TAR 7 WEY FXAMINFR, CHABTOTTE SOWR, MARCH 29, 1898

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PRE GET.

pet pn aa tr ct

i - ae r ~ . - as nanan eneedetie: — ron . a Tae

} ‘ plentiful, but there are hundreds of menj|sack. even the poor bobbies sre

y {| ce IN NA stayed here, and they knewthat they had (paid in gold dust. It is a very ate ; re , not food enough to last them half the { good thing for the bartender, because when Sor rayhire eG il, | i. . : Tim 1 ® winter, and certain *’arvation staring them | a man goes up to the barand calls for a Oe it VI FWED RY A COVERNK - NT OFFICER i inthe face. These are the men that] drink, be th-ows his sack over the bar

Mt ‘trouble is expected from because there is | aud allows the bartender to weigh out the | hi / iy no telling what they will dé when their | amonnt whatever itis. If the miuer is iS overt Vere i a

grubrans out aod they begin to get | anyway drunk and has two or three

Constable Owen, of the N. W. M. P, Writes an Interesting Letter to His Father in Cttawa

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DESCRIBES TILE

AWFUL

JOURNEY TO KLONDIKE

Many of the Inhabitants of Dawson City are of the Very Worst Class the United States Can Produce—Men Who are Making Money Fast.

Mr. A. W. Owen, accountantof the De- partmeat of Marine and Fisheries, at Uitawa, lately received a letter from his son Wallace, who isa member of the N, W.M.P. at Dawson City. The letter which is full ot matter of universal inter-~ est, was begun December 3, 1897, but it took weeke to write it. Mr. Owen writes: *]T have been in Dawson now two months, and I must say it is a very strange place, en'irely different fiom what I expected it tobe. Itis my first experience in a mining camp, and fora time everything Was new and strange to me, but now the novelty of tLe thing is wearing off. Still there is lots of excitement to be chad at all

times. We experien.ed lots of bard- ships on the trip in, wand I don’t AHEART- BREAKING TRIP,

think I would go over the same trip in the fall of the yearagain for all the money on the Klondoke. Iwill not say much etout the trail from Skagway to Lake Bunnett, because I dare say you have read all about the White Pass and it terrors in the newspapers times innumerable, but the very worst account you may have read does not touch the stern realty. I[ tbink it ie just as well for the government that the men in our party did not know what they bad to go through. If they had, I doubt whether they could bave secured as many volunteers as they cid to come up to this blessed country.

I don’t suppose that anyone would think much of the pass if they only hadto go over it onee, provided they had nothing to carry over with them, but when it comes to packing as much as one could carry every day for five weeks, back and forth every dav, it was heart-breaking aa well as back breaking. Eight miles a day was about the average distance we made over the Pass, and todo that we had to be upeandat i at four o’clockin the mornivg and keep at it until six and seven at night, Sundey included. We had a train of 34 horses and besides carrying a pack ourselves, generally weighing from 59 to 75 pounds, we had to herd these hor-es along as well. Once a horse got on the Whive Pass it was as good as its death warrant, as might be seen by the thous~ ands of dead horses lying along the trail. Out of the 34 horses we started from Skagway with, only eight of them reached Bennet alive.

They were the best horses we had and they were in such an awful state when we reached Bennett that they had tobe shot. At first it used to turn me sick to see the _ way these animale would drop in the mud * Or roll over a precipice from pure exhaus~ tion, or have their throats cut or « bullet put iniothem. Bat I must say I got need toit before long I saw euch @ lot of it, 1 need often to think of how they punlsice usin Calgary for bringing our horees in with sore backs, probably sume- thing that could be cured ina day or two, and then wonder what they would say if the backs of the horses we used on the traiie, see the great holes in their backs that anybody could put both fists iuto. Our horses were not the only ones in this state. I dont’t suppose there was a sound horse on the trail.

A TERRIBLE SIGN.

Another thing I saw, which hope never to witness to my dying day; a man drowning. We were crossing over a treacherous ford where a small river emptied into Shallow Lake and one of the men ahead of us lost his footing on the stones, wae taken off bis feet and carried out into the Lake. The sight of thet man fighting for his life was something awful to see. He sank before an attempt could be made to save him. In fact, it would have been impossible to do anything to save him, because he wascarried so far Out into the lake and the water was so iey cold. As you can imagine, it cast a gloom over all the parity for some time, for although tae man was not of our purty we all knew him and liked him. He was one of the men thatcame up with us on the SS Islander from Victoria.

ON LAKE BENNETT. é It was shortly after this that we caught our first sight of Lake Bennett, the end of our journey by land. We s‘ayed at Ben- neit for three days while our boats were being finished and then started our 550 miles’ trip down the rivers. We were very giad to leave Benuett because winter was setting in very quickly and we were afraid of being frozen in before we reached Daw- gon. After the first day out on the water we were uufortunate enough to geta bead wind all through the lakes, which made our smell sails perfectly useless. Going through the lakes before we struck ihe Yukon river there were days when we did not make more than a mije an hour aod sometimes uot halfa mile. We reached Tagish Lake after being out five days, and ed up a murderer at the Tagish Cus- tom House, who was to hosor us ws hie com for the rest of our trip. He was . See tiene Henderson, an American®

you can guess, who shot his partner while - hai over some trifling quarrel they ad,

COLD TRIP, COLD GRUB.

Our trip down the rivers was bitterly cold and we bad to row hard ail! day to keep ourselves warm. It snowed very hard without stopping all the way down the river. We got up every morning at four o’clock, and put in from five o’clock in the morning until six at night on the river without making a landing. We had a sort of lunch at twelve o’clock on frozen corned beet and bard tack, which I think did usa great deal more harm than good. Every evening we had to cut our way through the ice along the bank of the river to make a landing, and then dig through three feet of snow to clear a place te pitch our tents. The thing I disliked more than anything else on this part of our trip wis getting up at four o’clock in the morning. We would all be so very tired at night, that it seemed as though we had only juet gone to bed when we would have to get up agaiz. We bad all to take our turn at keeping guard over the prisoner at night, and had no way of making up for it next day.

THE PARTY SLICED.

When we arriyed at Skagway our party numbered forty-two, but only twenty of us were picked to go through to Daweou. The rest of the party remained at Lake Bennett and are going to put ia the winter at Lake Tagish. They will be the ones to run the mails through the winter. The most exciting part of our trip was running the White Horse and Five Finger Rapids and the White Horse Canyon, eepecially the canyon. We sweptaround a bend in the river aud into the canyon almost before we knew it. It is only 100 feet across, and the sides are of solid frock and perfectly perpendicular for 100 feet. It,is very mear- ly a mile Jong, and we went through it in three minutes. The boat J was in went down stern first, our steéersmen lost his head, but fortunately we got through with- out any accident. Three miles further down we struck the White Horse Rapids. It was very exciting going through thie, but not as much 80 as the canyon. I[ don’t think there was anything else hay~ pened worthy of note on the resi of the trip, excepting as I said before, we were so bitter- ly cold. However, we puiled tbrough everything all right and arrived at our Eldorado two months ago to-day. I wouid have started chis letter two or three weeks ago, but Saturday afternoons and Sundays are the only days I can sit down for any length of time witbout being interupted, and for the last two Sundave [ have taken advantage of iis being a holiday and gone up the creeks louking out for any chance of staking,

IN COMFORTABLE QUARTERS.

We have very comfortable quarters here. They were nearly al! ready for us when we arrived and built in the form of afort. Our quarters is a Jog building about 100 feet Jong and divided into two barrack rooms large enough for 15 men each, and a mess room aud kitchen. Each barrack room is only allowed one lamp, and that is the reason that Sunday is the only day we can sit down to write. There are no tables in the barrack room on account of there being so many beds, so it is impos- sible co write there. Of course, it is pos- sible to sit on your bed to write, but todo that it is necessary to have a candle and until candles come down in price they are a luxury I cannot afford. At present they are worth $1.50 each, and very hard to get at that. Idon’t kuow what we are going to do when the dark days come. lam afraid’we will have to sit and talk to each other in the dark. At the preseat time it is not light until nearly ten o’clock in the morning and pitch dark at4.30 p.m. In a few weeks’ time we only will have two or three hours’ lighi all through the day and this sort of thing ljasts for six weeks. Oil is fright- fully scarce here, and I don’t know now we are going to pullthrough the winter, We have quite a Jot, but unless we are very carefal with it we will be in com- plete darkness before the winter is out. There are two large company stores in Dawson, and they have prom sed ua enough food to pull through the winter, but even as it is Our rations were cut down considerable a few days ago. There is going to be a tamine in Dawson before the winter is oct, and when itzomes it will mean work for us.

ROBBERIES FREQUENT

Every day cases of robbery are reported to the chief, and a mun caught io the act of robbieg a grub cacheis running a big chance of being shot. Grub stealing is almost.a hanging offence in this part of the world. When] came here flour was selling at the rate of $150 for a 160-pound sack,and today it cau’t be bought for any price. While the river was open a great number of people went down to Fort Yukon and Circle City; where food was more

hungry.

IN FEAR OF A RAID.

The day we arrived here all the old gang, with the exception of a few to guard the barracks, were mounted guard over fhe company’s stores with loaded carbines and

revalvers, in answeriOa report thet the stores were going to he raided, The stores have a

litle grubin their sturebonses, but sot enough to aupply the town, and the ealy oOues that can get it are the lucky ones that had their orders in last spring. About

went down to the stores with dogs and sleighs to bring our winter supply of ra- tions tothe barracks. Among otber things we broxght up three tons ot flour, It seemed aa unusual sight for Dawaon, be- cause half the town turned out if it was only to get asigbt of so much grab, We were all armed; in fact we never go down town without our sidearme. ‘I'he only things that are plentiful in Dawson are whiskey avd cigare, and there is an abundance of that. Along the main street of the town nine shanties out of every ten are saloons and gambling dens. Some of these have dance halls attached and these are the places that do the rushing business. The town is fall of women, and they make more money than is good for them ont of the miners that are fools enough, or shal!

three weeks ago a party of 15 of our men, is pretiy sure to be a new strike made on

I say, drunk enough, to sperd it on them. The business is to get a man to dance with them and the price of the dance is to spend $l at the bar fortwodrinxs. The giri gets 25 eents out of the dollar, and the rest goes to the saloov-keeper. This sort of thing keeps up all nigut long, and as the davces are very short the women manage to make a big thing nightly. They dance all night loug and sleep during the day.

SALOONS NEVER CLOSE,

The saloons never close, open day and night, and will remain doing so az Jong as the whiskey and oil hang out. Two of our fellows are on duty day and night, an¢ du nothing but go from one saloun to another to keep order, while two more men guard the stores. We have some very exciting times ie the saloons, and the nights pass very quickly on that account. I should say that vine out of every tea men in Dawson are Americans, and a large number of the very worst type. Men that have spent most of their lives in mining eamps. For all that, I notice that they havea very great respect for the police. I think it is the quiet way we go about our work. Oae man told me the other day that the police were a great puzzle to him. In the States they used to being clubbed over the head whenever they came in contact w ith the pelice, but her they don’t eeem to understand the quiets way we go about, and we never have the slightest tronble in makiog an ar- rest,

A $20,600 rnonpery.

A few dave ago one of the saloons wes robbed of $20,000 in gold dust. It was traced to one of the bartenders of the eal- oon, and when the man was arrested by the nighi patrol he broke down and con- fexsed everything. He was as meek asa child, and came to the guard 109m like a lamb to the slaughter. I think, taking it all around, we are rather favorites in Dawaon than otherwise. Although I started this Jetter on the 3rd of the month, you must not thiok I wrote it all at one aittiag,

At different times I have settled down comfortably for an eveniug’s writing, and have had some one march off with the lamp before I had been at it fifteen minuits, It is the 18:bh now and I am afraid lam some way from the end yet. I believe our doc tor is going outia aday or so, and whea he goes he will very likely take the barracks mail with bim.

MEN WHO MADE MONEY.

Dr. Wills, bas made qnite a large for- tune, but not nearly as much as some cf our old gang has. Ex-~-Constable Jenkins sold out his c'aim on Eldorado the other day for $125,000, and while he worked t himself he washed out between $80,000 $100,000, so when the man goes out in the spring he takes somewhere around $200.- 000 with him. There was a report went

around Calgary before I iett that he had _ sold out ai half = ahare

for $40,000, but there was no truth in it. He owned the whole claim bimeelf, All of the others have good claims and wil] go out of this country very rich men. Ex- Constables Ward and Brothers will do just as wellas Jenkins if not better. Their claims are on each side of Jenkins, and turning out quite as good. So far I can’t say what my chances are. _ 1 have got iwo or three things in sight but I wiil give you full particulars in my next letter. We have had two large fires in town since I started this letter and it has burnt quite a large hole inthe town. The first was a large building used asa church, and three nights afterwards the opera house and three of the largest saloonsin town. There was pothing in the world to save them, which was a very good thing.

GAMBLING EVERYWHERE,

They were three of the Jargest gambling dens in the town, and tables and uj] were burnt, and a large quantity of grub. This place is a regular Monte Carloun a email scale. There must be fully 100 sa- Jocns in town and every saloon runs gam - bling tables. It is very intererting to watch the games when the betting is heavy, and at different times I have seen small fortunes won and Jost‘ Faro and roulette are the principal games ; faro seems to be the favorite. Gold dust and nuggets are theonly money usedin this country, and there isany amount of that flying around. Everybody has a go!’

can cut in a day. of prize fighters in Dawson, and I seen more prize fights since I came here

still they come as near to it as possible.

stop them if necessary, but‘-o tar we neser

and the only thing to spend it on is whiss

able to save every cent. cents a drinkand cigarettes 50 cents a package. cigarette smoking and have come down to a pipe, or as I imagine vou saying, come up to a pipe. sideration, I am very well eati+fied with

and ears open and is any way steady there

hundred dollars in bis gold sack, it is the siroplest thivg in the world to weigh out as much as $10 without the miner being any

the wiser. Although I ars still without a claim I consider wyseelf much better off than a great number who have. I conld have ataked a dezen since I arrived here but by so doing I would lose my righte in the Klondike district, and I wonld much sooner have my

rights than aclaim on any of the guiches running into the bg creeks. A great number of them are all staked, but so far no gold has been fuund on them. There

the Klondike yet, and [am not going to throw away mychance on any gulch. The whole country is spotted, thet is, gold may be found in large quantities on some particular place, and the claime On either side of it may not be worth the working.

IT 13 A HUGE GAMBLE,

Itisahuge gamble, where the lucky ones win, and I think if a man keeps his ears and eyes open he is bound to strike something. Now that I am hereI intend to stay until I make a stake if it takes me ten years to doit. I know that this is the only country I will ever have a chance to make any money in, and I might just as well put in my time here, where there is a chance, as knoek around the Northwest, where there is no chance. So here I am liable to stay for some time to come. There is no doubt about it being a fearful

country to live in. For the last ten days it has been frightfally cold, the warmest day we Lad was 40 below, and to-day we were not able to go out at all. The only work we bave had to do, outside of guards and patrol*, is sawing and splitting wood, and we burn up all we There are any number have

Fights bot

than leverdreemed of seeing. toa flaish are not actually allowed,

We are always at them to keep order, end

had occasion to etcp them. A policeman’s pay in this country will not go very far

kev; so in that way the most of us are Whirkey is £0

I have Lad to do away with

Taking everything into con-

mv change. Everything is new and dif- ferent from anything else I have ever seen. [ must say it beats my last station all to pieces. Witbitne exception of a few they are all very good fellows, I am about the youngest. I don’t think there is the least doubt that if aman keeps his eyes

i¢ anything to prevent him going out of here with a few thousand. I never saw money thrown around the way it is up here,

See ee =e

“Three from two you can’t,” says the schoolboy. Right! Three from two you can’t, either in dol- lars. or dividends or sarsaparilla. It takes the best sarsaparilla root to make the best sarsaparilla ex- tract. The best sarsaparilla comes from Honduras, C. A., and the Dr. Ayer Co. practically controls the entire product. Yet others claim to be making “ best” sarsaparilla. They must be making it out of the remainder left after subtracting three from two. But, “three from two you can’t.” You can’t make the best sarsaparilla without best root. You only get the best when you

cet Ayer’s Sarsaparilia

which is made wholly from the best root imported from Honduras.

WANTED.

Wanted, by a lady, position as com- pasion help, governess or housekeeper. No objection to widower’s family Address Examiner office. 73 —2i

TO CONTRACTORS,

TENDERS will be reeeived up to Sat- urday, April 20d, for making addition end alteration toa barn. The lowest or any (ender not necessarily accepted.

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73 Vi

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Opp. J.D. McLeod's. He ST