Alaska and the Klondike (1905) (14804270303)

Identifier: alaskaklondike00mcla (find matches)

Title: Alaska and the Klondike

Year: 1905 (1900s)

Authors: McLain, John Scudder, b. 1853

Subjects: Alaska Klondike River Valley (Yukon) -- Gold discoveries

Publisher: New York : McClure, Phillips & co.

Contributing Library: University of California Libraries

Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

Text Appearing Before Image:

bread, twoloaves for 25 cents; sugar, 10 cents a pound; oranges,50 cents to $1 a dozen; potatoes, 10 cents, although ashort time prior they were 18 to 20 cents a pound. Theseare summer prices, when transportation is open. In win-ter they are multiplied by two or three, if the supplyhasnt run out. Shoes and clothing may be obtained al-most as cheaply as in Seattle, but anything that is of aperishable character costs money, and this is true of somethings that are not perishable. Hay has been as highas $300 a ton in Dawson, and was quoted at from $80to $90 at the time of our visit, and other kinds of feedand forage aT~corresponding prices. It costs so much tofeed a horse in Dawson in winter that it is cheaper to shootthe horse in the fall and import a new one in the spring,and that is sometimes done. Lumber is $50 a thousand;hardware prices correspond. That one of the senatorialparty hesitated to order more than one egg for his firstbreakfast lest he might soon exhaust the committees ap-

Text Appearing After Image:

60 48 ALASKA AND THE KLONDIKE propriation, may he explained by the fact that there havebeen times when eggs were worth $2 apiece in Dawson.In this far-away, isolated country the people are thrownalmost wholly upon their own resources for their winteramusement, which becomes a necessity to successful resist-ance of the depression which often seizes upon those whoare shut off so completely from sharing in the pleasuresand occupations of the outside world. It therefore followsthat Dawson has a good theatre, an athletic clubhousefor winter sports and athletic grounds well prepared forbaseball, cricket and tennis. The champions of the prizering find many interested in their exhibitions here and theevent of the week prior to our arrival had been a fight toa finish. A peculiar institution is the town crier, knownas Uncle John, who parades the streets with a mega-phone, an improvement on a bell, and announces the hourand place of forthcoming events. The long midsummerdays simplify the arrange

alaska and the klondike 1905 yukon in the 1900 s book illustrations horse alaska arctic regions klondike images from internet archive seattle washington state

1905

University of California

http://commons.wikimedia.org/

public domain