The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-30
BACK FROM KLONDIKE.

William Kolju, Finlander, Struck Pay
 Dirt When Near Starvation.
 Sioux Falls, s. D., July 29.-William Kolju, a Finlander arrived home yes- terday after an absence of eighteen months bringing with him $17,000 in gold nuggets from the Klondike coun- try Tn February he was on the verge Of starvation and had no money to buy food A short time after this his for tune brightened.- He struck pay dirt and began taking it out and packing his sluice boxes. This required ardu- ous labor, as pay ground lay in bed rock. beneath several feet of solid ice and frozen sand. The only way to get it out was to build immense fires and thaw the dirt, after which 1t could be shovelled.
 In May the water came in torrents Kolju began sluicing his dirt and met with success. He at once set to work to clean up as much of his dirt as pos sble, and took out a little more then $17,000 in gold dust, which he brought home. He sold his claim for $20, 0O0
 Kolju says that there is much gold in the country, but that the percentage of men who get it Is no greater than 1t Is in the average mining camp. Some of the oldest settlers are poorer than when they went there, although they work untiringly. All of the pay dirt lies on bed rock, beneath the beds of streams, and the only time 1t can be reached is in the winter while the water Is frozen In summer 1t cannot be reached because of the water.
 The weather is terribly severe, and for over a month the sun never shines there. The earth Is frozen to an un- known depth, and although the weather becomes very warm in summer, the ground never thaws to a depth of more than fourteen to eighteen inches.
 Two trading companies, Kolju says, have monopoly in the matter of sup plying the inhabitants with clothing and provisions, under a charter from the Canadian government, and all other dealers are excluded. A man is not even permitted to take his own supplies with him, the two trading companies compelling him to buy of them.
 Springfield, O., July 29.-Some of the Alaska gold has just been received in this city. Joseph Fitzgerald of 191 East Mound street, who left here last spring for Alaska, has written a letter to his
 
 that had been taken from the famous Klondike Basin. Letters have just been received from Thomas O'Brien of this city and William Berg of Clifton. All of them confirm the stories of the won- derfully rich finds on the Klondike. Fitzgerald in his letter says that he was wrecked and that he reached Daw- son City after 8 dangerous voyage. Continuing he writes.
 ''Tt is no use talking, this camp is the greatest gold field ever found. They are just taking the dust out by hand fuls. There has been as high as s1,600 in enc pan where in Colorado s8O was very big pan. There are men taking out as nigh as ST minuts. There is more gold here than ever known before in the world. They pay s10 day up here. Up at the diggings they pay s15. It never gets dark here In summer. There is no money here, ali gold dust There are several saloons in camp do- ing great business. Whiskey is fifty cents a drink. There are several big gambling houses where there are thou sands in gold on the table always.
 "Everythins Is running in full blast all the time, as there is no night It is a wonderful sight to see some of the miners come down rom the diggingS staggering under the weight of sacks of gold weighing from 100 to 300 pounds There is so much gold her that they are packing it in whisi1ey barrels. They are locating diggings every little while that are paying just as well There are hundreds of men tha came in here in the last year with nothing and will go out as soon as the steam ship comes worth from s50.000 to s900- COG"
 O'Brien and Berg give practically the same information.