Sept. 8, 1898
THE NERBASKA INDEPENDENT
MINERS' DARK OUTLOOK
Two Thousand Men Idle In
Dawson City.
MOST OF THE MINE3 CLOSED.
Tha Wages VUl to Laltorar. Are About
MuflWtlout to Difray Ilia Kjni' ol
Tlivlr Hoard Alaaka tlia Graatoat Mlu
t lag Country la the World.
(From Oor Hpwiiil Corrtajondoiit. )
Pawhon, Juno 25.
Unions conditions chuuK" tlmrn will
bo much suflVrlng in tliiN country Infum
another winter 1ms imssoil. And tlio
clmiiKeof oomlitioiis muMt boosimttoriul
us it will bo unoxjMioUiiI.
Tlio town s warms with unworn hits,
and not ono-quiirtor of them imvu rush
enough to jiny tliuir funi buck to tlio
Slate at present riees. I linvo tulked
with seores of them ns they throng tlni
prinefnul street mill, liko Wilkins Mi
ostwber, "wait for soinetliinK to turn
op." HtnuiKo to nuy, many of them
thought their work wus ended wlieii
THI! HILLS HACK OF JiAWHON CITY.
Copyright, im, bfh. K. Jiolssrtaon, iilioloifniplwr, UiIchko,
they rcaeiiesl Dawson. Ala, it had but
just begun 1 When I f)rt reached town
nonio threo week ago, tliero wa work
enough for all. Now work in extremely
Mcarco uud at u reduction of from one
juarter to ono-half. True, tho mine
would givo employment to ninny
though not to a tithe of thoo that are
here and need it but water i low out
at the creek, and in many cane thi
lias roMultod iu NUKpcuding work alto
gether. No Country For a Working-man.
"1 tell you thi ain't no country for
a workingmaii, " said ono of tho new
comer to me thi morning, IIo Mat on
tho edge of the board sidewalk on tho
main thoroughfare of Dawson, while
Li foot hung over to tlio direct below.
There were 2,000 idle men In tho street
at tho time, hoiiio talking, soino whit
tling, some reflecting. "There' nothing
in it for mo, amM'm going to get out. "
"How long have you been here?"
"Oh, about a week."
"Demi up tho creek yet?"
"Ye. I'vo juMt gotjiack, and you
don't catch mo up thero again. Every
thing has been Htaked within 100 mile
of hero."
"Ye, but if you want work you can
get it ut $10 per day," I ugget.
"Well, what' $10 11 day iu a coun
try where they charge you 7.0 a day
for grub and f 1.60 for a bunk? What
liuve you got left for clothes and tobac
co?" Very few of thoo who catno into tho
country thi year are at work. Poaibly
60 havo Hocurod employment to repre
sent claimi at f 600 each, without board,
for the threo month' work. Aa mauy
more are cutting wimx! into four foot
length for the transportation com
panion. Tho pay is 5 jmr cord, and tlie
wood ia ho ttoft that tho ax i eaily
driven to the eye with a sturdy blow.
Hut wood i Rcareu, and it must all be
hauled within cany access of the river'
bank, ho that tho Yukon steamers may
load it citily. Homo aaoore or inortt
have found employment in the tore,
retaurauta, milium or sawmills in
town, but thi demand wa supplied
long ago, I noticed ono tall, flue look
ing young man currying water from the
apring to the biimneo ii-nter of the
towu. For (hi he get 60 cent per
bucket, and by hard work lie can make
1 or IU 1 r day. lie wear a well til
bnl yekit aertwa Ma bnatil shoulder, and
ll I 110 ray limit, r to aek Ilia two
buck! bwel along Hot atrvet and raijli
trail. Il I wi ll t-lin alit ami low I ho
Narattce if a ytiilli'iiiait, Aitoiliir
I rifc'lil young man Im unnl t tepley
men I m waitr In a rvtauraul.
The ai4,
llul a Urgti 1 rtilitt f thia year
tuttow lo iawi4t I'll will r tur to
tlia Hat? Ul'tf ruld vathr aU
In, jMldd lhy eu iM't Umi, Hmu
ar rvpimtl In gt nut already, and
luontwill fdlhtw ault a a lltajr
tvttt ur)i lluir 1 ltd
Hat tltr U a Mitfhtvr ail t apuiH
Jatia J, lb !!, tl rl tHt aul
fcaiiatfr if Hi N'tttU A111.11. n Tri
4UU and Ti ta iu4ny, r
aiiiU It I-n ll If a any it I b
H Hr l'ien ll- l.y U t wiljf
lit at ku..a Mian U AU4. l ul a
haowt Alk4 Uiii r lla auy tt lrrm
II U tikaiMilr Me lllii lril
ta lvta I'uy, M'lt aiet auaaawut
Inajla iaur ami ttla4 !) inaaf
of a g' tUii.ii, mt t w14 ink alia
f aa oi l fr'tiitnta, nlia Ptii f
aa.ttiiat, II lit! la M Ue4 I f
avtftal vf au4 reaaiy aUnlf i
4r alwa le hiii ruud
a4a ilia rlia aa l rxara.
"AUa famr'" tai l li a Ik
ether day when I nnked him what he
thought of it. "V'hy, thin in tho great
et mineral cnuntry in tho world. For
Its development it need brains, Indus
try, capital and tlio kind of push uud
t'lilerpi Ihh that developed tho far wont
in the State. It can't ill lie duuu iu u
day nor a year nor in 11 vo year, of
course, hut tlio Almighty lias ut tho
mineral wealth here, ami man will hi inn
er or later dig it out. It offer a good
field for capital, a belter one for labor
and the bust for capital and labor corn
lined." "i)ut the planer mine will noon be
Worked out?"
"Not until long after ynu and I are
dead and gone, my boy."
"And is there any quarts! mining?"
"More than in any country on earth, "
"Hut have not too many men uouie in
hero thi year?"
TonmHiIv, although the country will
soon take care of them, provided they
are willing to work at whatever their
hand find to do, Our company i otter
ing 5 a cord to woftilehopper. yet
many of them refuse to go to work at
these term. Jlut 1 have chopped wood
on the border for 1 1 per cord. 'Die price
of both food nod labor mut come
dowu before tho country will forge
ahead in it developing procc, and I
am inclined to think thi reull: will bu
aocompliliel ahortly, for tranporn
tion facllilie l oili by river and over
land are being rapidly inoroawid."
The food problem i indeed a momcn
tou one Jiihl now, the hearcity being ao
great that the oullit of individual
coming down the river find ready pur
chaer. Hut they are warccly a "drop
in tho bucket." Whlky, however,
hoouim to be plenty nn o tho advent of
tho threo Hteamer that wintered below
in tho ice. Tho flrt one to arrive wan
tho May Went, a Ninall craft well known
along the river. When lie wa flrt
flighted below, I he about, "Hteamboatl"
went up from all over town, and oon
Kovoral thouand pitoplo were ut tho
dock ready to welcome her, although
the hour wa near midnight.
"1 wonder what ahe'a got for grub?"
aya one. "I'm getting tired of bean
and bacon."
Dnwuoii lioet Not Worry.
Tim speculation and anticipation
were rife, lint when tho ateamer wa
made fat the expectant multitude
learned her entire cargo ooimiMtod of
whihky. Thu iJawtton continue her
diet of flour, beau and bacon, but alio
ia again mippliod with whihky, and "all
goe merry a a marriage bell." Mean
time tho river i falling day by day,
and probably but few of the boat that
aro now at Ht. Michael' loaded with
food will be able to reach here thi ea
aou. Hut don't think for a moment that
Dawaou worrie. Are not her 10 or 18
gambling houe a well thronged aa
ever? Aud can any town havo ao many
of thorn) ctubliMhmontaud not bu pro
peroua? Not but what theao place could
not get all thu gold dust in town in a
week if they cho, for the gentle art
of gaming hint advanced ao rapidly iu
the pant decade that thu expert faro
dealer can win at hi own awect will.
Hut lie diM not do thi. Oh, not It
would kill the Imaim-. Ho if a new
place la opened and It i not a "-iiarn
game" thu balance of tho game ltou
keeper direct the Canadian ollleUU to
cloao it forthwith. Thu the buiuca i
foddered, and the oor miner Im "a bet
ter ahow for hi money."
Jut ono word alxmt Canadian of!l
dial and Canadian law. Three-quarter
of the peopln cm uimble to toel wid
evere enough to eipremi theiFonidi 111
Unti"il of them. The lutlance deliouuee
the law, lul have imlhiug again! I lie
tdlkt iala. A II ha not le u my un ilmd
lo rely UhM the tatemelit of other
for my fa , mn only aay that al thu
gold coiiiiiiliolii r' ottteu I allow rawa
where a. Ill a liaV xi II -rmlllet to .ak
al map bowing what ground ha ii
ialm and hat ground ha Uol, w bile
Ullter Wrr h fu Ilia aaum favor, ll
I openly t p.Mgtnl that ) ot f IU la lh
Irl. of llt.a.i apiH ul favor, of tln I
uow hollilng Tha eoiiiiiilMl.'in r liUa
'lf Iim Ida luanuor of a ittn of auuau
al Hat n nn.nmi.'a, l ui I ait un na
144 hy ha atiould M I alb'W M lo
Ilia f ahotatog lha grtiuud alittttly
(.aaitnl ll aiti lum h lilt duly a
l I lliat ctf a gotrtiMi'iit had at nl l
atl W lifttaja lat ll.v lo lu a
hoa in) a bal I f U e I wbi II
U o att4 I'ul if lltiMt tiftu ul wtt
vinl In fct lltlerf lu l alt. la I I !
Ma l i t talltd lk lo Ottawa f
tlo lf iu My ! ItaitUla lb iMwaon
luall an I IU. l la.litT. r- m t. IU u
iddiiiaii4 f f tli.i m.rUv. liln
l IM i In Ibta data llllia alon.a
t tk ia aitly an ff -l Kidta
lill ala llww. lb 141 ktall la ar tta
Iriatf av a wvk, aa-l ll yt i
tuln uawit. liufy, "Ilia ellneaa i
tauki II autvlit l tiaatett "
A A lltii.
OFF FOR ST. MICHAEL'S.
Disadvantages of Starting a
Journey on Friday.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS EN EOtJTE.
Balling Down tha Mighty Yukon Alaalta'a
Vuiveraat !W.-Tha American Nlila Will
He tha Ileat For Miner Till Year It 1
aid.
Front Our Hprcliil Corritn'lpnt.
Ht, Mii'Iiai',i,'m, July 10.
Ono Krlilny tuornlau wn wt will,
Amt en our front laml
W'o nil tMpli'il a fair nioriiiiilil
Willi n chiiiiI) uud a kIuhk la lior IimikI.
Wo might havo waited until Hiitur
day before wo act aail from Dawaon mid
thu averted all of our miafortuuea.
or, better yet, wo might havo got away
Thurndtiy, but. wo were ull anxloua to
take thu treiiHiiro ahlj), ami tliua we
philandered with fate, And what wa
the outcome? Wo lout threo piiHHcngor,
lay K0 hour on a aaud bar, broke a hog
chain, diaahled . our rudder, nearly
atarvedfor want of food, and our boililr
cuught coM and had contention of the
lung. Of courao we could account for
tho breaking of the hog chain; that wa
canned by the weight of trcuMiru in the
hold. Hut the other luiafortunea were
aolely due to aailiug on l'iduy.
( Iriiln ( My Jlim-rli'il,
It waa 6 o'idoiik in tho afternoon
when we got away, and tho whole town
of Dawaou turned out to aeo u oil
Hpcculatlou waa rife a to thu amount
of gold diiht we were taking out, und
aome of the more caul ioua were auru we
would be waylaid ami the ateamer acut
tied and robbed by river outluwa or
Bpuniah pirate. Tlio faro from Dawaou
to Heattle or Han Franciaco Inul been
fixed ut $:w0, but if it hud been twice
that aum the ateamboat would havo
been overcrowded. A it waa, there
wero about three time u many pacu
ger un there were uccnmmndullouM for.
It Im aouielhing lea than 80 mile
dowu tho river to the American aide
and 105 mile to JCagle City, tlio camp
ut the gate of the new digging where
gold iia been found in paying ipiauti
tioa. Theae ate ull on tho American
aide, Tho more promiiug creek ace
Seventy Mile, Forty Mile, American
and Miller. It accma to bo thu prevail
ing opinion that Kuglo City will aoou
bocomo ono of tho moat important min
ing camp on tlio Yukon. There aro big
quarts lead along tho mountain iu the
locality, but their value I yet to be tent
ed. Oirelo City, 521)0 mile from Duwaon,
ha been practically deacrtod. Moat of
tho miner left it long ago for tho ut
PAWSON CITY IN A FLOOD THIS
COIUUCK'H OFKICR.
llJciiy right, 1HUS, hy L. K. KoWtaon, ihotogrHliir, Culnago.)
that time more auspicious field of Haw
sou, but I fancy many would liko to gel
back, although it lias thus fur develop
ed no mines of much richness. I should
judge there were not 60 white men iu
the whole town, and there wero a score
or mora log cabins one could move in
to, their owner having a)audoued
them Ion,; ago.
Iu fact, the only iuiina on the Amert
cau side that are In any way attractive
enough lo allure gold scekr front tho
Klondike dlatrlet am al Kampart City,
where probably 1 176,000 has already
been taken oul from No. 1 lo No. 10
above discovery 011 I.lttla Miuook
Tha Mttaqalla I'aai.
On Abler ct k nothing worth nu n
I lohing lis 4-u found, tul KtlaaMu
nk lk favtirabln, llh aUiva and
U low diaooury. I judgn ih'ra are ul
mora llout loo mm working iki all th m
claim. Wag aar lowvr Uiau up Iu I he
K bidike, ami a Iba lu Intra of l.lttlo
M nu4 art only U milt front ramp
M king tta tady 10 lo 11 ait r
uttil Tha Iowa tile of Umrl City
situ k ma aa tha ll t f aay tut lha up
t Yakow tivar, ll U high, fairly dry
and gt iiily h inward lha irm. A
H'ting- i f (-aUul la wai Is klaibmr al
hau l Of mar ll ha lha luavlUalu
aiHuauli-i i. aul tha Utur I a
lutMtl W UN On l tha acta am
I u ltal li amiiu liial II la laa atma
r 'aofi uiw tioii. Thvra itr
ai.ali f ' lol( lrta ao t Miat,
auia may rUlut Ihal t larla waa a
grNl nod l labf anl Ikal Caligula
waaa't t-i tUu, I-ul I vttMtM like li
aay i4a a-diiM I laa cu4 IlliU
MM m-(Mins a ba it NU ta 44
availw 1 an I la ! . la saa I la lM-bs
la wutat an t la ta, ly tUy aa4 t
aiahl. Why, lai o a ir-a a a
siitaa ara ta M Mn al'a, aa4 tha
alu U low , aJtura at al
all Ittuoa, )l lha kr Me-atmlU U
ara fruut tait aiaat aatil aa'rfaar, aat
the marks of his fine Italian hand are
plainly visible upon every human crea
ture. Returning to tho mines, I should not
fail to atute that tho American aide is
the place for tho miner this year, both
becauao of its far more favorable min
ing law and bucuuHu the Klondike re
gion 1h already congested. True, thero
is a lack of law on thu American aide,
and capital will bu hIow to cuter the
field until after Uncle Bam has supplied
the much needed military or pnlioo and
civil authority. Karly in tho aeaaon
there was a ruah from the American
aide to tho Klondike region, but at pres
ent tho trend is tho other way. Al
though tho general mining laws of tho
United IS tales permit thu entry of SO
acres, tho minors thoniMolvcR, by adopt
ing local regulation of their own, havo
limited tho extent of claim greatly.
HurlHl ut tha Young Civil Knirlnonr.
The llrat of our misfortunes incident
to set ting aail on Friday occurred Just
below Kampart Oily. Now, tho same
rule apply to navigating tho Yukon as
on tho grcufc voyage of life. It is easy
enough ao long as you go with thu cur
rent und keep out of ahullow water.
Hut wo did neither and suddenly found
ouraelvea, as many u poor mortal . has
aforetime, stuck fast on a sand bar.
Hero wo lay for DO hour. Finally, by
dint of constant swearing and cigarette
smoking on tho part of tho mate, to
gether with a hawser fastened to a
piece of timber stuck fast in a neigh
boring island, we slowly awung off,
but we had not proceeded far before
there were u violent shock, n (jnick set
tling of the stern of tho steamer and n
sudden atop of the machinery. Tho hog
chain had broken, uud our ateamer wus
totally disabled. It would make 11 good
story to declaro that tho accident was
due to tho weight of the arctic treasure,
to the weight of gold dust wo hud 011
board, but I am not ao sure of this, and
it luuy have been caused by nothing
more nor less than a poorly constructed
steamer. After lying helpless for a
few hours we were overtaken by another
steamer of tho sumo lino, which, after
omo persuasion, took us iu tow. That
night death scut hi incsNcuger aboard
end called for a poor fellow who had
but recently como into tho country and
wus returning on account of illness. He
was a civil engineer and a young man
of decided promise. Tlio next duy wo
Stopped at ono of the wood stations, and
up the hillside from the river's bank
strong arm succeeded in thawing out
the f I'non ground and after hours of
hard work In making a ahullow grave.
Tlio ship's carpenter made a nicely
planed colli 11, and then a little proces
sion wa'ked op tho hill, where tho Mu
sculo burial service was held. It was
about as deaolato an affair as could lie
imagined. Hut what does It matter
where the body rests when tho soul has
left it?
Our next misfortune was duo to the
CKNTEH HOUSE IS THE HOLD IUfcV
sudden indlMsition of the boilers of
tho steamer that hod us in tow, and
they hud to 1st doctored for a half day
before they could do their work with
out a wheeling sound. That uight there
waa another death aboard, the victim
beiug a woman who was returning with
Iter little girl front Duwaon to the
Htate. Hhe was buried al the little
Kuiedaii m Union settlement of Andreaf
ski and her little girl taken In charge
by two Indian women twugt ra Just
Ufore wa rachd Ht. Mu haul's tha
third death avutrd.
On thu wholn, 1 can't say that this
trip down tha Yukon will be a pleasant
memory. The stream it If I browuUh
yellow, with iuul ami t lay, ami ll aa
ca ihmugli a country i f grral tlmada
tloii. A ft w Indian perhaps lloo from
Cln la City down live along Ilia rl
it's lank. Uata rarrU tlittu away
early, few living lo ta ovir 43 year
old. Hcarcvly auy game l lo la ha-l,
alinoii forming Ibraa fourths of itu tr
dtt-l. At Cln la Cliy and H4Mh of lha
Arvlle rind at taw lha sua atva lha
hoKsoit at lnidulgl.1. Ia fat I, lhra Is
no darknaaa (a thai I aality, tor av as
fat a.. a I It aa IVtwaat, fof a lutatltt.
Of lha ao i.t nittra sltattteis thai ara
tlaa al M. Me haal's au-l ara adMial
f a trip ap Ua tir l iNtawat a-l a
.l.iawtt will ftatlt llittf d.aliu4tioM
:a it liu-y it .all aavara aba alB
Ihry aatt.. I toy a a a- ta aigi
sH r f4 lha ass t.f lbU sagtMaa, aw-t
If Ihry ailt ro lo rwl II a II Is htl"l
Ida tot a ill I fn Mfa ikf
t aa Ki4a aalf lha 4iuacv ll raua
tttvf letl t.jd i t a .t U lti
agiaxa .m lalrli 4wa INa tl f ll
lug a luf luM.a, thi aiuottni will a t
altt.a t miiIm , Ilia laa grval It lieg
and Ir4aiaiu ronn auw
Itttuj a iHawai aaa ih I taly t
talM" ata-al all Ik rtMtaeual .
aal laa wuu4tna a wall
A A lltii.
()
Dcwcy Amfrlcanirlnaf the Philippines.
Wherever Battle Ax goes it pacifies and satisfies
everybody and there are more men chewing
PLUG
to-day than any other chewing tobacco ever made.
The popularity of Battle Ax is both national
and international. You tind it in Europe : you
find it in Maine: you find it in India, and you'll
find it in Spain (very soon). O
Our soldiers and sailors have already taken it to
Cuba and the Philippines 1 Are you chewing it ?
Pemember the name
8
8
()
()
8
()
()
()
(
8
1 when you buy again.
O
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW wwwww wwww
V !l I II I It I Jllll 111 I
you want one of our "Three S'es":
CHAW America's . Greatest Piano, the
OH ATT greatest In the world.
VH A FFFB ye,T fine, ood tone qua
OUflArrCn lity.beautiful case designs.
C Ull I CD A eood Piano at a price that
OHlaLlwsLl will come within your reach
Sold on easy terms
at cash prices by the
MATTHEWS PIANO CO., l$!8Sfi$L-
Use
Kansas Iump
Rock Salt
For Stock.
lurcst, Healthiest, liest.
AtMren WKSTiiltX ROCK SALT CO., ST. IOVIS, MO
Hult AtrolM far Lyarnm tlamk Mi C'e.. aaa5 Wnval Af Cn
Baa oor exhibit of stock salt at to TraaaUiaslsaippi Iataraatloaal EipoaJtioa
Omaba. Ntb Uala fiolldioc
5AMBY
CUntCOIISTIPATIOIl
10 .SaNi 411.
vuvkvium vMibuv mm. at
ItalMMSa. 4 IIIIIS hiatal
aJ tsHiaal fiHlaiul
aaj aa rasw m m m mm
k. hal mi ta
Maa a i . I i'
twMar.iam
aa a . am aa a1
ai l4 m. Mff ftMt a li w.
.. . .i. Kit wa aa
a . . J . . ......,.
Mssraia Kstaaats liHruiui
PATRONIZE Oi PATRONS!
I
o
o
o
K
8
8
()
()
()
()
8
()
)
)
)
8
()
()
u. - i II Iff aa II
IHUU
WISH
To purchase
i piano and wish
to get the best val
ue for your money
GROUND ROCK SAU
FOR STOCK.
Use Rock Salt
for
Hidrs, Pickles,
Meats, Ice Cream,
Ice Making,
Fertilizing, tc, Ic
Mines and Works.
Lyons and Kanopolls, Ksa
i
CATI1ARI1C
..1. S.J
rta at a.n. waa aaat aatalwaaiiaa
t.. IStea a.alr.a.ta.,a.Sa ta.4.
!. I a"aa a,m
Wa in m an l a a'a
Ma aav fcaa taai
aaa' aaaatsaav,
vnttat V t at t4mtaat
xr
