The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-19
YOUNG MAN, GO NORTH
RICHES IN THE KLONDYKE TO BE
HAD BY THE BUCKETFUL.
Those Who Returned on the Portland
Carried IL Ton and "A Half
of Gold Nuggets.
UNTOLD MILLIONS In SIGHT
THIRTY THOUSAND MEN PREPARING;
TO MAKE THE JOURNEY.
Provisions for Only 10000 Can BE
Taken North This Season
Pointers on the Best Route

SEATTLE, Wash, July 1S-The news of
the rich gold strikes in the Klordyke fields
of Alaska has created intense excitement
all along the coast and thousands are pre-
pairing to go to the dggings. Seeing this,
the Alaska Commercial Company sounds a
note of warning. The season is drawing to
a close in the gold fields; snow begins to
fall in August, and in September the great
Yukon river will close to navigation. The
Commercial Company owns the only boats
on the Yukon in which supplies can be
taken TO the mining camps, and supplies
can be got in only for 10000 during the re-
mainder of the season. The company esti-
mates that there are now go 900 people on
their way to the gold fields. and warns
those who are thinking of going that if
they go now they win get there, if for
tunate, just at the beginning of winter,
and that in the nine months that must
eiapse before the next season opens there
will be great privaton and even starvation
for many.
Nevertheless, the excitement over the
Klondyke mines is on the increase, and
hundreds of people are preparing to sail for
Alaska. The steamer Portland, which
brought down over $1000,000 in gold is
ready for here return trip, and will be
crowded to her utmost capacity Conserv-
ative men who have been in the country
claim that there is room for hundreds of
men more in Alaska. They admit that all
of the fields in the vicinity Of KIondyke
have been taken, but every river in Alaska
is, in their Judgment filled with gold, which
can be secured if the men are willing to
risk the hardships Gold in boxes, gold in
bags gold in blankets, fine gold and coarse
gold, gold nuggets and gold dust, the yell
low treasure of the KIondyke diggings.
which came in yesterday from the north.
has set the people wild. ton and a half
of gold was part of the load of the steam
er Portland that arrived from st. Michaers.
Alaska, and with the 1900 pounds of gold
there were the several owners, sixty-eight
in number, some with $1,000, some with
$l0,C0O some with $4,000, few with $lG0 900
and over, but all with gold.
With the product of their work for a sea-
son in the new "diggings," the richest in
surface gold ever discovered, these miners
made the long voyage from Dawson City.
the new golden town, 1856 miles down the
Yukon to ST MichaePs, and a ST. MichaeTs
boarded the Portland with their treasure
bound for homeland and intent upon chang
ing their dust and their nuggests into the
"
voyage the gold was stored in the captains
Stateroom. The little safe in the corner
was packed full of bags of gold, and the
remainder, that the safe could not hold, was
placed in three boxes
SIGHT FOR SORE EYES.
When the steamer came to this port the
miners put their bags on their shoulders
and walked down the gang plank in the
presence of a vast throng of Seattle people,
assembled to see the great pile Of treasure
from the rich fields of the far north. A
miner with only $1,000 in his bag easily car
ried his fortune. Twenty thousand dollars
in two bags is good load for any .stalwart
man, no matter if he has worked where the
mercury falls to 90 degrees below zero. Two
men used all their strength in carrying a
strapped blanket in which was about 500 1000.
The few with the big fortunes, 100000 and
over had to hire help TO get their precious
possessions TO sale place OF storage in
Seattle.
The greater part of the ton and a half of
gold was taken from the ground during
three winter months Last fall some green
strangers tenderfeet," fresh from the
comforts of civilization, We're so absurd as
to give no heed to the advice of old miners.
The pioneers of the Yukon mines, the men
VINO know circle city ana Forty Mile creek
ana all the surrounding country, said that
there was no use looking for gold 'over
yonder ON the Klondyke" The foolish
strangers went "OVer yOnder on the Klon-
dyke During the fall the news reached
the older diggings OF the amazing dis
coveries of gold by these absurd tourists
from the south, and from all the country
round about came the rush to Klondyke.
When gold is waiting to be lifted out of
lhe ground cold is not to be considered.
During the dark winter days the tempera-
ture 80 or 40 degrees below zero, the quest
for dust and nuggests was pursued contin-
ually. The product of the work of some of
these winter miners, defiar of the cold, is
shown in the treasure brought to the
United States by the Portland and the Ex-
celsior
The greatest fortune gained by any of
the company of miners is the Honeymoon
treasure of Clarence Berry, of Fresno. Cal.
He brought $l35, ,00V in dust and nuggets. In
1880 young Berry went to the Yukon cOun-
try, and for several years he prospected
along Forty Mile creek and other plater
turned to California, married and took his
bride with him to the north. Instead of
remaining in Alaska he went over the
boundary line into British possessions, and
on the Klondyke he struck the richest
pocket that was discovered. He said that
the principal part of his $l3500O came from
teen feet long and twelve feet wide In one
length he found a pocket of $4,000. In an
other length was a nugget weighing thir-
teen ounces next to the largest found in the
diggings. Mr.. Berry deemed his fortune
sufficient for the present and is taking his
bride to his home in Fresno, where in the
July temperature of 10 above, she may find
compensation for the IS below of January
on the Yukon.
FOOLISH STRANGER.
One OF the foolish strangers who gave
no consideration to the advice of the old
miners is Frank Physcator. Last autumn
he went from Borada, Mich, to Alaska, and
thence to Klondyke. He was one OF the
first to discover gold in the fabulously rich
placers Of the new Eldorado. He employed
nine men and in three months time took
out from two claims $96,027. He still owns
the claims, but having nearly 100000 made
in less than twelve months, he deems HIM
self entitled to trip to Michigan.
The miners who came on the steamer re-
peat the advice given by the men who went
TO San Francisco on the Excelsior They
say that no man should enter the Yukon
country without supplies for a year. The
necessary outfit costs at least 5000. ANY
man who starts on the perilous trip without
full suffering and even death. 1t is de-
clared that there Is no danger of food Civ
ing out The North American Transporta-
ton and Trading Company VIII not allow
a man take any food north on the Portland
but IL win guarantee to furnish him food
for q year at less than $500. He can secure
such a guarantee before leaving this city
SO that starvation viii not be one of the diff
ficulties to stare men in the face.
MRS r.. A. Gage, wife of the secretary
of treasury. Lyman Gage, came down on
the Portland. She went north on il and
view: The country is enormously rich. The
present gold diggings are only q very small