The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-10-30
THE KL0NDIKE'S RICHES.
WEALTH OF THE COUNTRY SAID TO
BE BEYOND ALL REALIZATION

| "A
n ""'''e'1 Quantities to Make Va
""es- heal King Of the Kloudik
Il know absolutely from the T.,
ports OF expert prospectors, whom "
.. nave had out for five years, that man
Oh the streams of Alaska are as rich i
| gold as the Klondike, and not tn,
alone, but there is untold wealth ther
IN coal, copper and iron." This DEF
laratlon was made with positivenes
and enthusiasm at the Holland Hons
by F. B. Weare of Chicago, ill.,,
gram trader second in prominence
only to P. D. Armour. Mr. Weare !
mere to purchase six steamships. O
2o0o tons burden each, to form
weekly line next season between Sc
attic and the mouth of the Yuko1
river, i'll Alaska, Of which the Klon
dixie is branch. These boats will b,
added to the feet Of the North Ameri
can Transportation and Trading com
pany, of which Mr.. Weare and Mi
chael and John Cudahy are the heads
and which owns the much talked
about steamboat Portland.
This rush to the gold fields is nc
short-lived craze" added Mr.. Weare.
I'm my opinion the possibilities in
that region are beyond realization. ]
am not speaking of the Klondike
alone. [ believe that the develop
ment just begun there will show that
Alaska, which this country has owned
for thirty years and never even ex-
plored thoroughly, is the richest spot
in the world.
In speaking of the gold discoveries
IN the Northwestand the existing con-
ditions and possibilities, Mr.. Weare
said he desired at the outset to give
credit through the Herald to the real
king of the Klondike, the man who
first brought out the news of the gold
deposits there. This man, Mr.. Weare
said, was Captain John Healy, who,
when q boy of II years, ran away
from this city to join Walkers Mica
ragua tilibusters. He drifted to Utah,
Joined the United States army, and
later became hunter and trader with
the Blackfeet Indians in what is now
the Northwest territory. His partner
was Senator T. G. Power of Montana,
and their headquarters was Fort Ben
ton, Montana.
There in 1859 Mr.. Weare, then an
Indian trader on the Upper Missouri,
met Healy, and a friendship was
formed, which increased with years.
Mr.. Weare located at length in Chi
cage, where in 1892 Captain Healy
broke in upon him. The visitor was
fresh from Klondike. He had been
with the Indians when they found
gold in the valley, and instantly real
lzing the richness of the discovery,
and thinking of his old friend, had
fastened to him with the news. Mi
chael Cudahy was called in, and to
him was repeated the story of the
wealth of the Klondike.
This hurried journey of Captain
Healy from the wild Northwest to Chi
'ago resulted in the formation of the
rading company, and few weeks
ater found Mr.. Weare at the mouth
If the Yukon experimenting the put
ing together of the steamboat Weare.
Work was pushed upon her for four
months, and on the night Of Sept. II,
1892, the vessel was launched, the
irst on the stream.
The growth of the country from
hat time is shown by this statement
f Mr.. Weare: Two hundred tons of
and miners supplies were
arried into the territory the next few
ears. This last season more than
en- thousand tons have been trans
orted there.
On her next trip the Portland will
AIRY two steamboats, and their ma
hinery, which will be put together
uring the winter ready for river work
l the spring. They will be the
[ealy and the Cudahy, and will make
On boats on the Yukon.
But it is not gold alone Of which the
adler speaks enthusiastically. He
ees great riches in the iron and cop
er and coal in Alaska, with it's excel
mt water facilities for getting the
roducts from mines to market. He
redicts that in a short time Alaska
i'll be alive with these industries, all
rosperous.
His company is already starting to
inc coal in Alaska. It took in the
achinery last June, and cattle to
'aw the coal from the mines, for Mr..
care declares that live stock can be
inferred in Alaska with perfect ease.
he thick growth of tundra, he de- ]
ares, is excellent fodder, and being
most as nutritious dry as green, can
} cut and stored in large quantities s
carry over horses and cattle. 8
In my belief there is no danger of !
ercrowding the gold country" said
r. Weare. ''There is gold every
1ere up there and work for all who