The San Francisco call. [volume], August 26, 1897, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME LXXXII.~NSQ*~^B7.
VAST FORTUNES MADE IN THE RICH KLONDIKE
JUNEAU, Alaska, Aug. 20 (via Victoria, B. C, Aug. 25).— New discoveries and j
tons of gold form the latest news from the Klondike. The news was brought j
out to-day by John J. McKay and party, who made the journey up the Yukon
and lakes in twenty-two days, breaking the record by eight days for the inland trip.
When the steamship Portland next arrives at Seattle from St. Michael there will
not be enough figures on the fever gauge to show the increase in the excitement.
In her strong-room and under a heavy guard the Portland will carry $3, 500,000 worth
of Klondike gold in dust.
When the little Yukon River steamer left Dawson City three weeks ago, to
connect with the Portland at the mouth of Great River, she had corded up on her
main deck forward in sacks, like so much wood, that amount of nuggets and dust
taken out of the creeks of the treasure land. A tarpaulin was carelessly thrown
over the corded gold. The little steamer threw off her lines and swung around to J
follow the current to the sea amid the huzzahs of a thousand men. Mr. McKay j
was an eye-witness of the scene.
The others comprising the record-breaking party were Archie Schelp and "Kid" |
Birch, young men of Juneau, who, as well as McKay, have made several trips to j
the Upper Yukon country. Their familiarity with the river enabled them to make
the unsurpassed fast time. The three will return to Dawson City next week. Mr.
McKay was formerly a politician and liquor-dealer of Tacoma, Wash. He sold out
his business and went into the Yukon country a year ago last spring. He got to
the Klondike after the first rush, but not too late to file on good ground. He is
interested in one claim on the Upper Bonanza and another on Hunker Creek.. Mr. '
McKay will put no estimate on his wealth. All he will say is that he is satisfied.
He tells a tale of gold that makes the heart jump and the pulses tingle. He said :
"There is more gold in that country than any man can ever dream of.. The
latest discoveries are on Victoria Creek, named after the Queen, and Bear Creek.
They were made about the 10th of last July.
"The new strikes are expected to pan out as rich as El Dorado and Bonanza
creeks when bedrock is reached. Victoria opened up very rich, running up to $22
a pan near the surface. It is a short stream and has all been taken up. About
twenty claims in all have been located on it. Every yard that is expected to yield
gold is also taken on Bear Creek, which has panned out nearly as well. There was
a great rush when these discoveries became known, but only a comparative few
could . get in on it owing to the limited extent of the ground. But these are not all
the creeks in that territory.
"There are others. Perhaps no more will be found as heavy with solid chunks
of .cold as Bonanza and El Dorado are, but many men are out prospecting, and
thousands will be by this time next year, and some of them are bound to make very
rich finds. The sidehills around the creeks already filed on are being prospected and
worked with very good results. Hundreds are at work on the hii s. From $2 to
5 10 a pan are taken out. Think of that for a siJehill. That means hundreds of
dollars a day. " Gold has become so plentiful in Dawson City that it is thrown
around in sacks or cans like so much potatoes or coal. The owner of the stuff,
though, keeps a watchful eye out and sees that th; nuggets do not get into any
other fellow's pockets. There is very little danger of theft. If caught a man
"would be strung up at once, even if it was before breakfast They would try him
afterward. Everybody understands this, and bolts and bars are few in Dawson."
Mr. McKay contradicts the reports of a present or probable scarcity of provisions
in Dawson City. He says the trading companies have immense quantities of stores
and ate bringing in more. He says that before next winter is gone purchasers must
pay whatever price the company asks. When he left, he says, flour was $12 per
ico pounds and bacon 40 cents a pound, sugar and other "luxuries" in proportion. j
Very little fruit was in sight, and comprised oranges only, which sold according to !
f the supply for from 25 cents to 52 each. Plenty of provisions came up from Circle |
' City and from Pelly when the river opened. Eggs often sold for as much as $1 each, i
which was no price at all where there was so much gold. Mr. McKay told a story of
a Swede who made a meal on eggs. He ate twenty-two, and the meal cost him
just $22. Ducks brought in by Indians sell for $20 each and other game in
proportion.
The general price for golddust in Dawson City is $17 per ounce. The Canadian
Government, however, allows only « 16 per ounce. Mr. McKay says that the Gov
ernment is "hogging" things around Dawson City. It charges $2 per 1000 feet on
lumber cut from stumpage on Government land, and that is where all the timber is
found. The only sawmill at Dawson City, run by ex-Judge Moffatt of North |
Yakima, Wash., is forced to add the Government royalty to its price for lumber. j
The sawmill's capacity is 5000 feet per day, and the mill runs day and night to meet
the demands of building a new city. The mill gets $150 per 1000 feet, and is as good
a property as a placer claim.
Mr. McKay says there is great and growing dissatisfaction in Dawson City and
vicinity over the new Canadian mining laws. The miners think the tax and assess
ments are much too high, and the fees for mining a steal. He says that the slightest
arbitrary act on the part of the Government officials would precipitate rebellion and
that the officials must use wide discretion to avoid trouble. Every man who arrives
is either dissatisfied or incensed at the duty enacted on his outfit.
The McKay party met the first considerable number of gold-hunters going in
on the river, 420 miles from Juneau. All were enthusiastic. Many took up a few
pans wherever the notion struck them on the banks and bars of the river, and every
where got four or five colors to the pan. They seemed to think from this that they
were slowly floating down into richer territory. Neither McKay, Schelp nor Birch
had heard of any new discoveries on Stewart River. They said there was plenty of j
work for everybody at Dawson City when they left, but a nticipated there would be
plenty of idle labor when the rush got in.
The social side of Dawson City never sleeps. It shows how current and com
mon gold is. Saloon doors never close. Gus Becke and Tom Wilson of Juneau,
who run one of the drinking resorts, have seven men behind the bar weighing out
gold. The scales in general use are honest When a man orders a drink he passes
over his sack of gold. Enough is shaken out into the scale to pay for the drinks
and the sack tossed back to its owner across the bar. The flying sacks remind one
of the old-fashioned game of beanbag, which elderly people of the East used to play
.vhen they were children. Plain drinks are 50 cents in Dawson City, mixed drinks
Si and fancy drinks with an egg $1 25 to $1 50, according to the price of eggs.
Mr. McKay says he has seen many a man treat the whole house to drinks at $250
a round.
Gambling is wide open. Dealers get £15 a day. At the one variety show it
takes $2 to see the show, to say nothing of how much gold dust it costs to get out.
Mr. McKay says Dawson City well deserves the name of a "hot town," if it is
located in a cold climate. Meals cost from $1 to $1 50 and board by the week is
now not to be had. Mr. McKay estimated the population of Dawson City at the
time he lett at 4000. . He expects to see at least 5000 people there when he gets back
at the end of two weeks.
The unique and cheerful news is brought by the McKay party that as a matri
monial market Dawson City has no equal on earth. Ladies are as scarce as gold
dust is burdensome on the metropolis of the El Dorado. Both Birch and McKay
avow that any maiden, innocent or full of guile, can become a bride with a wedding
present of thousands of dollars of gold dust within thirty minutes after arriving at
Dawson City, if she will but whisper her cgnssnt. Ten thousand dollars in gold
has been laid at the feet of the lady in a number of instances at Dawson City be
fore the ceremony was said. Miss Gussie LaMore, formerly of Juneau, has m ide the
most desirable marriage from a pecuniary point of view. It is a fact that "Swift-
Water Bill" was so smitten with her charms that he called on Miss LaMore tie
day of her arrival and wooed her with $50,000 of gold dust in a coal oil can.
The next day she became Mrs. "Swift- Water Bill."
* "Swift-Water Bill," whose real name is not known to any of the McKay party,
came to the Klondike early in the rush. He did not have a dollar or enough grub for
a square meal when he arrived. He located on- of the richest claims and is now a
millionaire and a bridegroom. His claim is 13 El Dorado.
Violet Raymond, a variety actress, formerly of San Francisco and Seattle, is now
a princess and rich at Dawson City. She married an Italian who struck it rich.
He is called Prince Antone. He made his bride a present of $io,ooo. Miss Ray
mond and Miss LaMore went to Dawson City together. There is but one lady in
The town who is not married. She has refused every single man in Dawson, and
they have knelt before her with uplifted hands full of, gold. Being refused they
have told her that she doesn't know a r good thing when she. sees it She wears
short skirts, carries an umbrella and wants to vote.
The news that $3,500,000 in gold recently left Dawson City on a steamer is con-
The San Francisco Call
SAN FRANCISCO. THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST; 26, 1897.*
Over Three Millions in Gold Coming Down
on the Steamer Portland—
Stories of Life in Dawson,
firmed by William Kerr of Davison City in a letter just received by O. R. Adsit, a
business man of this place. The Kerr letter says in addition: ■■-
"I never saw so much gold in all my life as there is floating around this town.
Harry Ash takes in $2000 a day over the bar, and God only knows what, he reaps
at the gambling tables. Nearly all the boys who have not yet located claims are
ge:ting $15 a day for their work. Ido not think there will be grub enough to supply
the demand. Many of the boys who had not $100 a year ago are bonanza kings.
Everything goes, even eggs at $1 each. It is next to impossible to go out prospecting
at this time of the year, as the woods are on fire and the mosquitoes are as thick as
the hair on a dog's back. Claims on creeks flowing into the Klondike are so rich as
to be almost beyond belief. From $300 to $iodo a pan is a daily occurrrence."
In another letter received by Joe Jordan of Juneau is this:
" 'Razoo Bill,' who chopped wood around Juneau, has been offered $60,000 for his
claims' and refused it. Ali the Juneau boys are doing fine and many will be million
aires. "
The steamship Willamette had a hard time of. it at Skaguay and Dyea — all but
three of the crew deserted. The ship was over a week in discharging her cargo. She
secured other deckhands at the greatest difficulty, and left for Juneau nine short
handed. It is said at Juneau and Dawson City that Secretary of the Treasury
Lyman J. Gage is interested in the North American Trading Company along with
the Weares of Chicago. HAL HOFFMAN. .
FEW WILL GET THROUGH.
Men Returning: From Dyea and
Skaguay Tell of the Crowds
and Bad Trails.
SEATTLE, Wash,, Aug. 25.— The
steamer Willamette, which was sighted in
the straits last night and reported to the
world as being the gold-ladsn steamer
• Portland from St. Michael, arrived in this
port at 11 o'clock this morning from Dyea
j and Skaguay. After leaving her ports of
j landing she made the run to Sitka, and
| took the outside route home. This move
I on her part was unexpected, and as a re-
I sult when a strange steamer was seen in
I the straits the news went broadside that
iit was the Portland. To-day nothing
1 more is known about the Portland than
j was known a week ago. She is liable to
\ poke her nose in the straits at any lime,
' but there are many who believe tbat she
J will not arrive before the end .of the
month. , . „
The Williamette brought down im
portant news from the north which will
be read with greet interest by, the world at
large. In a nutshell it is that between
; 7000 and. lo,ooo men are atSkaguay. About
liO per cent of them will get over the
mountains before winter. They consist ol
those who have money. The efforts of the
miners to close White Pass until it was
improved failed and miners are daily at
tempting to cross it. - Uniform packing
rates do not exist and the man who has
the most money and horses will get over
, the passes. Th» poor man who will camp
| at fckagu.iy or Dyee or return to civiliza-
I tion. Some are already returning. Re
j ports conflict as to condition of the passes
and as to reasons for many miners not
! making any progress. * • . _
Purser H. W. Skinner says that while
there are almost 10,000 miners at
Dyea and Skaguay hundreds will not get
over the mountains before winter sets in.
"I know," said the purser, "that hun
dreds will not get over. They would not
get over a level road if they had a car
riage. 1 saw men sitting about and com
plaining because they were not making
progress. All the time dozens of others
were crossing the passes. It men want to
get over this winter they wiii do it. Big
rates are being paid to Indian packers. A
newspaper correspondent paid 35 cents a
pound to get his outfit and supplies over
Chiicoot. Another asked the Indian pack
ers what they would charge to take his
[ stuff over tbe White Pass and their
answer was $1 a pound. If men have de
termination, horses and money they will
get over all right; if not, they will stay
this side of the mountains this winter. I
think the secret of failure of the majority
is lack ol money. Some of the men are
too lazy to try to get over. Tbey have con
cluded that it would be too hard worK to
climb the mountains this fall and are
going to camp until spring, ln my judg
ment, one-tenth of the miners will get to
D.iwson City before winter."
Purser Skinner reports that just as the
Willamette was about to start south two
men, be did not know their names, oame
to him and asked for passage down.
They said they had just come from Daw
son City, having walked all he way.
"They had packed cut $20,000 in gold
dust and nugget"," said the purser, "and
wanted me to take personal charge of it.
I had no safe and r- fused, but offered
lhem a stateroom. They said they feared
trouble and wanted the company to take
charge of the gold dust and assume ail re
sponsibility. I would not consent and
! the last I heard they' were arranging to go
to Juneau in a small boat and there take'
one of. the Pacific Coast steamers or the
sound. I asked them as to the reported
great finds on the Klondike and they
said: 'We got our money on- Bonanza
Creek. There is more gold in the streams
of the north than can possibly be taken
I out in 100 years. We have more back
there and will take it out as soon as we
can get supplies and return to our
i claims.' "
Arthur Needham, a prominent ner
' chant of Shelton, Wash., who went north
and returned on the Willamette, confirms
the stories told by Purser Skinner as to
condition of tie passes. Needham is in a
better position to speak the truth con
cerning White Pass than i-i any other man
who has j returned this year from the
Skaguay. He went over the pass just out
of curiosity, and to find out whether or
not the stories from the north as to the
frightful condition of White Pass were
true. One thing he advises, and that" is
that miners going north in the future do
not take boats with them. It is almost
impossible to. get them over,: the moun
tains. He says 'he '-, saw dozens of -boats
that cost from $50 to $100 on -the Sound
sold lor $2 50 and $5 at: Skaguay and
Juneau. If once the miners' are over the
mountains, Needham alleges,, they can
I get boats at the lake much cheaper. The
j sawmill is crowded with orders, but a
I dicker can always be made for a boat if
one has money.:
Needham states that White Pass has not
been closed by the miners. They are
working on Porcupine Hill and hope to
improve the pass. They tried to close the
pass while the work was in progress, but
saw the thing was not the right thing.
Consequently, those, who want to go over
i the pass at present are not interfered
with. ---; 3 "'-' 1
"I am better acquainted with the condi
tion of White Pass,' said Needham to
The Call correspondent this afternoon,
cause I personally investigated it I
went oyer with forty pounds on my back
and returned. lam alive to tell the story,
and in my. judgment White Pass, for an
ordinary mountain pass, is in good condi
tion, ana if a man has horses there is abso
lutely, no reason why . he should not get
over there before winter, sets in. Those
] men who are there now and who have
i horses should be over. '1 know that they
must make j many ..trips' to get their pro
visions and outfits: dver.-buttthey; have
hordes, have been th&re for several weeks
and should be on the move all the time.*- I*'1 *'
•'I left Skaguay the day following my
arrival from the summit. The. first four
miles out of Skaguay are all right, and
consist of a wagon road over which no
one would have any difficulty in making
progress with horses and wagons. At the
end of the road one encounters the first
bill. When you get to tho top of it you
are 500 feet above the level. The hill is
very rocky, but I was careful to make
notes of its condition, and there is no rea
son why a mountain climber should not
put his horses over there with compara
tive ease. Notwithstanding that fact, I
found a dead horse on the pass. 1 ex
amined it and lound that it bad broken
one of its legs. ' The owner, I suppose, had
no more use for the animal and killed it.
After descending the first hill you enter a
canyon. Another hill is encoun It
is 800 feet high and in about the same con
dition as hill No. 1. Once over that hill
and the canyon is entered, and then you
encounter the much-talked-of Porcupine
Hill, the summit of which is 1100 feet
above the level.
"While going up Porcupine Hill one does
not meet so many obstacle-", al hough it is
difficult climbing. On the farther side of
Porcupine is where one must watch him
self. Bowlders from four to ten feet square
are to be found. One must work around
the corners of these bowlders in order to
get down in safety. It took me about one
hour and a half. I went slowly, picked
my way as one accustomed to mountain
climbing will do, and had no difficulty in
reaching the foot of the hill. I was careful
to note the dangers that a horse would en
counter and I saw that a horse can go over
Porcupine Hill all right if the person
handling tho animal knows his business.
"Inquiry satisfied me that the death of
many horses was due solely to the inex
perience of those in charge. The packs
are put on the backs of the horses with
gross carelessness, and what is the result?
Porcupine Hill, as I have said, has many
big bowlders, around which the horses
must work. It is uphill and downhill; it
is this way and- that way, and before the
journey is accomplished the patks begin
to slide (the horse's burden is thus in
creased threefold), a slip is made, the
pack g ye-< way and the animal goes down
to its death or breaks a leg and meets
death at the hands of the owner, who
curses his luck and starts back for another
•bora*.' Get over Porcupine Hill in safety,
and the next hill is what is known as the
big hill. It is 1700 leet high. It is two
miles to the summit and two miles down.
The bill is not bad,' the greatest difficulty
being ln the shape of bog^y places from
ten to twenty feet long, which are caused
by springs. One must go up and down
the hill slowly.- -The boggy places are not
in such bad condition as to make them
impassable.
"After that you reach the summit
proper. It is 2800 feet high, but is not
fraught with any dangers. It is much
easier than the elevation known as Big
Hill. 1 reached the- summit ana went
four mil over it ;to a place known as
Si allow Lake. : I did not get. to the lake
until the morning of the 15th, because the
river was high at night, and I had to wait
until the following day to cross. I started
bark from i Shallow Lake the day that I
arrived, and was back at Skaguay the same
day. It was a hard trip, but it was not
one that an ordinary .man of ; determina
tion could not accomplish. I made it in two
days with forty or fifty pound? of luggage
and suffered no hardships. In my judg
ment a man should use White 1 Pass if he
has horses; if jhe has ', no horses then the
chances are he will take Chiicoot.
' "Skaguay is a hot town— saloons, mi
. fimmm ■ ..... .
! eluding a dance hall. The Government
officials closed the dance hall just before
I left for some violation of the liquor law.
A great deal of drinking is going on and
the saloons do a rushing business. Some
of the men seem to be drowning their
troubles- with the packing and trail in
whisky. There is also considerable gam
bling. Skaguay will be a good town this
winter."
"Other passengers on the Willamette tell
a different story. Thomas Stanton went
north, intending, to cross White Pass. He
returned because, as he says, it will be im
possible to get over this winter. He
claims the Sfcaguay trail proves every day
to be more impracticable. He says he
went as far as Porcupine River and gave
up. He says the trail by way of Dyea is
much better.
Abe Bell, a resident of San Francisco,
returned after selling his outfit. He says
10 per cent will not get over this year.
When asked if many had given up and ,
returned he said: "There are but lew on
this steamer, but just wait until the next
one comes down, They will be tumbling
over each other to get on the boat."
J. M. Houghton, who is the engineer on
the steamer, says that most of the people
at Dyea and Skaguay are arranging to re
turn. The trails, he says, are in a fright
ful condition. On the Skaguay trail they
are attempting to blast out a road around
Porcupine, but are making poor headway.
He estimates the number of men at Skag
uay at 30GO and about 2000 at Dyea, al
though it is hard to. make a guess, for so
many are coming and going. X.i'\
"How many miners returned on thi3
trip?"
"None of those who went up with us
returned, but probably twenty who had
previously gone came back. Others will
be coming down on * the next trip,
though." . [-'iJj'%i iJ''-tf\\tftf.
John Hickey of the United States ship
Concord came down. He said: "If a man
wants to make a mole of himself and can '
stand the work he should go to 'Skaguay. ,
Seven dollars a day is freely paid to pack
ers and they, are boarded ; free. Even as
high as $10 has been offered to 'packers,!
and there were not enough* mfan., Horses j
were sold for ,*s* hißh/as $2flß wben the
Willamette arrived, but' the Urge number
brought up on that steamer qnd on the
barges" made them cheaper. One cannot:
pack more than 100 pounds on a horse
owing to the awful condition of tho trail..
One dollar per pound is paid for packing
over the summit. The Indians are now
getting .40 cents per pound. Boats seem
to be useless and are Belling for almost
nothing. J-OJ'b :Ji-\
"A Juneau gambler has opened a house
at Skaguay, and the whirr of the roulette
ball., the shooting of craps and faro goes
on merrily ail day long. Everything is
very quiet owing to the fear of tne ,
miners' police. There has been no trou
ble of any kind. Some of the Klondi&ers
are drunk a great part of the time. Oth
ers are fast losing their money over the
Juneau gamblers' tables. There are a
number of women in the dance ball and
it is taking lots of money from the Kion
dikers. One young Seattle fellow made a
big winning the other day."
The third officer of the Willamette tells
several stories that are worth printing.
He says that, two prospectors, James Rice
and a man named McGee, were arrested
at Skaguay and taken to Juneau charged
with selling poisoned whisky to ten In
dians with tbe result that the Indians had
a narrow escape from death. The men
were bound over to trial at Juneau, the
bonds being placed at $1500 each.
The third officer is also quoted as saying
that all the saloons in Skaguay have been
closed and $10,000 worth ot whisky seized
by the vigilance committee.
The Willamette brought down three
men from Michigan who went north with
the intention of going to the goldfields.
After reaching there and experiencing
some' hard luck tbey gave it up and are
now en route for home.
The Willamette officers report that dock
ing rates have gone up at Dyea. They
were charged $50 for dockage and $1 a
head for horses and cattle to pass over the
dock, in addition to $2 a ton for freight.
The Willamette's crew consisted of
twenty-two men when she went north.
Eighteen d serted to go to goldfields, and
it was necessary to get new men in Ju
neau and Sitka to bring the boat back.
MANY MAKE BIG MONEY.
Juneau Men Who Have A ready
Made Fortunes In the
Klondike.
VICTORIA. B. C, Aug. 25.— More good
news has come from the Klondike by the
steamer City of TopeKa, which arrived to
night, leaving Juneau just after the ar
rival there of Joe Birch, James McKay
and Archie Shelp, who made the trip
from Dawson over to Dyea in twe:iiy day?.
They did not come any further than
Juneau, but, tend to go back to the
mines. They .'had a pretty rough trip,
having to paddle and tow their boat up
rivers. ; ■- \f%\ J'.'Jyj.J\
. In conversation with one of the passen
gers who came down on the Topeka Shelp
spoke very highly of the Stewart and' In
dian rivers, although there have been no
sensational finds." From $10 to $15 per pan
is being taken out of these rivers. /■ j
> * Close upon $2,000,000 in ; dust has gone
down on the river steamers,' the -owners
intending to take the steamer Portland 'at
St. Michael. Gold passed at $17 an ounce
at Dawson City/" .-■--" ■-" ■ * ■'■';'■ r •'; : ' ■ ''■ - :
■ Shelp gives this list of Juneau men who
struck it rich. They are: Dick Law. $100,-1
000; J. Smith, $50,000; Oscar 'Ashby and
W. Leak refused $150,000 for their claims;
Joe :! Brant. • $30,000;' Cornelius Edwards,
$25,000; — Whipple, $10,000; Harry Ash,
who left on the last * boat' fori San Fran
cisco, $100,000; j an j* old - man ■ who a few
months ago was -"cutting wood • around
Juneau, $60,000. About a dozen men who
. . . . .... -■-. ■ . .. . ■■ .• ~ - . - .
went north within the last few weeks, in
tending to go to the mines, came back on
the Topeka, and they say many will fol
low them.
Two surveys have been sent out to try
to find a better route for Skaguay trail,
and if they succeed the men promised to
go to work on it.
Among those who threw up the sponge
and came back to civilization was Sam
Brown of Seattle and William Albert.. M.
Niles, an attorney of Los Angeles, also
came back, but he is going to make an
other trial, thi* time by tbe Siickeen
River route. Chief Factor - Hall of the
Hudson Bay Company, who also came
down on the boat, having been to Cassiar,
reports the route a splendid one.
AFTER THE NEWS.
Newspaper Men Go Forth In Tugs
to Meet the Incoming:
Steamer Portland.
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash, Aug. 25.—
One of the most exciting chases after
news in the history of this newsy section
occurred last night upon the receipt of
a vague rumor telegram that the home
ward bound treasure ship Portland, re
turning from the far north, bad' been
sighted off Vancouver island.
Three bis tuss, chartered at enormous
cost, were loaded with newspaper men,
started in the teeth of an an.ry gale to in
tercept the vessel and tell her news to the
world. One hundred miles of rough voy
aging in a sea rolling mountains high re
sulted only in learning what had been
previously predicted, that some other
vessel had been mistaken for the antici
pated gold ship. J'J:JJ
To-day J. J. Corey of The Call, accom
panied by a staff of report-: rs, stenograph
ers, typewriters and photographers char
tered the tug Tyee, one of the most pow
erful towing vessels in the world, and went
out to sea in search of the Portland, that
craft for whose reception newspapermen,
now here from all ever the Union, are
awaiting.. The Portland may be expected
to-morrow, after being out fourteen days
from St. Michael. '
ENFORCING THE LAW.
Collector of Customs Ivev Causes
Consternation Among Alaska's
Whisky Rln?.
JUNEAU, Alaska. Aug. 21 (via Vic
toria, B. C, Aur, 25).— A big row has been
stirred up among Federal officials super
vising Alaskan waters over the action of
Captain Meyers of the British ship Dan
ube in discharging a cargo of Canadian
supplies at Skaguay instead of Dyea, the
sub-port, his ordering United States cus
toms officials to. leave his ship, and the
action of P. A. Smith, inspector afloat, in
supporting Captain Meyers. '
-^SinceHhe row *on - the : bridge of the
Danube, as related in a previous dispatch,
it has come to light that a bar was in full
operation on the Danube at Skaguay with
Inspector Smith's cognizance. ,
Meyers was ordered back to Jnneau
under arrest by Special Deputy Ham
mond, but refused to go. . 1 have it from
reliable authority that if the Danube re
turns to these waters she will be seized
for smuggling, libeled and Captain
Meyers arrested. Collector of Customs J.
W. Ivey has stated that he will see that
Inspector P. Smith is discharged for
cause. • Governor Brady denounces the
action of Smith. ,: a ; \-
. Collector Ivey is a new broom. He is
causing consternation in the whisky ring
ol Alaska. Yesterday he seized and
emptied a cargo of beer at Skaguay. The
beach sands drank it. There will be a
liquor famine at Skaguay and Dyea .ami
saloons starved out if the new Collector
continues to enforce the law. Several
places suspected of. selling liquor to In
dians have been raided.
DO NOT GO THAT WAY.
Charles Stewart's Warning Against
the Dangers of the Mackerze
River Route.
TACOMA, Wash., Aug. 25. — Charles
Stewart, who has been over the ground
several times, warns minersof the dangers
of the Mackenzie River route to the Klon
dike, which the Canadians are praising as
an all-British and nearly all water route
to the Yukon. He calls particular atten
tion to the numerous and dangerous
rapids which are encountered. Said he
to-night: .
"About 100 miles from Athabasca land
ing are the Pelican Rapids, and in an
other day one reaches Grand Rapids, one
mile long, whicn men have never been
able to run. After portaging Grcnd Rap
ids the traveler passes over ninety miles
ot water to Fort McMurray, which the
Canadian capers describe as requiring
•careful attention.
"In reality the whole ninety miles is
one succession of the worst Kind of rapids,
the principal being the Boiler, Cascade
and . Flint Rapids. No man can go from
Grand Kapids to Fort Murray without
both steersman and bowsm.m who kno v
the waier. In Great Save River are
Smiths Rapids. Sixty miles up Nelson
River, on the route to Pelly River, via
Lead River, come the wont rapids con
ceivable. It is 300 miles from the head of
these rapids to the Pelly, ten miles of
which is a bad canyon portage. In the
Grand Canyon are five portages and at the
Devi's poitage boats have to be portaged
four miles and the road passes over a
ridge 1100 feet high. The journey to the
Klondike via Peels, Rat and Porcupine
rivers, portaging from Rat to Porcupine,
is one of 2700 miles from the railroad to
Edmonton. I have made several trips
over the greater part of this route and am
convinced that no man in his right senses
will try to reach tne Klondike by it." /.J_ {
WOMEN'S GOLD CLUBS.
Miss . Bernice Hal* Has. a Novel
„ Scheme for Sending. Miners
to Klondike.
CHICAGO, 111, Aug. 25.— Miss Bernice
Hale of New York thinks she "has one. of
the most original Klondike schemes' that
has yet been advanced. She reached Chi
cago .* yesterday. Miss Hale, J who is 24
years old and a blonde, claims to have the
friendship land backing of women con
nected with ; Gotham's Sorosis Ciub. She
put in the ■ day figuring with transporta
tion companies and talking to people who
are' inter, sted in the gold fields, and last
night announced that she would go to
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
the Alaskan gold fields in the spring with
six other women, who will act as over
seers of parties of men who will be sent
into the gold country to prospect for gold
at the expense of American women.
Miss Hale has letters to a number of
well-known Chicago women, and her pur
pose is to endeavor to interest them in the
far-away land, for she says woman has as
good an opportunity to make an inde
pendent fortune as has man.
Miss Hale says it is the intention of the
women she represents to organize
branchesrf>f the Woman's Club of Alaska
in every city of prominence. The head
quarters of the club 3 will be in New York,
but no effort will be made to interfere
with the workings of local branches.
When a club has fifty members it will be
entitled to a prospector, but even before it
has that number of members it will share
in the profits of the combined clubs.
For every fifty members it is proposed to
send one experienced miner to Alaska to
prospect for gold and the incomes from
whatever mines may be located will be
turned into the common treasury to be
distributed among all members.
The idea of organizing women's gold
duos first came to Miss Hale fast year at
Newport, where she met a number of
Chicago and New York women. She suc
ceeded in interesting a number of women
in the Porosis Ciub and established the
first branch of the organization in New
York.
ROBINSON DEPARTS.
The Alameda County Committee
man and Woodman Goes
to Klondike.
OAKLAND. Cal.. Aug. 25.— M. Rob
inson, member of the Republican County
Central Committee and secretary of Oak
land Camp of Woodmen, is a splendid
hand at giving advice, but a very poor
hand at following it. S*;'
For the past few days he hag not been
seen in his accustomed haunts, and to
everybody's surprise at the last meeting
of the Woodmen his resignation was ac
cepted.
Now the secret is out. Robinson has
given up politics, the insurance business
and his salary in the Woodmen to hunt
the elusive gold in the Klondike. A few
days ago Robinson was very pronounced
in his views regarding the folly of going
to the gold region. In an issue of the pa
per controlled by the Woodmen, which
was recently published, Robinson found
a little article that he said went right to
the gist of the whole matter. He marked
several copies of the paper and considered
it his duty as secretary of the camp to
send it to friends who appeared to be most
in danger of being afflicted with Klondi
citis. ' •■
Apportion of the article is as follows:
"Are you married? Have you a family
Are" you a Woodman? Do you need
money? • Your loved ones. need you more
than you need Klondike gold. We desire
to erect as few monuments on the graves of
frozen and starved neighbors as possible.
Suppose you ; go to the Klondike and se
cure $20,000 in gold and then~bava to
spend it to regain your broken health or
suffer for the remainder of your days,
what have you gained? You can well un
derstand what you have lost. Woodmen
are supposed, to be pioneers, but not of
that kind. They are not supposed to be
miners. Members that contemplate going
to that country had better understand be
fore, they start thai they will be held
strictly responsible for dues and assess
ments; that if the dogs that draw the
mail sleds should go on strike and the re
mittances not arrive on time, and they
should be suspended, reinstatement may
be accompanied with much difficulty.
The Woodmen of the World have not con
tracted to insure men who deliberately
face death and tempt their own destruc
tion when it is not necessary, and the
order may therefore be technical when it
comes to reinstating Klondike miners. It
seems to us that the limitless resources
of these nine great Western States under
our own flag, surrounded by our own peo
ple, should be sufficient attraction to an
average American citizen."
Yet, County Committeeman Robinson
has gone; he is married; l>e has a family,
and be is a Woodman. Undoubtedly he
needs money or he would not have gone,
and now his brethren are asking each
other regarding the value of Secretary
Robinson's advice.
Blankets for Klondike.
SANTA ROSA, Cal., Aug. 25.— The
Santa Rosa Woolen Mills nave just started
up aeain, after being idle for a very long
period. The mill has received orders for
blankets and heavy woolen fabrics for
clothing at such a rapid rate that the fac
tory is fairly blockaded.
Already the mill is between 6000 and
7000 pairs of blankets behind orders, and
still the rush continue?. The mill has a
night force and a day force and every one
is working at full pressure. The blankets,
which are for the Klondike trade, are
made of pure wool and weigh fourteen
pounds. They look as if they could suc
cessfully repel the advance of the Arctic
weather.
The mill is also turning out large quan
tities of heavy woolen cloth, to 03 used in
Alaska for miners' coals. The cloth is as
heavy as an ordinary blanket.
Blackburn's Expedition.
GLOUCESTER, Mass.. Aug. 25.-The
schooner Hattie L. Phillips of Gloucester
was purchased to-day by Howard Black
burn for his Klondike expedition. Mr.
Blackburn has rec ived the fall comple
ment of his party, twenty men, who have
each made the preliminary deposit. Sev
eral vessels \ were looked over, but the
Phillips was selected lor her all-around
good dualities. Tne Phillips is h atanchly
bnilt Gloucester fisherman, a type of ves
sel which for speed and weaiherly quali
ties has suDerior in the world. Work
on fitting v her for the expedition will be
commenced immediately. Mr. Blackburn
has taken bis pick of the men presented.
He could have manned two or tnree ves
sels had he so chosen.
Alaskan Exploration.
-Articles of incorporation of the Associa
tion for Alaskan j Exploration j and Mining
have been riled in the office of the County
Clerk by the organizers. G.M. Oakley, D.
■Gilbert D-xter, J. H. Ginder, Maurice S.
Woodhams, David ;H. -Dexter, P. K.
Faulds and A. G. Dunbar, each of whom
has subscribed for $25 worth of the $260,000
of capital stock.