Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-07-22
Bags Of Gold From Alaska.
DUST VALUED AT $750,O00 DE-
LlvERED BY STEAMER TO
SAN FRANCISCO.
Many Fortunes Quickly Made IN the
New Clondyke Mines on the Yu-
kon, Just Over the Line in
British Columbia.

fOFGy Alaska miners came IN mere CO.
day by the steamer Excelsior, bring
ing over $500, 600 in gold dust from the
new Clondyke mines, on the Yukon,
just over the line in British Columbia.
The steamer also brought $3.50, 900 In
gold dust to the Alaska Commercial
Company. The dust brought by the
forty miners was taken directly to
Selby's smelling works, on Montgom-
cry street. 1t was the largest single
made to them since the
days of '49. The party was made up
of miners who had been in the Yukon
country from three months to a year
and q half. The tenderfeet had been
the luckiest, for many of them clean
ed up $4,000 to 800, 900 in two months.
T. 8. Lippy and his wife, of this city,
brought down $4,000, which repre-
sented their work since April, 1896.
Mrs. Lippy, who is small, wiry
woman, tanned black by the sun, was
the first woman to cross over the di-
vide from Juneau to the new camp.
She did much hustling in the winter,
and showed a noble pair Of moose
antlers as trophies of her skill with
the rife. Holiinshead and Stewart
were partners, who cleaned up In
twelve months about $30, 900.
As the United States mint was closed
for the day when the miners arrived,
they. packed their sacks of gold dust
to Selby's office. There a picturesque
collection of bags was produced.
Some were made of deer hide and
held as much as $4,000. The common
est kind were of duck or buckskin
and held 1000. Several of the miners
ran out of even canvas bags, and were
forced to put their gold in tumblera
and fruit jars, which they covered
with writing paper. They looked like
fruit or jelly put up by country house.
wives. All the bags were weighed,
and then as fast as the weight was
recorded they were slit open with a
sharp knife and the contents were
poured upon the broad counter, which
has depression in the middle. The
heap of gold dust looked like a pile Of
yellow shelled corn, and its weight
was about 800 pounds. No such heap
of glittering treasure has been seen
here since early days, when the placer
miners from Coloma, Ca1averas and
the rich bars of the American, Yuba
and Feather rivers brought their gold
dust down to this city.
Besides the stories told by these
miners, who have no reason to exag-
gerate, the Alaska Commercial Com
pany received reports from several OF
their officers which confirm the fabu-
lous richness of the Clondyke mining
district. Other placer districts have
been as rich, but none has ever been
found SO large in extent. The district
has radius of thirteen miles, with an
average richness of each mine oi
$500, ,006. Many miners bought claims
for s25, 200 or s3o, 200 on ninety days
time, paying down $500 or s1, 1000, and
in month cleaned up enough to OWL
claims and have a handsome surplus.
The agent at Circle City says gold Ia
SO abundant on the Clondyke that few
men can be hired to work for others
though $50 q day are the wages. Most
of the best claims have already beer
secured by tenderfoot prospectors, al
old miners had no faith in the camp
when it was first found. At Dawson
a new town near the camp, men come
In and leave sacks of gold dust on de.
posit, which are thrown under the
counter by the storekeeper as though
they were sacks of -four. The whole
country is wild about discoveries, ant
everyone who can get an outfit Ii
rushing to CIondyke.