The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-08-05
DUMAS OUTRIVALLED.
His Monte Christie Outdone by the
Tales From klondyke.

HE GAZETTE laSL week gave some
editorial comment on the gold in the
Klondyke regions. of Alaska from the
Alaska Miner of July 10th, sent to
this Office by Rev. H. Beer of Juneau,
formerly Of this place. From the same
paper we give statements this week
pertaining to the finds, the panning,
the desertion of one camp for another
and the great human rush for wealth,
for the pace that kills, for extrava-
gance, for dissipation-all leading to
the one path-for death.
1t appears that when the news of
the gold finds in the Klondyke was
first made public last fall miners from
Forty Mile Creek, Circle City and
American Greek focked to the regions
and the population of the former was
reduced from six hundred white men
to 20. Business was at standstill,
the commercial activity of the place
haying been transferred to Dawson,
the new town of the Klondyke.
In locating claims there was no at
tempt made to select the ground. The
first man took No. and the next man
No. and so on until the creek from
where it enters the Klondyke to it's
source in the mountains was taken up.
Then the attention of the newcomers
was directed to Eldorado Creek,
which empties into Bonanza Creek,
few miles from where the latter joins
the Klondyke River.
Here new surprises we're met with.
The first man who located a claim
PANIED out SIS, and staid right where
he was, and now he counts his fortune
by tens of thousands. With him were
others, and one after another the
claims we're laid out until not one re-
NAMED from one end of the creek to
the other. At its upper end there are
two forks, and all the ground from
rim rock to rim rock on both these
forks was likewise located.
Eldorado has proved to be richer
than Bonanza, that is, more gold has
been taken from it. This may be &C.
counted for from the fact that large
number of men who located on Eldor-
ado went to work at once last fall, put
down prospect holes, and after reach
ing bed rock, drifted through the
frozen ground and raised the pay dirt
to the surface. This dump, as it is
called, was washed out this spring and
the results are something marvellous.
A value of 100000 was placed on
the dump of Clarence Berry on the
Eldorado before it was washed out
last fall. Berry, himself, had faith in
it, as will be seen from the fact that
he bought out his two partners inter-
ests in the claim, giving one of them
$4,000 and another $1,000. Then
when the river melted he washed the
gold from the dump and realized
$4,000. The result of this transac-
ton was that he cleared $4,000 for a
few months work in the winter and
yet owns one of the most valuable
mines'in the district. When washing
out the dump it is said that the gold
was recovered at the rate of one ounce
to the shovel. In other words each
man took out seventeen dollars a min
ute as he worked.
Clarence J. Berry is the Barney
Barnato of the Klondyke region. The
story is the strangest kind of ro-
nance. He was a fruit grower at
Fresno and had hard struggle for a
living. He loved Miss Ethel D. Bush,
but could not marry her with nothing
in prospect. Three years ago he
learned of the gold possibilities in
Alaska and with $40 of capital started
out. He had SIS left when he struck
Juneau, and went to work at 500
month, mere trif1e for the times. But
he had the will of Napoleon and the
shoulders of Hercules, and by Dor
rowing bacon and enduring tortures
pushed into the Yukon country. After
year there was slump in that i'm
mediate country and he returned to
California with very little money,
but with deep-rooted impression of
the rich gold further up the Yukon.
He married his sweetheart, who wished
to help him and not clog him, and to-
gether they made the Yukon their
wedding tour. When they finally dis
on, no rkod Of Duoo thov had LITTLE left