The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-06
1t Is Near the Headwaters of the
Yukon, and Was Accidentally
Found by n Prospector.
NUGGETS ON TOP OF GROUND
MINING EXPERTS VIEW OF THE
ALASKAN GOLD DIGGINGs.
Where the Yellow Metal Is Found
Work ON the SLaguay Trail now
Progressing Rapidly.

IfoSressinS Rapfdlys
VICTORIA, B. c., Sept. 5-The steamer
Queen, which has arrived here from Ska
gIay, brings the following letter from
Hal Hoffman, a well-known CORE
spondent, under date of Juneau, Aug. 30:
Another fabulously rich strike of gold has
been made close to the mighty Yukon's
headwaters. A new Klondike has been dis
covered in new Ell Dorado, the streams of
which seem to run over beds yellow with
precious metals. The gold seekers bound
for the head creeks of the Stewart river or
for the Klondike neighborhocd will not find
these new discoveries, but those who head
up the swift and beautiful Hootalinqua or
the Pelly rivers and prospect among the
many creeks which compose river head
waters may strike it. A small number of
prospectors went into that particular sec
tion of country early in the summer una
ware of the rich strike that has been made.
They went in the belief that there ought
to be diggings in the country, and there are
only four men Who have been let into the
secret here. They are keeping it quiet and
making extensive preparations to go into
the territory as early next spring as pos
sible. 1t is a little too late to try to get
there this season. The original discoverer,
with a friend. three Indians and pack
horses, dogs, sleds and two years supply
of provisions, went in over the Takon pass
south of here two weeks ago bound for
that place. The new discoveries are about
three hundred miles from Dawson City in
bee line, and probably twice that dis
tance by the water course When the
fc lOt
there will be an exodus from Daw,.
son City, and another rush of excited
people from the thickly populated States.
1t seems that discoveries of rich placer
beds in Alaska and the British Northwest
Territory have only just begun. The thou
sands that have already gone into the in
terror. and the thousands now swarming on
the borderland of gold, will doubtless stum-
bic upon as good gravel as has ever been
washed in pan or sluiee box
The story of the new bonanza bed is told
and vouched for by j. A. Becker, a mining
engineer, and one of the best-known men
in Alaska He has made study of geog-
raphy and topography of the territory. He
is superintendent of the Z. l. and Lucky
Chance mines OF Sitka. Mr.. Becker is said
to oe a conservative man. Last night in
the lobby of the Occidental Hotel he called
me aside and said placidly: There has been
another strike. 1t beats the Klondike. I'm
i'll on it,
Room for any more?" / injured
Plenty" he said. 'I'll not tell you
where it is located. l want to get there
myself before the rush. But will say this
much: Early last spring a trapper and
proSpector named Polk, or Folk, got lost
beyond Lake Teslin He had been in there
all winter and was trying to find his way
out His provisions ran out and he was on
the verge of starvation when he ran across
an Indian. The Indian gave him his bear
out he picked up eleven pounds of gold in
large nuggets. Washed down the creek
with the gravel, the nuggets had caught in
RIFLES near the places where the bedrock
was exposed. The high water having gone
down left the gold exposed along the banks
He noticed peculiar gravel beds, and stoop-
ing down took up handful. 1t was heavy
with gold. The nuggets he brought out
We're picked from several handfuls OF
the edges of the bed. This man came to
Juneau, but never said word TO any one
till no got to Seattle. There he told
friend, who is a merchant. won't give you
his maine, for the reason that l know he
will be bothered to death by people. lie
has been here several days, and went to
Skaguay to-day to take a look at the town
before going home. He is an Old friend of
mine. We are going in together next spring.
/ have already sent to Cook s inlet for efgh-
teen Copper river dogs, the big black ones,
the finest there are in Alaska. They are
81 $50. They Will make three teams. If
there is one of these Alaska tips has caught
me il is this one. ! am going next spring
if / i've"
The others here who know of the new
discovery are Arthur c. Bates, manager Of
the San Francisco house of the Gutta
Percha and Rubber Manufacturing COM
pany of New York who IS here, but VIII
return to San Francisco in a few days, ana
Major Morris Orton, one OF the proprietors
of the Occidental Hotel. Major Orton is an
old Yukon prospector. After nearly twen-
ty years prospecting he made a rich strike
I'm the noted CaSsiar district rev years
ago Major Orton tells that there was a
time in the Cassiar when he patched the
ample portion of his trousers with hour
sacks, but he came out all right In re-
gard to the new FL Dorado he said: Il
have not seen these diggings, but think
they are possible / have never been IN
the country beyond Lake Teslin but have
Cassia. We always believed that there was
gold, and plenty of it, there ana az one
time | did intend to get in there. am
too old now and l must let the young tel-
lows go and find it. ] have no doubt that
there are rich placer deposits in that sec
the place where the eleven pounds OF mug
gets were picked up in few minutes was
that it is between the head Of Lake TeSlin
and the headwaters of the Mackenzie river,
which flows on the farther side OF an ln-
terVening range of mountains. He would
not sav whether the creek Is on the east
or the farther side from the mountain
range. But beyond Lake Tesiin is an ex-
panse of country never prospected, ana
never trodden by the foot of Il white man.
There are old prospectors by the score VINO
have always believed in the richness or this
ground Lake Teslin Is perhaps the largest
of all bodies of water lying in the great
basin between the Coast Range and the
Rocky mountains. 1t is naVigable, and the
Hootalinaua river is navigable. Small
steamboats,. such as ply In the Yukon, can
90 in from St Afichael's to the HootalinQua
a. nf I rty fIGEIIn