The San Francisco call., 1896-04-18

time, and an attempt will be made to get
the vessel away this af ternoon.
Nearly all the men, women and children
who are seeking passage to the ne Ell
Dorado are from Fresno and vicinity.
During the latter part of 1895 Frank Dusey
miner returned from Cooks Inlet and
set the countryside on fire with his stories
of the fabulous wealth of the Alaskan gold
helds. Women caught the craze and in
sisted upon accompanying their husbands.
M en- sold their ranches and business men
borrowed money on their belongings in
order TO raise the necessary funds to reach
the land of gold. Dusey was unanimously
elected to head the expedition, and every
applicant paid him $25 in advance
The head of the expedition then came to
San Francisco and chartered the steam
schooner Albion. She is 165 tons net bur-
den, 120 feet long, 81 feet broad and feet 8
inches deep. Into this space the miners
crowded, and of course there had to be
space reserved for the crew, the miners
outfits, provisions and coal.
AS soon as arrangements had been made
and the charter secured, Dusey tele-
graDhed to Fresno for the people to come
on. They arrived here last Tuesday, and
ever since have been paying their own ex-
penses In hotels and lodging houses
Some OF them have spent their all in pro-
curing an outht, and are down to their
last dollar. In fact one miner and his
wife had to leave their hotel last night
and seek refuge in a friends house because
they had no money with which to pay
room rent. Nearly all the miners are in
the same fix, and all laugh at the idea of
we'll supplied with provisions, clothing
and cooking utensils, and that is all they
consider necessary.
When they arrived here each man and
woman paid $40 additional to Dusey and
then sent their baggage to Mission-street
wharf. There was so much of it that the
longshoremen could not handle it. and
some of the miners were set to work on
the huge pile. When the coal and pro-
visions began to arrive the wharf was
blocked and soon the vessel was down ct
her stern to the guards with the quantity
of stuff rushed aboard.
1t was while this was going on that the
inspectors appeared and warned the cap
tain that he could not get clearance papers
unless the law was complied with. The
miners began to swear, the women to cry
and the children yelled in sympathy.
Finally sem blance of peace was restored
and Dusey started for the Custom house.
He interviewed Chief Deputy Collector
Jerome, but the latter insisted on uphold
ing the ruling of Inspector Phillips. Then
Dusey went back to the steamer and or
dered all the partitions knocked out OF the
horse and cattle boxes. Carpenters were
next called in and the cattle boxes were
soon in the process of being turned into
sleeping apartments for the men. The
work of loading is still going on, but the
inspectors will have to be reckoned with
this afternoon before the Albion gets
away.
The smart schooner Sophia Sutherland
is also loading for Alaska, but Captain
Oliver Smith will not take man more
than the law allows. The vessel has the
best of accommodation, and, given any,
thing like fair wind, she will easily beat
the Albion to Alaska. Captain Smith is
also an old Alaskan miner, and knows
some of the best mining districts on Cooks
Inlet. Many of those who were going on
the Albion have made up their minds to
go with him if they can get their passage
money refunded.
Among those who have taken passage
on the Albion is C. T. Church, the man
who came all the way from Port Hartford
in small sloop. He expected to take his
boat with him, but now, for want of space
it has to be left behind. He will send il
back to Port Harford ON the next Pacific
Coast Steamship Companys steamer.