Mr. Charles H. Metcalf, writing from
Dawson City on the Klondyke river,
under recent date, says:
“Here I find myself at last In the
midst of the greatest and most wonder
ful mining camp the world has ever
seen. Gold is so plenty that it has to
be carried about in cotton bags, and
four or five men are required to pack
and protect the products of many of the
claims. I have seen the result of one
day’s washing on a claim In Eldorado
creek, and the figure was 918,000 for
twelve hours’ work of four men. This
claim was sold less than six months
ago for 9300, and will produce more
than 91,000,000 beforq the end of the
year. The excitement Is now so great
' that no one will sell at any price, so
there is no chance for newcomers In
this Immediate vicinity. The country Is
full of prospectors, and every stream
within a hundred miles la located and
claimed from one end to the other. On
* ' the big creeks where the gold is found,
namely Bonansa and Eldorado, there
are many men who tried in every way
to sell their claims for a few hundred
dollars' last winter but could And no
takers. These men are In possession
of great wealth, which Is even yet be
yond their capacity to realise. I could
‘ not even' attempt to picture this camp
or city to you. Thousands of men,
and women, too, for that matter, are
here living in tents, or log sheds, or
houses of boards with cloth roofs, each
habitation taking a position to suit
Itself with no regard for Its neighbor
or any form of regularity. The sawmill
running night and day, and men are
Irushlng about at all times of day and
night and buildings of all kinds are
going up. Such is the power of gold
that before cold weather comes in Sep
tember this wilderness wilt be a city in
, faflt of many thousand people. I shall
go out to Bonanza creek in a day or
two and look the ground over thero.
I doubt, however, if anything can be
done while everybody la in this pres
ent state of excitement. Circle City is
a city no longer; with one or two ex*
. ceptions all the stores and shops are
closed and the entire population has
transferred Itself to this new Eldorado,
each and all full of hope in the great
golden handicap. Prospectors are rush
ing all over the country looking tor
gold, but nothing of any consequence
has been found outside of the two big
creeeks I spoke of. A few men will
be made rich here, but everybody Is
spending money in the most lavish
manner, and I am getting good prices
for the goods I have to sell. You re
member the two dogskfn robes that cost
me $4.50 each, and which I wanted so
much to bring a quantity off Well, I
sold them both yesterday at $40 each,
and could sell a hundred more if I had
them*, and this is a fair sample of
prices. We had no trouble on the
river this year, but I do not relish
making another trip if I could help It.
I don’t mind the intensely hard work
so much, but I And the worry and anxi
ety about getting the goods safely over
the lakes and river very trying, and
people tell me I am looking thin. I
hear indirectly that Booth (a young
man Mr. Metcalf took with him) is do
ing very well on my claim, No. $, on
Mastodon creek. The weather is very
hot and will result in much sickness
and suffering in this damp marsh. Dr.
Le Blanc has begun business already,
and will do exceedingly well I feel sure.
He will locate hero for the winter.
While this town Is a wonder at present
and growing fast. I think Its life will be
auOrt.
At Dyea, one hundred miles from
Juneau, the actual Journey begins and
this Is the most difficult and discour
aging part of the many miles to be
traversed. The most favorable time for
going Into the interior is before the
snow melts from the mountains, which
does not occur till the middle of April,
for the abrupt passages and what Is
known as the "summit” are better ac
complished by hauling supplies on
sleds, while the pass is covered with
snow. After leaving Dyea goods must
be hauled six miles over the Dyea
Flats. From this point the route lies
through what la known as the canyon
where the trail leads up the ateep and
nigged sides of the mountains along
a timbered shelf overlooking the can
yon until Sheep Camp is reached, a dis
tance of twelve miles. Here a rest is
taken to await favorable weather,
which at best Is something terrible
with the thermometer as low as 60 to
80 degrees below zero. This stop is to
prepare one for the summit which Is
eight milea further up and 3,600 feet
high and the most difficult and tedious
part of the Journey. The trail leads up
a narrow and precipitous defile to
Stone House, another well-known rest
ing place, with a purely Imaginative
name. This place Is at the beginning
of the more abrupt climb and is three
miles from the summit. In fact. It is
nothing more nor less than a ledge.
An extract from one of Mr. Metcalf's
letters describing his first trip over the
summit Is interesting.
* uau icu lucu wuimug at inu sum
mlt hauling up goods with a windlass,
which we made, and about 4,000 feet of
rope whleh I brought for the purpose.
The work had been delayed quite a
time by storms, which are very fre
quent on the mountains, but on Sun
day night last I concluded that the
work was far enough along so that we
might break camp the next morning
and come to Lake Lindeman. I had
taken the precaution to send over a
small tent the day before in the event
of trouble In getting down on the other
aide, but did not expect any. I had
not been over here up to that time but
the trail was being used constantly and
was hard and well marked. Well, Mon
day morning came and with it a clear
sky and no wind. I was up at 3:30 and
while Booth was getting breakfast I
had one load of our camp outfit and my
dog team ready to start. Breakfast
consisted of fried bacon, cold bread,
coffee and beans. Soon after 4 o'clock
I started for the summit, three miles
away, up the steep mountain side. I
was early at the foot of the summit
or last great rise, which is so steep that
everything must go up on men’s backs
or by windlass. The angle is so great
that one might think the mountain was
leaning over and would fall that way.
Of course everything is covered with
many feet of snow. Mo men were
working yet, so I left my load to be
taken up when the windlass started
and returned to camp. The round trip
had taken four hours. Booth had been
taking down the big tent and getting
the last things ready while I was away.
Breaking a camp takes some time so
that 10 o'clock found us but just ready
to start The sun was quite warm and
P * jTHB GOLD FIELDS OF ALASKA —THE DIRECT STEAMER ROUTE F ROM SEATTLE Tu CIRCLE CITY.
(ni Klondike diatrict, which la In British Columbia, Ilea to the outward of Fort Cudahy and Fort Reliance.
^ The nearest apnauach by steamer la Circle City, from which point the Journey la made overland.)
ft ii'.* ■ ■ 1. ■ ' ■
tfie snow soft when we started but I
could see that there were light clouds
on the mountain and some Indication
of wind. As we went up the wind be
gan to blow a little from the south
or at our backs. As we came nearer
the summit we began to meet the In
dian packers coming down, having quit
work above as the wind was getting
so strong. There are two benches or
narrow flat places up the side and our
windlass was placed on the first one
about 1,000 feet from the foot; We ar
rived at the foot a little before 1 o’clock
to find that the first load which con
tained our beds, had gone up, but be
fore this time the wind had gained
such velocity above that our men had
all quit work «dd left. We cpuld not
turn back now so concluded to follow
our beds. After making everything
fast I unhitched the dogs and calling
them alor.g we started to climb to the
top. This Is no small task, I can tell
you, and when we arrived at the first
bench It was after 2 o'clock. Here the
wind was blowing very hard and cold
and the small particles of Ice that came
with it cut my face and hands so that
I could not face it or take off my mit
tens. Here we found our beds and I
also managed to find a can of frOaen
corn beef which tasted very good while
we sat for a short time behind a pile
of gpods to rest. We packed our beds
from this bench to the next. The wind
had now become so strong that It would
almost carry me up the side. I believe
it would have been next to Impossible
to go down again even.
of nine miles through the snow and
wind storm to this camp.
"Before the first few miles were
passed the drifting snow had so covered
the trail that the dogs could not follow
■ It and I had to go ahead and keep the
road while Booth looked after the team.
To find and keep a blind trail we use
a long sharp stick and by constant
punching we can tell the hard trail
from the soft snow at the side. I broke
trail that day most of the time on the
run for nearly seven miles, through a
snow storm so thick that nothing could
be seen and the wind. howling at our
backs like a pack of hungry wolves.
At the top of the canyon the wind was
less severe but the snow was drifting
and the gathering darkness, made our
trip down the gorge rather uncanny.
“We arrived safe and well only to
find that our tent was not yet up. Two
hours more, at 10 oclock, our regular
meal of bacon, beans and bread found
a very hearty reception, after which I
went to bed very tired, of course, after
nineteen hours of constant exertion but
comfortable in the feeling of good
health and strength which successful
combat with these grand and rugged
mountains must give to any one, and
not sorry to have seen this strange
land and its elements while at play in
one of their wildest moods.
A trip to the interior abounds In
many such hardships and adventures.
The safest way to get there is to cross
Lake Ltndeman in February or March;
while It is frozen, and stop at Lake
OUR SMALLER COLLEGES.
In Miljr Keipectl Tbnjr Am D*l>( BtU
tar Work Than tha larger Ones.
"There are a few striking facts about
the small American college,” writes Ed
ward W. Bok in the Ladies’ Home
Journal. “One striking fact is that 60
per cent of the brainiest Americans who
have risen to prominence and success
are graduates of colleges whose names
are scarcely known outside of their own
states. It is a fact, also, that during
the past ten years the majority of the
new and best methods of learning have
emanated from the smaller col
leges, and have been adopted
later by the larger ones. Be
cause a college happens to be un
known two hundred miles/from the
place of its location does not always
mean that the college is not worthy of
wider repute. The fact can not be dis
puted that the most direct teaching, and
necessarily the teaching most produc
tive of good results, is being done in
the smaller American colleges. The
names of these colleges may not be fa
miliar to the majority of people, but
that makes them none the less worthy
places of learning. The larger colleges
are unquestionably good. But there
are smaller colleges just as good, and,
in some respects, better. Some of the
finest educators we have are attached
to the faculties of the smaller institu
tions of learning. Young girls, or.
young men who are being educated at
one of the-smaller colleges need never
feel that the fact of the college being a
ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF SCENES ATTENDING GOLD EXCITEMENT IN THE KLONDIKE DISTRICT.
CUM81H0
THtt ICC CLAP
MOUNTAINS
P!Trp*r?rD
m
OH TMfcyWPeR^
"At the second bench I had hard
work to keep my feet at all but man
aged to hind our beds on a sleigh, get
the dogs in and start for the last climb.
I never again expect to see such a
storm as was raging at the top! Snow
was now coming with the icy wind and
drifts were forming in all the protected
places. The noise of the storm was so
great that no other sound could be
heard. The war of contending ele
ments was magnificent but I felt quite
too insignificant long to be a witness 1
and was glad to get away as soon as
possible. The decent on this side is
very steep but not so long. After let
ting the sleds go down we Just sat down
in the soft snow and slid or dropped
to the level below, which is quite a
large body of water called ‘Crater
Lake,' supposed to be the site of an old
volcano. It lies far above the timber
line and is always frozen. Just at the
foot there was very little wind and
we stopped for a short time to rest
before starting out on the long run
Bennett to build boats and wait for the
ice to break up. The journey Is then
continued by drifting down a series ol
lakes and down the Yukon river. Be
fore the traveler can realize it he is at
the much talked of and treacherous
“White Horse Rapids” going through
which many men have lost their lives.
As soon as the warm weather begins
gnats, poisonous flies and mosquitoes
make life a burden. The stories told
of the numbers and voraciousness of
the native mosquitoes are almost in
credible. Lieut. Sehwatka states in his
report of a voyage down the Yukon
that he has seen mosquitoes in such
numbers as to cloud the sun and ob
struct the vision. Dogs and game have
been killed by the bites of mosquitoes;
even the huge black bear is not ex
empt from the pest as the continual
bites produce inflammation of the eyes,
causing blindness. Judging from re
ports an asbestos mosquito net should
be in the outfit of every miner. Min
ing operations cannot begin until the
ice melts, from June 1st to the 15tb.
About the middle of September the son
drops so low that iee soon forms and
active operations must he discontinued
until the following season. The season
Is short, yet from June 15 until Aug. 1
the sun shines twenty-two hours out ol
the twenty-fqur, and during the re
maining two hours work can be done.
Accordingly when a rich claim is found
two or three sets of men are employed
and work goes on continually.
The Yukon country is no place for a
man without money. Every man who
goes there must expect to work and
work hard. No credit is given on a
man’s face. That day is gone. Mr.
Mitchell says that before men make
a rush from Michigan to the Klondyke
gold fields. It would be well to remem
ber that while miners make from fit
to $20 a day, it is at the most for onl>
about sixty days, and provisions arc
about 50 cents an ounce; that there arc
2,000 men existing in about 150 log
huts, and thousands more were ex
pected during the spring and sunmei
and that the mails are most infrequent
and uncertain. Gold is there in ahun
dance to be sure, but the difficulty ii
getting it is exceedingly great. Mr
Metcalf cannot emphasize too strong!;
the difficulties and dangers and hard
ships of a trip to the interior am
would warn everybody to keep awa;
unless provided with several hundrei
dollars and clothing and provisions t
last for st least one year.
After wit is everybody’s wit! ,
small one places them at a disadvan
ir tage In comparison with the friend or
r companion who has been sent to a lar
■ ger and better known college. It is not
| the college; it is the student.”
Oil
LIVING UP A TREE.
Tears ago a Lousiana planter, aptly
named Wildeson, went to establish
himself on the Rama river in Nicara
gua, where he raises bananas and rub
ber trees with profit. A Mr. Drew,
who visited him on business, describes
bis three-story house as literally built
In a tree—a sturdy eboe-tree—sixty
three feet from the ground.
To get up and down between the
t ground and the house an elevator is
- used, so constructed with block and
tackle that the person using it raises
himself or controls his descent by
• means of a rope.
There is alno a chicken-house sus
pended from a limb into which the
poultry is collected at night. After a
day at free picking and strolling, the
feathered bipeds come of themselves
; to be raised to their roost.
A good snake story goes with the j
rest. Mr. Drew says: “A thing that
struck me curiously was the sight of
a twelve-fbot boa-constrictor gliding
about on the gronnd at the foot of
the tree, climbing over the roofs of
the laborers’ cabins, even entering
them, and in general making himself
perfectly at home on the plantation.
“ ’Nobody'd think of harming him,’
said the eld man to me when I spoke
to bins about the big snake. ‘He’s
perfectly harmless to any one, and he
i keeps the place clear of mice and
moles that eat the roots of my young
banana and chocolate trees. Eat chick
ens! Never knew him to do such a
thing. Still, while they’re little, 1
don't pnt temptation in his way, but
keep them in a snake-tight coop of
wire-netting.’ ”
MmiIdk of Town Names.
The meaning of various names of ci
ties is suggested by the discussion con
cerning the proper orthography of
Pittsburg, Inasmuch as the “h” has
much to do with it. Old Paris was
formerly called by its Roman inhabi
tants Lutetia, meaning “Mudtown.”
London derives its name from the old
fortified hill of the Britons, stanoing
where St. Paul’s cathedral now is. Dub
lin means “the Black Pool,” and Liver
pool “the pool of living creatures."
Rome is said to mean "the cross roads"
and Berlin is variously translated as
meaning “the short lake,” “the free and
open place,” “the river island” and
"the marshy spot.” Pernambuco means
“the mouth of hell,” Bombay “good
boy,” while Cairo is a corruption of
“El Kahirah,” the victorious.” Ispa
han is “the half of the world;” Astrak
han “the city of the star;” Bagdad, “the
garden of Justice,” and Copenhagen
“the merchants’ harbor.”—Exchange.
Aq Unfortunate Combination.
Typewriter—I am rapid enough and
1 understand business forms all right,but
I must admit that I cannot spell. Busi
ness Man—You won’t do, then, even at
' the price. I can’t spell, either.”—In
1 dlanapolls Journal.
1 The German marine is only half a
* century old, the first naval officer)
having been appointed by King Fnd-,
erick William on May 27,1847
SILVER GOING DOWN.
COLORADO EXPERTS DISCUSS
THE MATTER.
Conceded that the Bfetal Mast Go Down
Until the Production is Curtailed—
Silver Dollars Now Worth Only
43 Cents—Comment of the
Press Here and There.
The Decline in Sliver.
DfewvKR, Col., Aug’. 7.—The effect of *
the- decline in silver to fifty-five and
one-half cents per ounce and the prob
able further fall to as low as fifty
cents, which seems to be conceded by
those- hi' the best position to judge, is
current topic_of conversation among
mining men, and while some are
greatly discouraged at the outlook for
mining in- Colorado the' general 6pin
ion seems to be that the-decline of sil
ver will, have- no very serious effect
upon the mines because1 there is com
paratively little-silver’ mined in the
stale except in: connection with cop
per, gold and: lead. There is a possi
bility that some of the Aspen and
Creede properties, will shut down, but
outside of these- there1 will be little
change in the situation.
Ex-Governor J. B. Grant of the
Omaha and Grant smelter said: “lam
of the opinion that silver WiLl continue
to go down until there- is a marked
decrease in the production in some
parts of the wot" and: it remains to
be seen which of the silver-producing
countries will give way first. If the
present volume of silver production is
maintained, it will go lower until the
supply and demand are neare- to
gether. Of course there will co^is a
time when it will stop falling, but 1
do not think that will come until
there is a very marked decrease in
production, unless in the meantime
silver should be remonetized. It will
-have no serious effect upon the pro
duction of lead, for I have figured out
that with lead at St.60 and silver at
55%, it is just about as profitable to
the miner as when lead was $3.25 and
silver *i5.”
ax-senator rn. r. mu oi me uoston
and Colorado smelter thinks that the
decline will be seriously felt in many
quarters. “The aggregate loss will
be quite large,” said he. "Last year
the average price paid our company
for silver was 66.86 cents per ounce,
and the difference between that price
and to-day’s quotations amounts to
about 8120,000 in our production of
last year. In 1892 the price was. rarueh
higher and the loss compared with to
day’s prices would be nearly 8750,o00.”
London, Aug. 6.—The Times in its
financial comments this morning ad
mits its inability to explain the per
sistent weakness of silver, but thinks
it is due, perhaps, to a well grounded
belief that the results of the Ameri
can bimetallic commission, headed by
Senator Wolcott, are not likely to
prove satisfactory to silverites here
and in the. United States.
New York, Aug. 7.—The decline in
silver yesterday carried the price to a
new low mark—25% pence in London,
and 55 % cents here. Mexican'dollars
sold at 42% cents, and Peruvian sols
and Chilian pesos at 38% cents.
At the present price the silver in a
United States dollar is worth 43-1
cents.
ENDS IN A TRAGEDY.
An Aged German Shoots HU Newspaper*
Secured wife sad Takes Poison.
Grand Rapids, Mich., Aug.. X—Last
April H. A. Dailey, a well-to-do Ger
man of Jennison, aged 70, seat a let*
ter to Mayor Swift of Chicago saying
he wanted a woman of mature
years as a wife. The mayor gave
the missive to the newspader as a
literary curosity. The result was
Daily received nearly 50.') answers.
Out of the lot he selected Mrs. Hattie
Newton, a Chicago widow aged 4S, and
three months ago they were married.
Dailey became very jealous when
his wife returned to Chicago for a
long visit, and they quarreled latterly
and finally separated. Dailey then
gave his wife three days to return.
The time was up last midnight bntshe
refused to resume wifely relations and
Dailey forced his way into her bed
chamber and pressed his old musket
against her heart and pulled the trig
ger. The woman seized the muzzle
and pushed it. aside, but the charge
penetrated her right side. She stag
gered from the house in her night
gown and fell, bleeding on the door
step of Luman-JennUon’a honse, where
she was foundi
Dailey waasarrostei, and, as there ia
no.jail in Jennison, remained in the
oustody of the officers until this morn
ing, when he was to be taken to Grand
Haven. Before taking the train he
was allowed to enter a saloon and
drink several glasses of beer. At the
bar he fell] hack word in spasms and
was dead ht a few minutes He had
managed, to slip strychnine into the
beer.
A Hsnlsc After Dr. Hale.
Narkagansktt Pikb, R, L, Aug. 7.—
William Collier, a raving maniac and
young divinity student from Memphis,
Tenn.,. is under arrest at Kingston on
the charge of having threatened the
Ufa of Dr. Edward Everett Hale, the
famous preacher-author.
Lower Missouri Insurance Rates.
Mkxico, Mo, Aug. 7.—The local in
surance agents of this city have re
ceived notice of large reductions in
insurance rates, and it is understood
that the rates are to be lowered in
most of the cities in Missouri where
there aro good systems of water works.
Canada liars American Laborers.
Toronto, Ontario, Aug. 7.—-Commis
sioner McCreary has informed the Ca
nadian Pacific railway authorities that
j any American laborers engaged for
work would to deprvtci to their own
' cointry.
