DAWSON CITY

dawson city, or dawson, the capital of the yukon territory, canada, on the right bank of the yukon river, and in the middle of the klondyke gold region, of which it is the distributing centre. it is situated in beautiful mountainous country, 1400 ft. above the sea, and 1500 m. from the mouth of the yukon river. it is reached by a fleet of river steamers, and has telegraphic communication. founded in 1896, its population soon reached over 20,000 at the height of the gold rush; in 1901 it was officially returned as 9142, and is now not more than 5000. the temperature varies from 90 deg. f. in summer to 50 deg. below zero in winter. it possesses three opera-houses and numerous hotels, and is a typical mining town, though even at first there was much less lawlessness than is usually the case in such cities.