Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-27

the Alaska Commercial Company has
in gold on hand.
"At one time gold was so plentiful
at Dawson people did not know what
to do with it. The trading company's
safes were filed and the stuff was pack
ed away in saloons and in any place
the miners could find. But most OF
the. gold was taken out when the
clean-ups were completed last spring.
Since then there has not been such
a large amount of gold coming out IS
the wet season does not permit OF
excaveting. This coming winter there
will be about six hundred claims in ac-
tive operation. They will nearly all
do well, according to present indica-
tons, and next winter the output will
be proportionately as large as last, al
though there will not be as many very
rich strikes. The bench claims are
turning out well, much better, in fact,
than was expected The upper end Of
some Of the creeks that are rich at the
mouth range from Is to 20 cents to
the pan.
CAS- to supplies, I believe there will
be fully 1850 tons taken up on the
river boats owned by the trading COM
panies. Only about half of this, how
ever, represents provisions; the other
being supplies. Last year ice began TO
run in the Yukon as early as Septem-
Der %, and if the river begins to run
this early this year, many of the boats
now going up and intended for the
Klondike will not get through until
next year. I believe the Indian river
and its tributaries will prove valuable
diggings next winter.
you may say that Circle City is
practically deserted, the people hay
ing all gone to Dawson. Tho river
steamers Alice, Bella and Healy have
made their second trip down the river
for the season. They will be down
again in time to meet the Portland
and the Excelsior, and most Of the
miners who will come out this fall will
be aboard on their final trip"
Close upon 100000 in dust had
gone down on river steamers, others
intending to take the steamer Port
land at st. Michaels. Gold passed at
SIT an ounce at Dawson City. Shelp
gives a list of juneau who struck it
rich. They are Dick Law, S12O,O00; J.
Smith, $4,000; Oscar Ashby and w.
Leak refused 100000 for their claim;
Joe Brant, $4,000; Cornelius Edwards,
$4,000; A. Whipple, $4,000; Harry
Ash, who left on the last boat for San
Francisco, 100000, and an old man,
who a few months ago was cutting
wood around Juneau, 100000.
About a dozen men who went north
within the last few weeks intending
to go to the mines came back on the
Topeka and say that many will follow
them. The trail from Skaguay is
blocked. On the Dyea trail packers
are charging 40 cents a pound. This is
OF course prohibitory as far as a poor
man is concerned. All are unanimous
in saying that rncu opnaoS 90
outfits over before winter closes. in, and
that snow is already beginning to fall
on the summit, the first furry having
come down last week. Men are sell
ing their outfits for what they can get
for them. There are now 5000 men az
Skaguay and Dyea and along the trails
and not one out of ten of these men
will get their outfits to the lake. Two
surveys have been sent out to try ana
find a better route for the Skaguay
trail. and if they succeed men promise
to go to work on it. The old trail is
practically impossible. Pack horses
are unable to pack more than 100
pounds over it. In sone places men
have to use both hands and feet to get
over the rocks and can carry very lit
tie.