The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-09-04
BACK FROM KLONDIKE.

VIA L 1VOA1 lAA OAN As
ALL TELL STORIES OF RICH GOLD
STRIKES.
Very Few Clean Ups, However, Have Been
N1ade Since Early Summer -. James
McNamee Takes from Fourteen Claims
$4,000.
The schooner J. NJ. Coleman, which
left St. Michaels, at the mouth Of the
Yukon, July %, was spoken Thursday
night off Race Rocks at $3.50 by the
Associated Press tug Vi8ilant, which
was in the straits watching for the arrl.
val of the steamer Portland. The Cole
man brings four passengers who have
been in the Klondike, and who left
Dawson City, July II. The passengers
are Charles H. Metcal, of Detroit,
Mich; B. E. Jones, Of Berkeley, CAL,
an assayer for the Alaska Commercial
Company at Dawson; G. B. and w. 0.
Patric, brothers, of Los Angeles. They
left ten days after the Thorpe party,
which arrived at Seattle last week on
the steamer George E. Starr from
Dyea. They all tell stories of the rich
ness OF the Klondike, Bonanza and Ell
Dorado creeks, but all say that very
few clean ups have been made since the
early summer. Mr.. Metcalf has been
engaged in the merchandise business at
Dawson City, Circle City and other
points for three years past and has been
out every summer. He goes in each
year over the Dyea trail, and last
spring he took in twenty tons of freight.
It took him from March 6 to May to
get his freight over the pass with one
man, two horses and eight dogs. From
Lake Linderman to Dawson City he was
fourteen days.
When the Coleman left st. Michaels
there were about twelve men waiting to
come out the steamer Portland, and
another steamer with passengers was
expected down the river before the
time set for the sailing of the Portland.
The men waiting at St. Michaels oil had
from $4,000 to SIS, 900, but no phenom.
email strikes were reported by them
With regard to ascending the Yukon,
Mr.. Metcalf said it takes from twenty
to twenty-five days to go from St. Mi
chaels to Dawson City, and passengers
leaving Seattle later than August 20
will have no chance of reaching Dawson
City this fall. The Lippy claim on
Bonanza Greek, from which gold
amounting to $4,000 was taken, he
said was one of the best developed
claims in the group. Others will doubt.
less prove just as rich when fully devel-
oped.
The first claim located on Bonanza
Greek was named Discovery, and is
recognized by miners as the centre Of
the field, many others being numbered
each way from it. Sixty claims are
cow located above and ninety below
Discovery, IN all fifteen miles being
taken. On Ell Dorado Creek, which
empties into Bonanza, sixty claims are
located, twenty nearest the conjuno-
ton of the creeks being fabulously
rich. From one claim located on
5kookum Gulch, tributary to Bonanza
Creek, N. W. Porters, Of Denver, and
Joseph Goldsmith, of Juneau, took
SIS, 900 in nuggets, ignoring fine gold.
They afterward sold the claim for $25. :
900 cash. They worked only four
weeks. Bear Creek, small tributary
to Klondike, is also remarkably rich
in gold.
B. J. Jones, of Berkeley, Cal, said:
II should say there are about $500
people in Dawson and on the creeks
round about there. This summer only
twenty claims have been worded, and
thus far not large sum of money has
been taken out Most everybody is
getting ready for the winters work,
which will be pushed as vigorously this
year as last.
Gas far as I can estimate the great
wealth of the Klondike is holding out.
Still the amount of gold that will come
down this fall will not be as large az
estimated in some quarters. I should
say that there will be in the neighbor
hood of ITS men down by the Port
land and Excelsior, and very fair
average to each man would not exceed
$4,000. Many Will bring down prac
tically nothing. I would not care t
say what the Alaska Commercial Com
pany has in gold on hand.
"You may say that Circle City il
practically deserted, the people having
all gone to Dawson. The river steam.
ers Alice. Bella and Healy have made
their second trip down the river fol-
the season. They will go down, again
in time to meet the Portland and the
Excelsior, and most Of the miners who
will come out this fall will be aboari
ON their final trip.
Ground to Death by an Electric Car.