NEWS FROM KLONDYKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 145, 21 June 1899, Page 3

NEWS FROM KLONDYKE.

EXPERIENCES OF A NEW 7IEA-

LANDER

Mr M. G. Orr, son of Mr W. Orr, formerly a resident in Scotchman's Valley, who with Mr C. Hibbs, also a well-known Waikato settler, left Now Zaaland for Klordyke some 15 months or sc ago, In liters to his relatives gives some interesting facts in connection with life of gold-seekers in those inhospitable regions. Writing from Bonanza on February 18th, Mr Orr says:—l received your letter dated December 13th to-day. It is just ten months since we left Auckland. Tour previous letters are delayed somewhere on the river, I expect, as it did not freeze over in some places until about Christmas. I am going down to Dawson City for a sleigh load of grub (as they call it here) to-morrow. You ask what we eat. Well, we don't live in very grand stylebeans and bacon are supposed to be the chief diet here. We have porridge, soup or stews of some kind with imported potatoes and fruit, and tinned meat. Lately we have had some fresh beef. Eggs, milk, and butter are not procurable. I have not seen wild animals of any sort; there is some big game here, but they are very scarce and keep back from civilisation. Klondyke is not such a terrible place as it has been depicted, and there are not so many deaths in the winter ss in the summer. In a letter written on February 19th the writer continues:—l was going to Dawson to-day, but there is too much wind, with the at 20 below zero. This is the strongest wind we have experienced here—quite a gale for this country, as there Is seldom even a breeze when the glass gets low, so one does not feel the cold so very much. This is not such a barbarous place as you imagine: there are plenty of police, with about 200 soldiers to help them If need be. Men are fined twenty-five dollars and costs for ebing drink, and this, with the price of'liquor makes a spree rather an expensive luxury. Four stag-es run between Dawson and the Grand Pork; that is the junction between Bonanzo and Eldorado. Two of them are covered in and have stoves inside. The fare for the 15 miles is 7Jdol.—a cheap ride, don't you think? The difference between winter and summer is wonderful. It is all sleighingl now, mostly with dog teams. The men are all muffled up, and the trail is hard and white. In the summer it is all packing on a soft road under a hot sun, with plenty of mosquitoes. As for New Zealanders, there are a few here. I recently met two young fellows from . near Mercer.Most of the Australians think they left a better country in Western Australia. Wages are high, but very little wages work is being done. The way the speculators let their claims, if they don't think them good enough to pay wages, is to let them on a 'lay,' as Jt is called—that is to get someone to work them for half the gold. A lot of men are wort Jng on what is called 'bedrock' pay. If the gold comes out of the claim they get their wages; if not they must go without. It is coarse gold we get here, but not enough of it. F. found a four-ounce nugget, and about a week ago I picked up an ounce piece. Seven pounds weight was found last week on Eldorado. This is the record nugget for this country.