Document 17: "A Klondiker's Advice"

"A Klondiker's Advice," in Seattle Argus, December 18, 1897.

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I would advise a man to pause a moment and not go mad over that magical word, Klondyke. The gold in the country is not picked up at random; it is not located in a moment, neither must one expect to get it easily. Some have made money there with apparent ease, but there are likewise many who have made money apparently far more easily here at home. Every man in the Klondyke is not a mine owner, neither is he a millionaire, and the man who goes there expecting to become both in a few short months, or even years, will be sorely disappointed. The distribution of wealth there, as well as elsewhere, is not equal . . . The many there are poor; the few have riches. The country is a chance, and, being a chance, means that some will win and some will lose.

Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest