7 6 



RECREA TIOJST. 



across the Klondyke river from Dawson, we 

 managed to make a landing. We went into 

 camp there, and unloaded our goods. We 

 heard that flour was $100 a sack, and candles 

 $250 a box; expected boats had not arrived, 

 anil people by the hundred were going down 

 the river to Ft. Yukon and Circle City, where 

 the supplies were. All the miners were un- 

 certain whether they would get their outfits 

 or not. In addition, there were hundreds 

 who had come down in the fall and summer 

 over the trail, who had not the money or 

 Strength to pack their food in, so there 

 was great distress. The restaurants were 

 closed, and storekeepers refused to sell 

 food, as they had only enough to fill orders; 

 so there was a stampede down the river of 

 needy adventurers. From 600 to 1,000 men 

 went out over the ice either with dog teams 

 or drawing their own sleighs, and the sup- 

 plies they left behind helped to solve the 

 food question, but everything is still ex- 

 tremely high, and likely to be higher. In 

 Dawson City are 2 companies' stores, about 

 10 saloons, 3 hotels, 3 dance halls, a tin 

 shop, 2 jewellers, 3 doctors, and about 2,000 

 people who live in log cabins, shanties 

 and tents. Life here is centered around the 

 saloons. Every one goes to them. They 

 run night and day, and are always warm; 

 and, as wood here is worth $40 a cord, it is 

 no wonder they are patronized. In the 

 back of the saloons are faro games, poker 

 and roulette, which never close. The deal- 

 ers and watchers work in shifts. There 

 is a Catholic hospital here doing a good 

 work. Dr. Chambers and Dr. LeBlanc, of 

 Detroit, Mich., are in charge. When this 

 country was first staked by tenderfeet the 

 old timers at Circle City and Forty Mile did 

 not believe in it. A few came, and began to 

 prospect. They wrote to their friends below 

 to come up, and, in consequence, there was 

 a regular stampede to this region. Some 

 staked on other creeks, and others bought in 

 claims now worth $1,000,000 for $300 or 

 $400. The newcomers gradually disposed of 

 their claims, and the old timers got them. 

 Now they are selling out to corporations 

 for $50,000 to $500,000 each. 



There are on the Eldorado 35 and on 

 Bonanza 50 more *ich claims. The gold so 

 far obtained has been from these claims, and 

 they are being well worked. Some of these 

 claims will be nearly worked out by next 

 year. This winter will tell whether this is 

 going to be a dead camp at the exhaustion 

 of Bonanza and Eldorado. Claims on the 

 creeks I have mentioned are beyond the 

 reach of an ordinary man's pocketbook. As 

 for making anything working for wages, 

 that is out of the question. Food is $1 a 

 pound. You can only work 8 hours a day, 

 and wages are $1 an hour. 



A party of men went 35 miles up the 

 Klondyke, hunting. They were away about 

 2 months, and brought in 47 caribou, all 

 killed in 4 days by 3 men. The rifles used 



were .32-40. The meat brought $1 a pound, 

 and was soon sold. 



The only man who has any chance here is 

 the hard-working laboring man, and I doubt 

 if he can make a success of it. It is expen- 

 sive getting in and out, and one takes his 

 life in his hand at every turn. There is no 

 social life, no books, no amusement. Ask 

 yourself these questions before you come 

 here : Can you pack 100 pounds on your 

 back, 20 or 30 miles a day? Can you cook 

 your own food, if you are lucky enough to 

 have any? Can you live in a tent when it is 

 6o° or 70 below zero? Can you live in a 

 temperature of 100 in the summer, wade up 

 to your knees in muck, and fight swarms of 

 mosquitoes? Can you go up the mountain 

 and cut wood, and carry it down on your 

 back, 2 or 3 miles? Can you bear up un- 

 der disappointment if, after months of toil, 

 exposure and privation, you find no gold? 

 If so, come to this country; but think well 

 before coming whether you would not be as 

 well off at the end of 10 years at home, as 

 you would be here, where everything is as 

 speculative as at Monte Carlo. 



POP PETERS' PUPS. 



M. L. MURDOCK. 



Pop Peters kep' a beagle hound, 



Bow-legged as a Turk, 

 Fer runnin' rabbits, I'll be bound, 



She done jes fancy work. 

 Pop held her pups fer 5 apiece, 



And fast as they wud wean, 

 He sold 'em off as slick as grease, 



Though they looked mighty mean. 



Pop's neighbors took a tumble then 



And tried ter raise a few; 

 And Pop he took ter squealin' when 



The price slumped down ter 2. 

 Then Pop he had ter tumble some, 



Of course you understand, 

 Or have a grist of them there dumb, 



Dinged, bow-legged pups on hand. 



And then, they tuck ter givin' pups 



Ter everyone that come. 

 And Pop he jest gets mad, and ups 



An' does the very sacwe. 

 An' fore 3 years had rounded up 



I heard Pop Peters say: 

 'Twas jes a " bang up " beagle pup 



Thet he could give away. 



The handsome salad dish from Higgins & 

 Seiter, which you sent me for a club of 10 

 subscribers to Recreation, received, and 

 we are delighted with it. It is a beauty and 

 no mistake. 



Thomas Noonan, Ballston, N. Y. 



If you would live next to nature, read 

 Recreation. 



