The herald., 1897-07-23
RICH MAN,
POOR MAN,
Beggar Man, Thief; Doctor,
Lawyer,
MERCHANT, POLICE CHIEF
WITH DIVERS AND SUNDRY
OTHER MEN
Desert Their Business to Seek Their
Fortunes in the Arctic Gold
Fields
WITH DIVERS AND SUNDRY
OTHER MEN


SEATTLE, July Pat 1857 o'clock
this afternoon the North American
Transportation company's steamer
Portland sailed from Seattle to st. Mi
chaeps, Alaska, from which point her
passengers will be transferred to Yukon
river steamer and carried to the famous
Clondyke gold fields. BY actual count
there were 12S passengers, few of whom
were women 1t can be stated almost
positively that unless something unex-
pected happens, the Portland's passen-
gers will reach Dawson City at the juno
ton of the Yukon and Clondyke rivers,
without experiencing any hardships
worth mentioning. Every person on the
Portland, with the possible exception of
a stowaway or two, has ticket through
to the gold fields, and the transportation
company has given it's word to get them
there as soon as possible
Michael Kelly, one of Seattle's old
timers, who has made big strike out
of the Clondyke. said as the steamer
pulled away from the wharf that "the
gang would reach Dawson City all
right" but he shook his head on the
proposition of their having an easy time
to secure work or good claims.
Among her passengers are several well
known men. Ex- Governor McGraw,
who for many years was president of
the First National Bank of Seattle, Gov
ernor of Washington for the four years
ending January last and later a candi-
n INT ad tat n r.
oeed w. C. Squire, goes to the Clondyke
to seek fortune. Gen. NJ E. Carr form
erly Brigadier-G General of the State mi
litia and whose law practice is the larg-
est in the State, is also passenger. Capt.
A. j. Baliett, at one time Yale's greatest
oarsman and football player, leaves a
handsome law practice to seek gold on
the Yukon.
The departure of the Portland was a
sight worth going miles to see. She was
scheduled to get away at II o'clock, but
owing to one delay and another the time
slipped away until it was almost o'clock
before the last toot of the big whistle
was given and the lines were cast off
and taken aboard. There is always a
last accident. The steamer was just
beginning TO feel the impulse of the
screw when big trunk was hustled
through the crowd. 1t was doubtful if
it could be gotten aboard, and the inter-
est of the crowd in the last act" was
pronounced. Some bet IS that the trunk
would fall into the water and others
that it would go through to Dawson all
right. In the midst of the speculation
some thoughtful one on board showed
a plank to the wharf and in a. second
two big Ion gshoremen grabbed the trunk
and slid it over the water and it was
landed
This being over the crowd paid atten-
tion to the actual departure.
Every point of vantage on the Port
land was taken up and one acquainte ted
with good percentage of the passen-
gers had no trouble in picking out many
representative men. There were poll
ticians, attorneys, merchants, athletes
sports and theatrical people. 1t is an
actual fact that within the next two
months Dawson City will be supplied
with an opera house" and one, if not
two newspapers. Owing to the fact that
newspapers cannot be sent to or from
that far-off place in the mail, the news
papers published there will be small
enough to put in ordinary letter envel-
opes.
There was not much cheering when
the steamer left the dock. Those OH
board waved their hanGkerchiefs held
out their hands and shook them at their
friends. One party of jolly gold hunters
were singing. On the wharf there were
mothers, wives and sisters, SAD at heart.
In many cases tears were flowing. The
sky was almost cloudless and as the
steamer got fairly under way a band
of doves circled near as if to bid her
Godspeed.
H. D. Wheeler and his son-in-law, Ed
M. Culbertson. who went to the Clon-
dyke last spring, have each written let
ters home to their wives. giving some
very important additional news of the.
mines and of the trip. From the letters
it is learned that Thompson, Nanaimo
miner was accidentally shot by COM
panion and row sleeps in a new-made
grave on the Yukon trail. AL Oldts is in
the party ot Mr.. Wheeler and Mr.. Cul-
bertson. Following is part of Mr..
Wheelers letter:
Dawson City, June 3, 1S97.-We ar
rived in this beautiful city consisting of
tents and shacks, the first day of June,
about O'Clock We found everybody
out of grub; sold some bacon for 81 a
pound, butter 81 pound; could have
sold all the provisions we had at the
same rates, but let little go. However.
the boat came in today with a large
amount, so provisions will be somewhat
cheaper The mines are something i'm
mense. Suppose nothing like it was ever
discovered before, Men that were dead
broke count their gold by the fifty and
one hundred thousands Everything Is
taken SO far as heard from.
We have not been here long enough to
decide what we shall go at but will find
something to DO. Wages were SIS day
all winter and men worked all winter.