the supply exceeds the demand, and may bring the price down. Still, there is the greatest activity in the erection of large buildings and warehouses. "Most of the prospectors who are coming to Dawson City leave for caTnps in United States territory, since, apart from the country in the immediate vicinity of Dawson, which has all been staked off', this is the most promising field. But even hero, out of more than 6,000 placer claims and 2,000 bench claims, only 200 have thus far paid to work. A great many have not yet been prospected and will have to bo given up to the Crown, because one condition of the grant is that every person having a claim must work it continuously for three months each year. Ninety days' labor at $10 a day is a good deal to risk upon one claim, and a good many who can not afford it will sur- render them. The creek claims have been reduced in size from 500 to 250 feet. "Estimates of last year's output range from $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. Work has largely been confined to Eonj.nza and Eldorado creeks. Dominion, Sulphur, and l^ureka creeks will be opened up next winter, as they promise good results. One can not prospect in summer, as the pits which are dug then fill with water. It is by the merest chance that one may strike a rich claim. No poor man should sell out and come here. Organized companies with capital will do much better, as they can hire work much inore cheaply than individuals.*' Consul McCook writes from Dawson City, under date of August 4, 1898, that prices for provisions are very high (exceeding by 25 per cent those of last year), and lodging is hardly to be had at any price. Out- siders, he says, can not realize the conditions; destitution and suffering are imminent for many unfortunate prospectors, who are unable to get away. No one, he continues, should go to the gold fields without a couple of thousand dollars and supplies for two years. The output of gold has been exaggerated fivefold. In a report dated August 21, Consul ^EcCook further emphasizes the distress ai .;;ng the prospectors in and around Dawson City, and strongly advises no one to join in the hunt for gold unless he has at least enough provisions to last over winter and enou^u money in bank to take hiui home if he is unsuccessful. The consul says he is appealed to daily by men who have no money and can not get work, and he advises such of them as are able to travel to go to St. Michaels, where, he is informed, the Government is arranging to take care of them by putting them in com- munication with friends in the United States. Under date of August 31, 18!)8, Consul McCook writes from Dawson City as follows : " Dawson City made rapid strides during the past month in the way of building improvements. In July only two large warehouses Avere here. Foi^" more are new nearing completion, all operating their own steamers. "There will be no lack of provisions and merchandise here this win- ter. The large amount of supplies being brought in has had a tendency to reduce prices on a few commodities. A 50-pound sack of flour, which brought $8 last month, is now sold for $5. It is to be hoped the price of hotel ocoommodations will be reduced, as none but the wealthy can enjoy hotel lile at present, at $0.50 per night for a room with a mixture f^ 828 BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTME>'T OF LABOR. of husks aud straw for a bed, a caudle for liftlit, and board at the rate of $13 per da5\ There arc a few cheaper houses, but accommodatious are still poorer. Tlie number of log cabins is being increased rapidly, for in a couple of w^eel^s it will be too cold to sleep in tents. Log cabins can be rented for $50 per month and upward, according to location and distance from the center of the town. Typhoid fever has been on the increase lately, and many deaths have resulted. It will decrease as soon as the ground is frozen, about the 1st of October. " Hundreds of Americans have gone down the river to Alaskan terri- tory, where it is predicted more gold will be found than in the Northwest Territory. Forty Mile Creek, which empties into the Yukon River 52 miles below Dawson City, is understood to bo very good on the Alaskan, side. Eagle City, 50 miles below, is said to be in a position to rival Dawson City in another year, and as a base of supplies it will be much more cdnvenient, being inside the boundary line. Eagle City is the name now given to what is marked Belle Isle on the m. p of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey of the Yukon ^'iivf Tlie territory for hundreds of miles around Eagle City is saio f - ^t . 3ry rich. '• The future of Dawson City greatly depends on new discoveries being made this coming winter. There is no doubt of a great deal of gold being in this district within 100 miles radius, but it has yet to be prospected. The cost of taking food up to the mining camps and the price of labor make it very expensive to work the claims, and they must be very good in order to pay."' The following, under the heading of '* Warning to ^^laska i)r()s- pectors," is taken from tlie Consular Reports for September, 1898 : Care should be taken, by those Avho contemplate going to the gold fields, in entering into transportation contracts. It appears that cer- tain compjinies have obtained a considerable sum of money (generally $500 for each person) upon very ingeniously worded contracts, that the l)ersons paying should be transported to the gold fields in the north. with all necessary outfit furnished and expenses paid. In three cas> >? in which men have paid their money they have been brought, at slig; t expense, to this and otiior i)ori:s and then abandoned. The men who had contraciod with one of these companies became suspicious Avhilo at tliis port, but after an explanation by the agent, they agreed to go forward. Tlie following extract from a letter from one of them shows how they have been treated: Foni' Wi!AX!;oll and i\ficv piillinjf tho provisions /'or lij miles np tho Stikeen l?iver, \\c Aveve sent Into camp aud have remained t! c ever since. When wo liavc asked to ))c pnt ahead wo )i.iv to thr g; !d fields in the valley of the Yukon take every possible precau<^'.';u= 1 have abundant evidence that several c(»mpai)Ivs are now. .iud have been for sonu' months, engaged in tin's nefarious traflic. L. l^DwiN Dudley, ConmiL VANCorvEU, June ;?.s\ I'^^S: '^"?2"""' " ^^ '" V >V,ijJ^ - PPP ^'BPWBfl'^^ ^^^^*^ u,V' ' ,i.V4?' ' ^.- • v»- !0R. »artl at the rate iccommodations reased rapidly, ts. Log cabins to location and las been on the rill decrease as Alaskan terri- i the Northwest e Yukon Eiver y good on the in a position to Pl)lies it wil? be Eagle City is the m:p of the on i'iivf The iair* \ ■' bi- 3ry lew discoveries a great deal of it has yet to be camps and the 1, and they must ) Alaska i)r()s- nber, 1898 : ing to the gold •pears that cer- oney (generally itracts, that the is in the north. In three cas* & ought, at sligl t ipanies became 1 by the agent, II a letter from A, June 15, 1S9S. thoprovisious for I'c remained tl- -c put otl" with 1 uti t prouiiso Hill 1 r Avish to ask yoM • ir part of the cou- nt inoiKsy ami I'fir astiiifjf favor upon . /.o since Marih ;!'\ : !d iields in the have abundant been for some, H.EY, Vonsul. * /