The herald., 1897-12-02
GOOD GUESSES
The Herald KlOndike Gold
Finds New Owners
TWO THAT WERE INSPIRED
MAKE VERY CLOSE GUEssEs AND
GET THE NUGGETS
TWO THAT WERE INSPIRED
J. A. Delude of Long Beach Gets the
Five-Ounce Jar and Ernest
Petrie the Smaller

When ]. I. Clements returned from the
part Of August with a big sack Of mug
gets and particles of gold which he hal
delved out of the frozen earth of Alaska,
The Herald purchased from him n.
ounces of his placer gold worth $135.
This purchase was divided up into two
lots, one containing five ounces, worth
800, which was placed in glass jar, and
offered as premium to the subscriber
who came the nearest to guessing the
number Of particles that the jar con-
tanned.
The other 21s ounces, worth $45, were
put in vial and offered as a reward to
the advertiser who would give the best
guess as to the number of grains Of gold
that the receptacle contained.
Both glass vessels containing the yell
low gold from the Arctic regions of
Alaska were placed in plain view, day
after day, in the window of The Herald
business Office, thus giving all would-be
contestants an excellent and even
chance to guess at their contests, ac-
cording to the conditions promulgated
by this paper.
Yet with these opportunities to see the
glittering particles in the bottles it
would seem that there are guessers Of
whom it may be said, as the Bible says:
"They have eyes but they see not"
This remark is justified by some of
the guesses that were recorded. The
lowest guess for the large bottle was 8
and the highest $4,000. The lowest guess
for the small bottle was 10 and hehigh-
est 999,999! Upon what theory It was
that the lowest guessers based their
calculation is hard to realize, but how a
person could possibly expect that there
should be 999, ,999 particles of coarse gold
in a small vial is still more difficult to
understand.
A committee composed Of Messrs. F.
]. Cooper and John w. Siefert yesterday
counted the particles contained in both
receptacles. The Bounce jar contained
1868 and the 12-ounce vial 1191 particles,
which is far ahead Of 0 or 10 and i'm
mensely below 999,999, or even $4,000.
But If there were wild guessers in
quantity there were also some shrewd
calculators in this contest, in which the
eye must act as the measurer or COM
puter. For instance, j. A. Delude of
Long Beach on August 90 guessed that
the jar for subscribers contained 1771
particles, and that was the nearest guess
for the 5 ounces of gold.
For that reason it is awarded to the
gentleman from Long Beach.
Other near guessers were: John Woods,
556 South Main street, 1891, and again
1897; J. r. Hill, Wilson Peak Park, 1875;
George Driscoll, Asphaltum, Kern coun-
ty, 1903, and William Bosbyshe1l, Pico
Heights, 100. -ss..
The advertiser who made the best
guess for the 21s-ounce vial was only
one particle short of the right result. He
guessed 1880 instead Of 1191.
But in his case the guess was just as
good as if he had not lacked that one
figure, because no other advertiser came
as near to it as Mr.. Ernest Petrie of
627 West Fourth street, who recorded his
ticket on September II.
And thus Mr.. Petrie becomes the own
er of $45 worth of Klondike gold and of
the vial in which it nestles.
Mrs. Mae Gird of 1876 East Eighth
street, was also a good guesser, with 119a
particles; M. K. Subet had it 1887, and
William Johnson 1880. There were six
teen other guesses ranging from 1177 to
1888 that may be called shrewd, but
most of the rest were more or less wild.
Thus ends this guessing contest and
lucky divinators may now come and
take away the prize Of their perspica-
city and good luck.