News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1897-09-15
THE KLoNDIKE GOLD FIELDS.

The days OF 40 are ecllpsed and
forever put in the shade. No longer
can California boast of her old time
boom as being a unique epoch in
history. The late happenings in the
Klondike district of Alaska read
more like fairy tale than an actual
fact, but fact that have been proven,
nevertheless, as most of the miners
are from the State of Washington
and have their families and friends in
Seattle and neighboring towns, and
have brought with them thousands
of dollars in gold dust and nuggets
to back up their assertions.
Bsfore proceeding further we shall
give brief sketch of the country and
the way to get there, but we must
all, having little or no capital let the
country severely alone, as the follow
ing details will show why our advice
should be closely followed.
THE TERRITORY OF ALASKA,
as everybody knows, was acquired
by purchase by the government of
the United States from Russia for the
sum of $7,000,O00. That the pur-
chase was wise one, will be seen be-
fore the casual reader leaves this
article. 1t lies on the western side of
British Columbia, being bounded by
the Atlantic Ocean, Behring Strait
and the Arctic Ocean on all other
sides, and quite a slice of it lies within
the Arctic Circle.
THE YUKON RIVER.
This magnificent river is the great
drainage channel of the country and
is larger than the Mississippi, and
can be navigated by large steamers
for 2, 300 miles without a break. 1t
abounds in fish, and is noted for it's
superior quality of salmon. AS one
proceeds up the river there will be
seen Indian villages and small settle
ments, inhabited by traders, mission
aries and Indians, all of which is of
interest to the traveller in new. and
until lately, little-known territory.
The first two or three hundred miles
is through low, fat country, after
which the mountains commence and
nowhere on the American continent
can more magnificent scenery be seen.
At old Fort Yukon, which is within
the Arctic Circle, you will behold a
strange and novel sight of seeing the
sun all the "a hours in the months of
June and July.
Circle City, on the Yukon river and
also on the Arctic Circle, contains
some 1000 inhabitants; 240 miles
further up we find the mouth of the
famous Forty Mile Greek, and little
further up the Klondike and Bonanza
creeks, from which the great nuggets
have been taken.
HISTORY OF THE FIND.
The first discovery of gold on the
Klondike was made in the middle OF
August, 1896, by George Cormack.
He made known the find at Forty
Mile and went back with some In
dams and took out $4,000. The
creek was soon staked from one end
to the other. On Nov. % man by
the name of Rhodes got $95 to the
pan on claim on the Bonanza. This
was the first pan of any Importance.
The news reached Circle City, and no
one would believe it. Then a man
on Edorado Creek got 500 to the
pan and from that time on Eldorado
held a high position; many claims
for three miles up got large pans,
until they reached as high as $3.50
to the pan. Then Circle City buckled
on and 300 men undertook the Jour
ney, got safely throuh, though
several had their faces and toes
nipped by the severe cold. Fancy
prices were paid for dogs, and any
"yaller" specimen was worth $50.
One man in April took out 80 ounces
in one pan, or about $495.
The following miners have made
clean-ups and come down to Seattle
to dispose of their dust and nuggets,
and opposite the name will be found
the Approximate amount of the find {: