We have an interest in a claim on Bonanza Creek. Well, put down any amount. It will be all right. And you won't be far out of the way. But the stampede is on.
Nobody can stop it.
The Western Union office is flooded with telegrams, incoming and outgoing. Dozens, then hundreds, of local workers determine to catch the next northbound steamer. A downtown grocer closes his doors and buys a ticket on the same boat. Newspaper classifieds are immediately filled with ads from prospective miners seeking financial backers, or vice versa. Former Gov. John McGraw, a U.S. Senate candidate, decides to head for the goldfields instead.