The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-01
THEIR ARD0R COOLED.
SWAMP CREEK TRAIL TOO RoUGH
FOR TExDERFEET.
Only n s7aff Percentage of Those
who started Went through to
the Mineral Discoveries Coed
Placer Indications in Streams.

I
bearing quartz In the Swamp creek dis
! trsct Il very similar In small way % that
witnessed IN Seattle when the steamer
5 Portland arrived here from 8. Michael
With her FIRST cargo o. gold from the kaon-
dixie r1sncs- II Is probably q conservative
/ estimate to say that between 300 and &c
persons have started In for the new dis
/ trtet since the first news came cut. or
I this number probably about sixty Sue
( ceedea in reaching the Twin lake camp,
and tnirty-nine the actual location o1 ne
+ new discoveries.
All along the trail on my way into the
/ district I passed other parties. bound on
the same srTand. and the yet srnouideffng
/ camp fires were encountered every two OF
/ three miles aiong the trail. showing where
| other parties had campea. At the latter
1 end OF the trail. hosever. the returning
| tide was met. and about twenty-five per-
sons were passed who had been in, seen
al they wanted, and were On their way
cut The great majority OF those had
+ gone In spent q day or so on the ground
and sfaked out one or more claims on the
mountain tops or sides. as near as they
! could get to the claims already located.
/ and entirely regardless Of the question
whether any ledge was TO be seen within
| the limits Of the claim staked out or not-
ord-Tfmers 60 Forward.
/ From what was seen at The last camps.
| and from conversations had with those
| going out, IL appears that the limit OF time
| spent In the mountains by the average
| man who has gone ia was two days. Tne
| exceptions 10 the rule were the regular
I professional prospectors. who. nhoihS
| everything Immediately IN sight taken mp
shouldered their packs. passed further
! over the mountain ranges to the yet IN
| explored regions, and will remain there
until driven out by the snow, which Is
/ liable to commence falling at any day.
! Late as the season is. some OF these hardy
| and adventurous prospectors may succeed
| IN making some additional discoveries
which viii justify a thorough prospecting
OF the whole mountain region IN tnat
vicinity IN the immediate spring.
A Coed Placer Indication.
one significant discovery was made by
a party which remained in rather longer
than the usual time, which may develop
as Of considerably more Importance than
the original quartz discovery. Messrs
Connolly and watrous. Of Fairhaven. the
latter postmaster OF his town. made
| placer discovery on small creek tribui-
ary to Silica creek. which promises Wen.
With a tin cup and frying pan they
washed out some six or eight good-sized
colors. and Immediately staked out
placer claim OF twenty acres. They
showed me the gold taken out, but fur-
Their stated that the creek was small one'
and that they did not believe there was
ground on which to locate another claim
In the whole creek This discovery IN it.
self However Is sufficient to justify fur
Their prospecting for placers 10 that neigh
borhood as soon as the snow goes out In
the spring or summer
The Rush In and Out.
It was on the way out. however. that a
realization OF the size OF the rush 10 the
new district was had. Al Union CITY,
Twin lake and I.ambert's camp, when
first went in, there were not TO exceed
twenty-five persons all told AS l came
out found q new contingent OF twenty
more al Union City, who had just arrived.
and at the fourteen-miie post there were
ten tents pitched, with parties occupying
them OF from four 10 six. / learned here
that a very large number who had reached
that point had turned back in disgust,
after talking with those who came out
from the mines. Further down the tran
I passed sixteen different men going out.
not one OF whom had succeeded IN gong
beyond the fourteen-Tniie post.
on the other hand. all the way II on the
trail and clear 20 Sumas a steady stream
OF would-be prospectors was passed bound
for the new district. the great majority
With heavily laden pack ponies, a eonsplca-
Gus article IN every equipment being long
IT..
sumed. they intended 20 shovel the goAi
out CT the new quartz lodges when they
were discovered The dlscouraging reports
of those coming out. and the cherries dr4z-
zle of rain which was falling. had no effect
upon their spirits. and they were pressing
hopefully onward TO the alleged new Edo
rado They were OF all ages. from the en-
thusiasuc youth Of IS or 50. whose con
spicuous articles OF equipment were rife
and bristiIns belt OF cartridges, to the
white-halred veteran Of 20 or more
Training for the i<iondike.
one little side Light was thrown upon the
rush BY a remark made 20 me BY more than
ore OF the younger men passed On the road.
This vas:
~ am training for the Klondfke.-
While uttered PECULIARLY. there was
doubtless considerable OF truth in Il. and
many who Joined IN the rush did 50 large
~ 20 test their own capacity for carrying
a pack. climbing mountains and camping
out The trip will ultimately result In
great saving % time, money and hardship
10 some OF these young men. II teaching
them they are hardly qualified TO tackle
the much mere serious problem q the route
to Dawson city.
Cached or Threw Away Outfits.
These coming oat. almost without excsp-
ton. cached or threw away All their out
ci@at food 10 take them back 20 the near
est town Many had gone ia heavily laden
w.sh supplies for weeks. remained but
day or So. ard started out. abandoning all
their provisions All along the FIVE miles
srom faurtesu-mile pest 20 Union City.
E.fle plies OF four and beans are TO be
found scattered through the woods. where
the prospectors had ughtened their packs
ss The grades became too steep or the brush
too thick. and 81 the fourteen-utle post
there are haIf sacks Of -four. pieces of ia
con small sacks - beans etc innumera-
BE. scattered around by the ashes % the
old camp fres and hang up OF trees Tor
the arst pas>sr-hy 20 take.
Toe rush in VAS swift enough bat tie
rush cat r. already fast ard viii become
stampede IS soon as the first snow comes
/ int the mountains. as q IS likely % 80 IN
thsg particular section. within the next few
days. g. indeed. st Is aot already falling
Good TTcid for Next summer.
n ,he latter ua-J c. June ~ July Il
next year tAa Swamp creek distrIct c,fw-t
20 command cousderable attention from
pyospect0rs on tAa strength q IRE dis
coVer.es already uzfe. There are Two o.
tsrea Qusr;z l03ss known theTe! and ;Ae~e
Is siso are plzcer prcspecs winch looks
VI Al enormous guexrlo~ea gttzt-7~s
/ Ttrea-7p - BE taken ic, ana in tAe summer
( tlsae ~ Eoo3 weat1er Rss1rea. and Esx
or sevea weeks ttus }n wuica % vya~Rr
! experiences pros perfcrs HatEat cake Some
discoveries 9esca vl1f1 not 0aly ia o.
great prose 10 themselves. hut STAR a
ulelrz eoom IA t1al section upoa $ SID
feaa1Atloa-
BERIAH BROWN. j.
wHarCoa HIKES THE TRUTH.