The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-22
MILLIONS OF GOLD COMING.
TIE STEAMER EXCELSIOR rs TO
BRING DoWN OYER eS,ooo,oOo.

|
It Is the Years CIean-Up or the Miners RE-
maining on the Tukon = Klondike Gold
Proves OF Less vaIue Than the California
Arueie-very Rich VInda Reported In Alaska.
SAN Francisco. July 21.-when the steamer
Excelsior returns from her next trip to st.
Michael, which will be about Sept. 8, the present
Klondike excitement will DO cast into shade.
From a private letter which was received hero
by the last steamer from Trustworthy sources,
It Is known that the Excelsior will bring down
on her next trip between IS, 600, 900 and &c, ooo,-
600 in gold dust. which win represent the clean.
UP Of all the miners remaining on the Yukon,
who send their money by express.
When this treasure strikes San Francisco the
present excitement will be- mild compared with
tho craze which will then follow.
Tho new diggings are now the only topic here.
Hundreds who have made plans to 20 to the
mines this fall find they cannot get steamer pas
sage to Juneau. From here the steamers are all
full to st. Michael and Juneau, but extra boats
will DO put on at Portland and Seattle for Ju-
neau, and by that route, no doubt, several hun
dred more gold seekers will 60 in should tho
season remain open long enough for them to
cross the Chilkoot Pass.
Three men came in yesterday from tho Yukon
on the steamer Umatilla from Victoria. Two
were miners, who are said to have cleaned up
good fortunes, one at Klondike and the other at
Cooks Inlet The third man was D. Harvey
Patton, a furniture dealer Of this city. who
went up last spring. and was at Klondike
for two weeks recently. He went up one
and q half years ago, leaving his wife
with enough money to last her for u year. He
could get no letters to her. Meanwhile she ran
out Of money, and being too proud TO ask for
aid she nearly starved. She was at the wharf
when the Umatilla came in. and In her weak.
ened condition she fell ~fainting into her hus-
bands arms. The miner took her to q restau.
rant al the first method of restoring her health.
A letter has been received from John Kava-
nagh. q young man from this city, who went up
last year to try his luck. He did little mining,
but made S35 . night playing the violin in dance
houses.
The gold brought hero from the Klondike IL
of a poorer quality than was expected The
difference in favor of California gold 10 from
81 to - per ounce. The returned miners made
this discovery when they deposited their
rold for sale with local refining works. The
returns were much smaller than they ex-
pected and they were greatly surprised. Some
of the late arrivals are holding back and
are not Offering any moro gold, but are retain
ing 1t in expectation OF getting larger returns
from the United States Mint when 1t receives
deposits and resumes coinage on Aug.1 1. But In
this they are likely to be disappointed, for the
local refinery experts are close fgurers and
have always been reliable In such matters.
As explained at the Selby Smelling Works
to-day, the Klondike gold is inferior to gold
from the regular producing districts of Cali.
fornia. Gold from tho Eldorado diggings In
Klondike averages only SIS per ounce. and
that from the Bonanza d~igyings, In the
same region, averages SIT per ounce. The
gold from the regular districts Of Cali
tornia averages from SIS to $40 pei
ounce. Klondike gold contains Q greater per
centage Of silver than California gold. That
from the Bonanza dfGzings averages 121a per
cent. in silver. and that from the Eldorado
digRings averages 25 per cent. Of tho white
metal. Klondike gold. therefore, contains from
l2la to % per cent Of silver, which to-day IL
worth only SOS cents per ounce.
Regular California gold as It comes TO this city
from the mines contains only from 10 to 12i.
per cent. OF silver. There is consequently from
2s to 12la per cent. less silver and from 81 to "a
greater value.
Where the yield amounts to millions of ounces
per annum the difference Is o vast one. It has
been the custom in the Yukon country to accept
gold at the common rate of SIT per ounce In ex
change for supplies. labor, and mining proper
tiea- When the gold Is sold down here 1t br ingl
less money.
A story told by the returned miners from the
Yukon IS that discoveries quite as startling Al
those which are now electrifyingt the world may
shortly be looked for In the territory which bo
longs beyond question to the United States.
In spite of the questions raised as to the prope
location of the boundary line between Alaski
and the British Northwest Territories, Their,
seems no good reason to doubt that the greater
part Of the gold region IL in Queen Victoria
realm. But just as certainly the Minook anC
American Creek mining districts are in Alas
kan territory, and the report now Is that ricI
discoveries have already been made there. Will,
expectation IL nigh among those whose atten
tion has been attracted thither that great now
may be expected at any time.
Two very rich strikes on American and Minool
creeks, Alaska, arc reported, and 1t is believes
that since the last news from these points wa
received much greater developments hav
been made. In fact, it now appears tina
the rich promise Of this region has no
been q secret among the northern Rol'
hunters during tho last few months. but tn
fame of the Klondike region had become sucl
that nearly every one wished to hurry to tina
district. There were some exceptions, however
and now every mail from the north IL expecte'
to bring news which may have the effect o
directing Q great portion OF the rush northwar
TO American rather than British territory.
THE U TO THE KLONDIRE.