Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-09-16
FRANK PURCELL E R
Arrived Last Night With His Wife
and Daughter--Will go Back
to Klondyke.

Frank Purcell arrived last night
from High Hill, accompanied by his
wife and daughter, Miss Fannie May.
They r the guests of Mrs. Laura
Steele on West Monroe street.
Mr.. Purcell told q LEDGER reporter
this morning that he expected to re-
turn to the Klondyke country in the
spring, starting from High Hill on
March 1st. Mr.. johnson, of Mime
sofa, Jake Holterman, of West Virgin
ia and Chas. Meyers, of Prescott,
Arizona, who have property near Mr..
Purcell in Klondyke, and who Q
turned to this country with him, will
meet him at High Hill and return with
him.
Mr.. Purcell told the paper man that
he thought there wal plenty Of room
for all corners to that country and that
the press reports saying that the
country would be so much overcrowd-
ed were without foundation. He ex-
poets new fields to be opened up and
worked with great profit. "But, ''said
Mr.. Purcell, "thers is going to be a
great deal of suffering in that country.
Very few people, understand what
hardships they have to undergo to
reach the gold fields. The extreme
heat and the warns of mosquitoes In
that country are terrible. I have seen
strong men lay down and weep from
sufferings caused by the mosquitoes.
There is practically no protection
from them, as a net cannot be worn
over the face on account of the heat"
In speaking of his first trip to Alas
ka he said: 81 left High Hill on April
81, 1896, with the express purpose of
going to Alaska and investigate the
gold fields. 1 had already had six years
of mining experience in Montana and
the Black Hills in the COS and 70's.
When / reached Juneau, /, together
with four other men, bought an out
fit, complete, and two months grub.
The entire outfit for the five of us
cost $93, less than you could buy it for
in Tacoma and pay freight on it."
"We then made the journey across
the range and began prospecting.
Finally myself and a Canadian named
F. Carl, bought properties on AmeIi-
can Greek, in Alaska, and on Bear
Creek in the Northern Territory, the
latter being the most valuable"
"The American Greek property is
about 40 miles from Dawson and the
Bear Creek property is about II miles
from the same CITY,"
"On the Canadian side excellent
order is kept anc the stories of the
robber customs duties are exaggerated
a great deal. A man has to pay moth
ing on an individual outfit. The Alas
ka side is ruled more by mob-law than
otherwise, and OF course there Is q
great deal of gambling done. I spent
the winter of '96 and '97, from De-
cember to March, on the Klondyke
River in getting a complete outfit
from Dawson to the American Creek
property. My partner, Carl, is work.
ing it now. When I first got to Jun
eau l could find nothing out about the
inner country to amount to anything,
the interest being chiefly conferred on
Cooks Inlet, where Jack Frost now
is. This is comparatively q moderate
climate"
When asked about the proposed
trainway over Chilcoot Pass, Mi. Pur-
cell said: 81 don't think the venture
is possible, Is it Isl very hard to make
a foundation for anything there or
anywhere in the gold fields, as that
country is one big chunk of ice and
even during the summer months,
where the moss is not cleared away,
the ground will not thaw. II the moss
is removed the ground will thaw from
s to 10 feet down. I have noticed one
thing in Alaska which goes against
what is ordinarily found in our west
ern placer districts and that is In
where mining is done 1t does not pay
a man to work the upper end of the
gulch. Why that Is I cannot say"
MI. Purcell was asked about the
quartz mining and said that he did
not believe there would be any Of that
kind of mining done for q long time.
He said: "There Is some very
rich leads somewhere, but the natur-
al signs are covered and frozen up 80
that it is impossible for small pros
pectors to even attempt following
them. When the quartz mines are
opened it will be by immensely veal
thy syndicates."
Mr.. Purcell said that whiskey sold
for $50 per gallon and so cents a drink.
He made $40 a day when he first
reached that country. 1t took a little
over one hundred dollars and a ticket
to Tacoma for Mr.. Purcell to get his
fortune. He thinks now a person
should have $500, which will put him
there with n years provisions. MI.
Purcell will remain in Mexico until
Monday, when he will return to High
Hill. He has one other daughter, who
is attending Buchanan College In Troy,
Mo.