THOUSANDS JOIN THE EXODUS.

To say that the news from the north brought by passengers of the Excelsior and confirmed by those of the Portland swept over the Pacific coast with the rapidity of a prairie fire would be to make use of an inadequate simile. In less than forty-eight hours hundreds were busy arranging their affairs so as to depart by the first steamer for the new Eldorado. On the 18th of July, only four days after the arrival of the Excelsior, the offices of the Alaska Commercial Company in San Francisco were besieged by men, and even women, all anxious to secure a passage, and on the same day it was stated by an officer of the company that their steamers would not be able to carry one-tenth of those desirous of starting from that port alone. The same official estimated that before the end of the month the number of those who would set out from San Francisco would reach fully 5,000. Hundreds with means sufficient to buy tickets and outfits fairly tumbled over each other to secure these. Others sought capital by offering one-half their winnings to those who would stake them. Syndicates were speedily formed, "grub stakes" offered and parties of tens, twenties and even hundreds organized for the venture. The reported danger of famine, even the warnings of returned miners seemed to deter no one.

While such was the craze in San Francisco, the excitement was no less in Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and all along the Pacific coast. Nor did it end here. The same excitement swept Eastward and prevailed to a greater or less extent everywhere. The press of the county gave publicity to every scrap of news, corps of correspondents were organized and "hurried to the front," and even the "special artist on the spot" was not "left out in the cold," whatever he may suffer when he reaches a latitude where the mercury coquettes with the 80s. and 90s. below zero. All sorts of advertisements from all sorts of people, offering almost any terms and conditions to a backer, appeared, and, as we write, are still appearing in the daily papers. The one subject of conversation in the swell clubs, no less than on the street corners, is the news from Alaska, and the region of the Klondyke and the Yukon River have suddenly become as familiar geographical designations as Brooklyn or the Hudson.

Perhaps no more reliable authority could be given as to the great resources of the Klondyke and the excitement prevailing in and about that region than Capt. Francis Tuttle, commander of the revenue cutter Bear. Writing to a friend in New York from St. Michael's on the Yukon River, the Captain says:

"The days of '49 in California are a mere side show compared with the excitement in the Yukon country. Imagine my astonishment on reaching here yesterday to run across a man who, last September, was discharged as a deck hand from a steamer on Puget Sound. The fellow made his way into Alaska, worked seven months on the Klondyke and has now reached St. Michael's with $150,000 in gold. I could hardly believe my senses, but there was his gold, sure enough.

"As I write St. Michael's is full of miners awaiting an opportunity to get down to Puget Sound and to California. Nearly every other man of them has $50,000 worth of dust, and there is not a man here with less than $15,000. The latter are referred to as 'poor fellows' who have been hard hit with bad luck, and it seems to be real sympathy that the more fortunate ones show for these $15,000 fellows.

"The deck hand, with his $150,000, had the largest amount of gold of any one in the crowd. The whole business is almost incredible, yet one must believe what he sees.

"It is enough to turn the mind of any person, and particularly when one learns with what comparative ease this gold is mined."

As we write several steamers having already departed from various Pacific ports, are on their way to the Yukon, all freighted to their fullest capacity with gold hunters, provisions and mining outfits. Others are following as rapidly as they can be outfitted, and scarcely a seaworthy craft available for the purpose can be found that has not already been brought into requisition.

This stream of humanity that has suddenly turned northward and is being constantly swollen as it proceeds on its way is made up of all classes of men and from every condition in life. The experienced and rugged miner is accompanied by the "tenderfoot." The soft-handed clerk falls in line with the tanned and strong-muscled out-of-door laborer. Even the professional man has abandoned his comfortable office for the miner's hut. The first steamer to leave numbered among her passengers the venerable poet of the Sierras, Joaquin Miller. Another steamer, sailing from Seattle on July 22, carried north ex-Governor McGraw, who for many years was president of the First National Bank, of Seattle; Governor of Washington for four years ending January last, and later a candidate for United States Senator to succeed W. S. Squire. Among his companions du voyage were General M. E. Carr, formerly Brigadier General of the State militia, and whose law practice is the largest in the State of Washington, and Captain A. J. Balliet, at one time Yale's greatest oarsman and football player, who also leaves a handsome law practice to seek gold on the Yukon.