The Gold Rush in North West Canada.

Manawatu Herald, 4 September 1897, Page 2

The Gold Rush in North West Canada.

The San Francisco corfesp'onaW of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, under date 22nd July, gives the following interesting details about the gloqdyke diggings :— While there is no doubt that this discovery is equal to, if not surpassing; any gold find ijl the United States, its locality is such, and transportation so difficult, that for many years to come there will be room for several thousands of prospectors. Elondyke is situated in the northwest territory of Canada, and therefore Canadian mining laws prevail. A squad of police have so far maintained excellent order, and the camp is said to be one of the most pacific and law-abiding known. How long this condition of affairs will continue is problematic, for now that the rush has bagun, Seattle, Tacoma, Victoria, Vancouver} and other Puget Sound ports are contributing members of the gambling fraternity and also the usual crowd of rough characters towards swelling the tide that has set in. To reach these new diggings there are steamers (two) from Seattle and San Francisco that run as far as St. i Michael's Island, in Norton Sound, Alaska. iVom thence stern-wheel steamers ply up the Yukon River to the diggings, a distance of over 1000 miles. At least. 20 to 25 days are consumed upon this trip up river, ac frequent stoppages to wood, and the swifc current always running down stream, prevent a more speedy passage. From Elondyke to. St. Michael's the run is made with the current in a week. Altogether from San Francisco to Elondyke the passage by sea and river occupies 40 days. But two journeys can be made during the year by sea and river, as the Yukon is closed by ice I from September until May. There is also another route to these diggings — by steamer to Dyea, South-eastern i Alaska, and thence by a journey by foot and boat of Borne 400 miles. A divide some 2000 ft above sea level has to be crossed, and over this summit the property of those traversing the route has to be packed by Indians until the waterway is reached. The route is anything but an easy one, as even during the summer heavy gales spring up that envelope the passengers in enow and hail drifts. In the winter the pass is almost closed, except for the most hardy, and indeed the entire trip is '<■ a rough one. Nevertheless, women and men of a type unaccustomed to hardships have made the journey. Labour is in demand, an ounce of gold per day being paid. The only fear at present is that sufficient food supplies cannot be brought into the district before the river is icebound to supply the rush that is now in evidence. That the discovery of this field inaugurates a new era in the production of gold is beyond doubt, but that the sudden intense rush of people will be able to sustain th'iß season is a question of doubt. I cannot but quote a person who is well acquainted with the Yukon. He says : " It's a great country for people who will go provided with the means to sustain themselves until they can work out their salvation on the fields. The gold is there, and in great quantities, but the boom which has been caused in the ! past two weeks will bring people from all over the world, and those who start must realise that their only success is to go through a long siege of perseverance, and this cannot be carried on without food and other supplies in plenty." Should any Australians be tempted to try their fortunes in this new goldfield, it will be well for them to know they cannot leave San Francisco for the Yukon until May, 1898, and by that time authentic and more detailed accounts of the output and outlook will be available.