The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-22


and the young man came to this coast
IN search of the golden treasure. He
found it not, and some months ago left
with Edmond MERCER and Joseph E.
Boucher for the Alaskan gold fields.
Before he left he told VIM. McArdle of
this city that he was going solely for
the purpose of getting enough money
to marry Antoinette, and that if he
failed he would never come back. But
he made the money, and when he goes
back to Beauharnois he will be able to
knock the hopes of that magistrate in
to a cooked hat.
Among the passengers on the Port
land that arrived here last week were
the three Frenchmen. MERCER has
$4,000, Boucher has $4,000 and Ber-
seyin, the hero of the story, 500, 900 at
least. In addition to all this they have
yet several claims on the Clondyke
which are being cared for.
GOLD FEVER AT TACOMA.
TACOMA, July 21.-The Clondyke
excitement here has reached a stage
when every able-bodied man in the city
is making efforts to find means to get
into the gold wonderland. The sight of
sacksful of nuggets and yellow dust
brought down from the Clondyke by
men who a year ago were penniless is
what has created the rush Quitting
establishments here are crowded with
business; in fact cannot handle the or
orders that pour in for campers outfits.
There is a veritable boom in rough,
heavy clothing, and one house has sold
out to the last article, its stock of such
goods as wooden underwear, heavy can
vas clothing, etc.
To-day the news spread about the
city that the st. Paul and Tacoma Mill
Company had voluntarily raised its
schedule of wages to prevent it's en-
ployes leaving for the gold fields In
uiry showed that this had not actually
been done, but that it was expected to
become necessary within a few days.
The Alaska fleet sailing from this
port is, of course, in no wise able to
care for the business that has suddenly
grown to such enormous proportions,
and every idle craft in this part of the
Sound fit TO make the run to the far
north is being hurriedly fitted out,
either to carry freight or passengers,
or both. Not a day passes but that
some one who when last seen was with
out the price of meal shows up among
his old friends with small fortune in
gold dust
John Simpson, who for several years
past has worked on the front as a long
shoreman, is back among his friends.
lavishly spending his quickly earned
wealth. He brought out $4,000 and
was out of civilization less than nine
months. He returned on the boat pre-
ceding the Portland, and had been in
California for a few days prior to re-
turning here.
A strange feature of the excitement
is that it is not confined to any one
class, and that all kinds and conditions
of people are getting outfits to carry
north. Bankers and real estate men are
to be counted among those who have
engaged passage on outgoing boats.
Purchasing Agent Paine of the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company said to-day
that the steamers Al XII and
Mexico will carry not less than 1,500
people on their next trips. Anyone
who cannot get passage on the next
trip of the boats are engaging places
as far ahead as August 2Sth, in order
10 De sure vi SeltiIISs IIllo lllS gnu llClNiS.
All accommodations on the steamer
Queen, which Will sail for Alaska to-
morrow, and the steamer Mexico, which
will sail for Alaska Sunday, have been
sold. BY this is meant every foot of
space on the vessel The decks, both
under cover and unprotected, will be
made into temporary sleeping quarters,
and the harder of the Adventures are
only too glad to get this chance to
spread their blankets rather than not
get away.
A letter received here from John and
Mrs Wentzell, well-known former Ia
comans, states that a dollar in the
Clondyke is easier to get than
copper in this city. That their
party was averaging $40 a day to each
man, four of them, when they decided
to- leave those claims for the C1ondyl<e,
and since their arrival, like all others,
struck it rich.
GOLDEN STORIES DISCREDITED.
TOLEDO (O), July 2-Mr. and Mrs.
Claus Hellman of Defiance have just
received a letter from their son Fred,
who has been in Alaska since last
March, that discredits the golden sto-
RES that nave OCCl CANlbll4So NAiN POSRA~
of the West for several weeks.
Mr.. Hellman went to Alaska from
Montana, last March under contract as
a prospector. A number OF men were
in the party, and they will all return to
Montana this north. Holman says
there is absolutely no truth III the fabu-
lous stories that come from Alaska, and
that the gold fields there are practical
Nv barren. He says there is a great
scarcity of food in that section. The
suffering there and the enormous sum
of money necessary to be paid to Sc
cure the barest necessities of life, ne
saws. should deter any thinking man
from giving the subject of trip to
that country a second thought.
DAYS OF FORTy-NINE IN THE
SHADE.
NEW YORK, July 81. - One of the
most significant utterances in corrob-
Grafton of the story of the immense
gold fields in the Northwestern Terri
tory is found in a letter received in this
city to-day from Captain Francis Tut
tie. commander of the revenue cutter
Bear. who was at the time of writing
at St Michaels on the Yukon River.
The letter was mailed July 1st. Captain
futile says:
s1rhe days of the '49's in California
arc mere sideshows compared with the
excitement in the Yukon country AS
I write ST Michaels is full of miners
awaiting an opportunity to get down to
Puget Sound and to California Nearly
every man of them has $4,000 worth
of dust and there is not q man here
with less than $4,000. The latter are
referred to as poor fellows"