The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-25

means that his property was the forti-
eth one above the first Aladdin. 1t
was agreed that each claim should
have 500 feet on the river--the Bon
anza. This was the beginning of
Berry's fortune. he then began to
trade for interest in other sites. He
secured a share in three of the best on
Eldorado Creek. There is no one
living who can tell how much this
property is worth. It has only been
worked in the crudest way, yet five
months netted him enough to make
him a rich man the rest of his life.
There are untold and inestimable mill
ions where the small sum from the top
was taken.
Berry wanted to bring his bride to
him from the settlement and he pro-
ceeded to built himself a house. 1t
was of logs. He built it solid and then
sawed holes for the door and windows.
This was late last summer. The ther-
mometer was getting accustomed to
standing at forty degrees below zero
day in and out. Mrs. Berry trudged
through the nineteen miles of hard
snow and took her place in the hut
with her husband. There was noihoor,
but the snow bank. It cost the couple
$500 thousand feet to get frewood
hauled, and there was but little chance
to use fuel save to thaw out the moose
and caribou which the Indians
peddled.
This new gold king and queen made
the first strike of year ago in No7em-
ber. They were working along Ell
dorado Greek, branch of the Bonan-
"a, which empties into the Klondike
about two miles above Dawson City.
Their site was the fifth one above
where the first discovery had been
made in this particular region. 1t
took nearly month to get into paying
dirt, but when the vein was opened it
was simply awful. The first prospect
panned 50 and So to the pan. 1t grew
suddenly to S25 and $50 pan, and
kept increasing. It seemed they had
tapped mint, and one day Mr.. and
Mrs. Berry gathered no less than S595
from single pan of earth. This they
have saved in sack by itself, and the
people who have listened to the strange
stories of the young man and his
young wife have no fear that they have
been mistaken. They have left no
room to think they are not telling the
truth-truth which seems probable in
the face of sacks and Jumps Of gold
which they have not yet had time to
send to market. They have it piled
up in their rooms in the hotel in San
Francisco.
Berry and his men worked five
months at this claim. They thawed
and washed thirty box lengths of soil.
This brought him $130, 900, out Of
which he paid $4,000 for help. He
then put fifteen miners at work in his
best diggings and started home to get
some coin. He has acquired five
claims, all of which are being worked.
He has not the slightest idea how
much he is worth. He guesses that
he has at least 10000 more ready
for him by this time. 1t may be twice
or three times that amount. He has
a good wagon load of the yellow stuff
in the safety deposit vault. MIR. and
Mrs. Berry have one of the best rooms
at the best hotel on the coast. They
have leaped from poverty to wealth in
single twelve months.
Mr.. Berry is going to leave In few
days with his wife to see the farm
where he used to raise plums and
peaches. He is going to buy the place,
just for memory's sake. Mrs. Berry
wants it. She will live there the rest
of her life. The pin money she panned
out-$1O, ,O00-is to go for new house.
She has had enough of the Klonkike.
Her new king and the new gold king
of the coast will 60 back in the spring.
There is no chance that his property
will be jumped or robbed. He has
left it in trusted hands. Berry talks
in immense figures. 1t is possible to
deduct half as a tribute to blinded en-
thusiasm, and he will then have enough
to rate him among the very richest
men of the world.
Berry gives all the credit of his for
tune to his young wife. 1t was posi-
BILE for her to have kept him at home
after the first trip. She told him to
return-and she returned with him.
It was an exhibition of rare courage,
but rare courage rarely fails. The
wedding trip lasted fifteen months.
Berry says it was worth 81, 1,000,OO
month. This estimate is one meas
ured in cold cash--not sentiment.-
Chicago Times-Herald.