The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 6, 1897, Page 1

Call SAN FRANCISCO, FRIDAY MORNING. AUGUST 6, 1897. RICE FIVE CENTS. THE WOSH FOR G01D Seattle Crowded by the Hordes of Fortune- Hunters, SIXTY-EIGHT ARRIVE ON | ONE TRAIN. Merchants Doing a Prosperous Business in Selling Outfits. | ( BUT THEY CEASE TO AGITATE FGR RETALIATION. | Nothlng Done Since the Filing of the Protest Agalnst Making Dyea a Sub-Port of Entry. g 5.—The Seattle by days registered its protesi | against the making of Dyea and Skaguay | sub-ports of entry, which was telegraphed SEATTLE, Wass,, > of since, Commerce, resoiution some to Washington, and this scems to have ended the agitation upon the sub- | ject sc this city 1s concerned, for not another step has been taken in the matter, and nobody secms 1o be interasted ythir g this up with 1ndiv, div protests work to secure the desired The m seems to have exhausted the e stock of public 1ndignation and for the Treasury Department. City Until Dawson Is Reached. Barges to Their Destination. time being the subject does not seem iterest enough to be a topic of stepping from one steamer to another, whose most serious prospective hards on the trip would be a slight attack of sea | sickness, a poorly cooked meal or bad attendance, the mountain passes, have ever before them the serious proposition as to how they are to get 1000 paund: over one or4he An evidence of what this sudden rush B the new goldfields means to the cities b are outfitung the Kiondykers was the Northern Pacific train which reached Seattle yesterday. The others, those who go by n on On this train passengers having the as their objective point, and ne States were represented on the Having become more or less intimately acquainted in their three days’ journey, the proposal was made that the entire crowd *‘pool issues’”” and buy their outfits at the same stores in Seattle, de- manding a rebate for the magnitude of the trade. In fizuring up what amount man proposed to invest in developed that the crowd collectively proposed to 000 to Scattle outfitters, and it vere sixty-eight ondyke twenty. presents ascents at an angle of forty-five degrees, the other a trail which, according | to last accounts, is in places a bog, with the bottom at an unknown depth. The rush is now for the first time fairly n train. o abroad; the steamers which sail from now on will carry many more passengers from | the outside than from the State of Wash- ington. No steamer sails to-morrow except the | Aja ight boat, 1e Qo a member of the party has secured passage | '\f Xl s DD e dunen;and % Willamette will both zet away Saturday, for the north. < 4 ey carrying with them over 1000 passengers, pay out is presumed they have done so, for every The pooling scheme fell In this crowd came one of the most ec- WAIT UN'}‘iL SPRING. centric individuals yet borne into view by — the Klondyke craze, in the persin of | That Is the Advice of Marager Judge Hiram Robbins of Little Rock, Goodall of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company. TACOMA, Wasn, Aug. 5.—When the ola collier Wiilamette clears from this port Saturday for Alaska she will be packed to the zuards with'passengers, live- stock, ou fits and general merchandise, to be known only 1o the writers of dialect | All day yesterday and to-day trucks and novels and is overflowing with fun and | express w ns have been streami humor. the party and entertained them irom St. Paul into Seattle with a lengthy series of anecdotes of his foriy years' experience in the peculiar Sonthwestern State he claims Ark. the neighborhood of The Judge, who is somewhers in 50, resigned his posi- - tion as District Juage in order to join in the rush for the new gold region. He is a typical Arkansan of the type supposed loaded to their fullest capacity with out- fits for the Argonauts. As she is to carry 700 passengers, most of tbe men going ! from this city will not depend entirely on tke steamer, but will iake big tin boxes as his home—the land, as he proclaims it, | filled with home-cooked food. Tin shops of “rea corn whisky.” The Judge goes|are doing a big business, making these North by the Willamette and will braye | oXes to order. the tetrors of Chilcoot. | IA co‘r,:p:cuoins JTalurxve ?l’; llIm procession P | of outfits to the wharlis the lar, e number ‘“"‘ atesmer, Clevelanil Isf or B |51 noata with whioh the Willatastée'slpas: fichaels at 9 o’clock this evening with 200 sengers will be jrovided in order to save passengers. Among the crowd on the wharf | precious time when the lakes are reached. who saw them oft were a large number of | Boat-building for the Klondyke has be- come an important indus:ry at several city workshops, each having a style of boat best adapted for carrying in small compass over the pass and easily put to- the people who have eneazed passage on the Willamette and other steamers leaving this week for Dyea. There were manv expressions of envy for the fortunate 200 | yopner gy the Inkes There aro two pre. who would be landed »t Dawson City With | vailing styles. One is a double-ender no further exertien on their own parts than | with flat bottom, the frame to be put to- While a Block Away a Large Barge Is Being Built for Use on Be Dovetailed So As to Be Taken Down and Repl other of two mountain passes;.one of which | Hotels are crowded with people from | He was the popular memper of | d0Wn 10 the Northern Pacific ocean dock | The Gasoline Launch Hettie B Is Now the Yukon. Being Made Into a Light - Draft Steam foriher m the line of | Nearly All the Klondyke Excitement Centers Around the Stcam Schooner National City Just Now. The Vessel Is Being Rapidly Got Into Shape for the Voyages The Latter Is Being Built Like an Ark, and All the Upper Work Will ced at Pleasure. Once Aboard the National City It Will Be Securely Lashed Down and Then Used for Passenger Accommodation. On the Yukon It Will Be Launched, and It and a Sister Barge Will Be the Home of Those Who Go Up on the National Schooner and She Will ToW the i gether and the sides and bottom nailed or crewed on. | scow style, with sides entire and botton of short boards, to be nailed on crosswise. Then there is a modification of the latter variety iron or zinc for the bottom. A letter receiyved to-day from a business man in Connecticut ~tates that people in that State have the Klondyke jever as bad as ihose in the West, and that many men | from Connecticut will go to the Yukon in the spring. | Manager Charles Goodall of the Pacific | Coast Steamship Company has returned | to San Francisco. Ha says: “The Pacific Coast Company is warning | every one pot to go to the Yukon country prior to next spring. We operate what has been for some time the only regular | line of steamers to Southeastern Alaska. | We intend to remain on the route, and, | therefore, do not wantto have a numoer of men give the country a partial trial, re- | turn diszruntled and adveriise the land | in a bad light. For several weeks people ve been rushing pell-mell over one an- her for Alaska, and the thirteen steam- | ers, or thereabouts, bound for or that have already reached Skagua and Dyea, | will land enough people at those near-by | points to start a respectabla city. | “1fear a congestion of freight there and | believe many will have to pass the winter on the irails. Ah, but wouldn’t that great | sailing in a vast flotilla down the northern lakes and shooting down on the swiit | bosom of the Yukon, but 1 don’t believe | such will appear thisfall. ‘Che river will frecze, and as it banks the ice in mid- eam 1n chaotic piles I have litile hope of any one going through to Dawson on the snow.” The steamer City of Seattle has been leased Ly the Northern Pacific to a local company, of which Dodw:ll, Carvill & Co., owners of the Northern Pacific Steamship Company’s Oriental line, are members. | The Scatile will sail for Dyea on August 15 and 24. She is being altered to carry 500 pa-sengers, of whom oune-half will be first class. The same syndicate is believed to be behind the steamers Edith and Rosalie, which were sent north a few days ago. S T No Alien Labor on the Road. TORONTO, OxTARIO, Aug. 5.—Commis- sioner McCreary to-aay notified the Cana- dian Pacific authorities that the alien labor law must be strictly observed in the employment of labor on the Crows Nest The other is the square-ended | that substitutes a roil of sheet- | body of men present & magnificent sight | | aloue. | of lake & quarter of a mile irom summit. Now Pass Railroad. He said any American aborers engaged for that work would be deported. DYEA TO DAWSON CITY. Story of the Dangerous Journey as Told by the Dlary of Nels Scran=on. " BOSTON, Mass., Aug. 5.—Nothing more graphic in its simplicity has come out of the Kiondyke than the diary of Nels Sor- enson, here reproduced 1n part, who began on March 31 and ended on Junké 11 the slow, painful journey from Dyea to Daw- son City. It is the plain narrative of the passage penned day by day of the dreaded | Chilcoot Pass, which arrived here in to- day’s mail. \ March 31—Anchored off Dyea two miles, low tide. We had to carry our freight, 3200 pounds. April 2—Steamer Mexico in a hurry to get away. Commenced piling stuff on rocks. | April 3—Commence sieighiug. Snow very slushy. Shallow creeks have to be forded by dragging sled across on rocks. April 5—Moved camp to north of canyon. Great camp assembled, which is the beginning of a terribly hard pull through the canyon to Pleasant Camp, April 10—Took each twoloads of 100 pounds up to foot of summit. This is far worse than the canron, almost one continual steep grade for four miles, Aprii 25—started from Stone House for sum- mit. Leltsummit. Further on there are steep grades. Wo tied ropes and ran sleds down They go iickety-split down into crater trail is on ievel to head of canyon eight miies from summit. April 26—The canyon is terribly rough and steep trail, April 29—Took two loads to head of Lake Lindeman. Spent rest of duy in rigging sleds with mast for sailing, not in water, but on good fevel trail, April 30—Moved camp to head of Lake Ben- nett. { May 1—Proceeded with sails set and good trail, May 6—We fouund fair wood for boat-build- ing, so concluded to stop here and chop down some trees. May 19—Considering our poor quality of timber, think we will bave & pretty fair ana safe boa May 26—Started to-day. Drifted down to Cariboo, crossing foot of Lake Bennett as far as we could reach for ice. May 27—Started through slushy ice, but were compellel to go ashore, drift ice being 100 heavy. May 29—Good run to-day to foot of Lake Ta- gish, five miles through river and eight miles down Lake Marsh. A great many Yukoners T River. are now caught up with us. Three hundred men with boats now on lake waiting forice to clear away. Splendid hunting and fishing. Juue 1-Two months out from Dyea. Reach mouth of canyon; fifteen or twenty miles cur- rent and 500 feet very tumbling and rough. Came through in fine shape. About one mile below rapias we struck shallow water. x Juse 3-We sre fnoating down the Lewis We Y& made ths head of Lake Le- June 4—We camp belogy Hootalinqua River. Most dangerous waters are now passed. June 6—-Made about twenty-one miles to Cas- siar Bar. June 7—The country along this river islower and swampy. Mosquitos are now the terror of our hives. To-day we passed Little Salmon River and went tnrough Five-finger rapids and Kink rapids. June 8—We made a forty-five-mile run to Pelly River and old Fort Selkirk. We are now on the Upper Yukon. June 9—Made from Pelly River to five miles below White River, 101 miles. June 10—Passed Stewart River; reached sixty-mile posi. Arrived at Dawson City 8 P. M.; seventy-five miles for the day, Juie 11—An immense crowd of men and boats are here. They tell us that the Klon- dyke creeks are very rich. WYATT EAKP DEPARTS. Backed by a Syndicate to Starta Big Gambling-House at Daw- son City. YUMA, Ariz, Aug. 5.—Wyatt Earp, who e career as a fighting man in the palmy and riotvus days of Tombstone, Ariz., gained him a Natlonal reputation, the luster of which has been dimmed only by his later achievement in the Sharkey- Fitzsimmons fight, to-day ieft Yuma, where he has been for several montbs past, for Dawson City, where it is sup- posed by the famous gambler-figchter and friends who are backing him that there will be millions to be made this winter 11 the cards are properly handled. Earp is backed by a syndicate of San Francisco sports who have unlimited means at their command, and the games in the house he proposes to start will have no limit to hamper fortunate miners who may be pos- sessed of a desire to ‘‘break the bank.”” Earp will embark at San Francisco for the goldfields and will pursue the Yuko route. 3 —e New York Capital Interested. ALBANY, N. Y., Aug. 5.—The Casta Klonkyke Gold Mining Company of New York City incorporated to-day to work and develop minesin the Klondyke re- gion. The capital is $20,000, divided into $5 shares. 4 5 Il 7 tmmmhmi ‘,ig (%. THE SEALS OPENED THE DYEA PORT Senator Petkins Tells of Vain Protests at Wash- ington. LOCAL STEAMERS RUSH TOWARD DEPARTURE. Scores Flock From the Country to Sail Within the Coming Few Days. A Consulate at Dawson Projected. The Secretary of the Treasury made Dyea a sub-port of entry ana handed over a great amount of American business to the Canadians largely because Great Britain assented to anothe: conierence on tl.e sealing question, according to Senator Perkins. The Senator protested vigorously, but unavailingly, at Washington, when it was | being consdrred a few days 2:0, and when he got home yesterday he expiressed | unbounded disanproval cf the step and eave the story of the transaction. “The first appidcaticn, so far as I know, was made by ex-Senator Allen of Wash- ingion, as attorney for the Canadian Navi- | wanted to get | wation Company, which into the rushing trade with Dyea. He first asked that United States customs officers accompany the.r vesses 1o Dyea anl their freight to the boundary, and then it was asked that a special callccior of cusioms be localed at Dyea and they be aliowed to land there. Iexamined the law and pointed out to the lreasury au- thorities that it could not be done. “Meantime, a we-k ago Thursday, ap- | plication for permission to transport goods in bond from Dyea to Canadiau territory was made. Dyea, not being a port of entry, this permission couid not be granted. Everything would have to first go to Juneau. The whole question was aiscussed among treasury cflicials and h:n referrea 1o the solicitor of the depart- ment. “On Friday the guestion came up at a Cabinet meeting, at which all but Secre- tary Sherman were present and all the re- quests were fully dis_ussed. Meantime tne dispatch from Mr. Foster stating that Great Britain had acceded to a sealing couference was received and the Cabinet was inclined to be accommodating. It was decided that it woula not do to give special permission to foreign boats to land at Dyea, but that Dyea should be made a sub-port of entry. Secretary Gage said to me in effeci: ‘Here are the mines, matnly in Canadian territory. We have Ameri- can boats running up the Yukon aud we must grant fayors or we will receive none.’” What [avors huve oeen o ‘eived I don’t see, and tnat is what I asked Secretary Gage. The favors from the Canadians are oniy in the imagimnation. Not only have they not granted us favors, but they have discriminated against u-.. When we started to run steamers to Fort Simpson, which was a port of entry a few yrars ago, that port was closed by the Canadian Governmeunt for the benefit of the same | people for which Dyea was opened by our Government. Making Dyea a port of en- try g:ves them the same advantages as are enjoyed by American ship:, built in America, paying taxes here and paying & higher rate of wages. “It was not necessary to establish a port of entry at Dyea. It is no advantage to American shipping, and 95 per cent of the Alaskun business and capital invested there belongs to the people of Washing- ton, Oregon and California. They have developed the couniry. No American | person, company or organization asked it. | 1 filed a protest represen:ing the Orezon Improvement Company, the Oregon Rail- | way and Navigation Company, the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, the Pacific | Steam Whaling Company, the Oregon | Coal and Navigation Company and Good- | all, Perkins & Co. No iniormation as to whether or not it was a suitable place for | a harbor was asked for; there was no re- port trom the Collector of Customs as to | the amount of Ireight, and there are no | wharves, lighters or other facitities. 1 do | not think that th: action will be an. nulled.” As aresult of this opening of Dyea to all foreign vessels, British Columbia shipping interests are having a boom. Steamers are leaving Victoria for Dyea overloaded, and special charters for Dvea are being engaged. Most of this trafic would have gone to the various regular and special American lines and steamers. This greatly assists the new Canadian tariff on miners’ outfits in securing the outfitting trade to | Victoria merchants. As the Yukon trade is large and is to bs much larger next year, local merchants are taking a more lively intersst in secur- ing for San FKrancisco its share of the business of the great Alaskan field, and the voluntary opening of Dyeca, the Ameri- can gate to the Yukon, 1o foreign com- petition, is everywhere roundly con- demnped. Hugh Craig of the Chamber of Com- merce says that it is a shame that the in- terests of this City should be taken so lit- tle into consideration, for by the action taken all of the trade of fitting out miners | for the rich goldfields in the Northwest Territory wil! be thrown into the hands of the m:rchants and manufacturers cf Brit- ish Columbia. He said: “Within the next few days our mer- chants will be thoroughly alive to the sit- uation, and when they ask me to calla meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to discuss this matter I will doso. Sucha meeting will be called in a few days and we will then take such measures as we be- | lieve will hve some eff ct upon the Gov- rnment officials and result in our relief. am unzble to say what steps will be | taken, but we don’t propose to stand idly by and see such a valuable trade quietly siip out of our hands into the hands of our British rivals.” This matter will also be the subject of THE DARK SIDE OF KLONDYKE. There Is Not So Much Gold as Was Reported, and the Blizzards Are Fiercer Than Prcspectors Expected. While there is great excitement about Klondyke, and while there are many stories of the fabulous wealth in that far northern region, the dark side of the question is beginning to come to the surface, and there is little doubt that thousands will be deterred from rushing into an unknown region of terrors and disippointments when they learn all the facts. It has been gen-rally supposed that millions of dollars have been taken from the mines of Alaska within the past year; but the facts developed at the Mint show that all the reports have been greatly exaggerated. Speaking of the Klondyke output of gold vesterday the chief clerk of the Mint said: ‘‘All the gold brouzht to this City from the Alaskan mines will not exceed $800,000, and all that has been taken out this year and sent to the other mints of the country will not exceed $2,000,0c0. The findings have been exaggerated, though | suppose there will be a great deal more taken out this year, as the influx of men there must be very great. Of course, the money taken out the past year was won by 500 or 6oo people, whereas the number who go there now will be aug- mented tenfoid or more. ““The gold from that part of the country is generally from 700 to 8o fine, and some of it ran to goo, the average being worth from $15 50 to $17 an ounce. | look for a gr=at deal of gold from Alaska next year, but there will surely be a great deal of disappointment on the part of thousands of people.” £ It was stated by a reliable miner yesterday that the miners already on the ground are laying in supplies at such a rate that the price of food will be very great when those now going arrive. The Alaska Commercial Company, it is said, had notified its men and its old mining customers to lay in supplies without delay, and hundreds of min:rs are caching in the:ir supplies as fast as possible. Captain Niebaum, who has made a carcful study of the situation, fears there will be a great deal of suffering in the mining regions this spring. He thinks the people going are far in excess of the supplies that have been forwarded, and fears that the river will freeze before there can be any great supply sent in. Police Officer Smith, who recently came to San Francisco from a five years’ trip through the Copper River country, says the people who are rushing into Alaska have almost no idea of the hardships they must encounter. “Whsn a blizzard is raging,”” he said, “‘a man of great strength and endurance cannot make half a block. ' I have often b:en compelled to stop travel and fizht to keep from freezing to death. I have often been unable to make so small a distance as half a blo-k in a whole day. One winter I lost sixteen Chinese who were in my gang. They froze in trying to make a few miles. A man reared in a temperate or mild climate like this does not have any idea of what a blizzard is with a wind at sixty miles an hour and the thermometer so low that the mercury freezes. 1 have been in Alaska for years, and | am a young, strong man, but I do not want any more of it in mine.” |