Day after day news reaches us of the trials and struggles, the hunger and hardships, of those who have hurried off in this mad rush after wealth.
Only a day or two ago a carrier-pigeon reached its home in Portland, Oregon, bearing a message from a party of young men who had set out from that city to seek their fortunes.
Wishing to be able to tell their friends of their safe arrival, the young men took several carrier-pigeons with them. This bird is the first that has arrived. The message it brought was by no means a cheerful one.
When the slip of paper tied to its leg was unwound it was found to contain these words: "We are all well and in good spirits, but tell every one you know not to come up here this winter."
It was written on the summit of Chilkoot Pass, and dated August 25th. The pigeon had flown a distance of 1,071 miles to bear this message, and was completely worn out when it reached its home, refusing food, and declining to enter the dovecote for some hours.
The scarcity of food is already being felt. Some of the old miners are frightened, and are coming out of the district before it is shut in with snow.
Hundreds of men are, however, pouring in from all directions, and shameful stories are reaching us of the wild and lawless deeds that are being done.
A returning messenger brought word that a party of men who had for some reason been separated from their comrades blockaded a mountain pass, and having barred it up with trees and rocks, guarded it with firearms, refusing to allow any one to pass until their friends came up with them.
So lawless did they become that they threatened to shoot the first man who ventured to approach the barrier.
Party after party arrived at the pass, until finally there was a crowd of two thousand people waiting in the narrow gorge to be allowed to pass the barrier.