The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-09-16

Building Boat on Lake Linderman.
be taken out Of the Klondke district
next winter. All this summer the min
ers have been getting in shape for the
winters work, and mining will be done
on definite and systematic plans. and
claims worked to ther utmost limit.
Last winter the work done was little
more than prospecting. On all the
claims where gold has been found the
owners have made every preparation
for work. Cabins have been built
wood gathered, sluice boxes made and
everything placed in readiness for
start at the first possible moment AS
soon as the ground freezes the mining
and drifting will begin, and continue
without intermission until about May
l. The dit will then be ready to shovel
into the boxes, and when the ice breaks
the sluice boxes will be in operation.
On account Of the remarkably rich
strikes, work was confined almost en-
tirely to Bonanza and El Dorado
creeks, and the pups" entering into
them. Even on these creeks not more
than one-half of these claims were
worked. The Hillside claims along the
Ell Dorado and Bonanza creeks are be-
ing worked for the first time this sum-
mer. They are sluicing up rich. On
one OF them as high as $50 day has
been made without the rockers. Near
ly all the hill claims are located by
men who went in the spring.
hundreds OF miners are looking to-
ward Stewart river, the second longest
branch Of the Yukon, and hundreds of
prospectors will, undoubtedly be on the
banks and bars within few months.
Although the bars or the main river
have been successfully worked for the
past ten years. there has been prac-
tically no prospecting done on the
many important tributaries The first
gold discoveries on the Stewart river
were made in 1885 ON bars within 100
miles from Its mouth. Fully 100 men
were working on the river bars in 1886
with good success. Each succeeding
season the bars have been worked. The
Stewart empties into the Yukon about
seventy miles above or south of the
Klondike and ten miles below the
White river.
M. w. Powers, OF Denver, has come
back from the Yukon after three years
stay, and is one of the lucky ones from
iginal discoverers of America Creek, in
1896. When the Klondike strike was
made the report reached him at his
claim. He went up the river travelling
on the Ice. Finding the district all
that was claimed for it, he returned
to America Creek for his outfit, and on
March was back at Bonanza, where
he and Joe Goldsmith entered into a
partnership In working a claim. The
fourth day after starting work they
struck dust yielding Sc to the pan. He
located other claims on Skokum Gulch,
tributary Of the Bonanza. In forty
two days they cleared up $1,000.
This pay strike was the coarsest gold
found in the district. Prospectors who
had weeks before passed over Skokum
and considered it worthless, soon be-
gan to stampede to it, and every foot OF
ground was quickly located. Powers
and Goldsmith had cleared up $4,000
between March and July l, and both
are now returning, thoroughly satis-
fed with their luck.
M. r. Gowler was a member of a bar
ty of Canadian mounted police, who
went to the Yukon with Captain Con-
stantine in 1895. His term has now ex-
pired and he comes back as half owner
OF claim on Bonanza Creek and in
terests in Ell Dorado and Hunkers
Creeks, and brings with him a good
share of dust. Not much was done on
his claim last winter, not more than
enough to find pay. This winter the
claim will be worked and Gowler ex-
poets to have great cleanup in the
spring. He will spend the winter at
his home in Winnipeg.
"All the members Of our force have
done well" he said. Mr.. Constantine.
our captain, takes an interest in the
welfare OF his men, and when the big
strike was found he made it possible
for all OF us to secure interests in the
district and yet in no way affect or
abridge the efficiency of the force or
interfere with our duty
Among the number who have gone
to klondike Is Miss Bessie Lasserge. of
Tocoma, young lady of nineteen. She
brayed the terrible ordeal of the Jour
ney in the hope of making money
enough to save her mothers home from
being sold to satisfy mortgage. Re-
ports from the gold fields say that Miss,
Lasserge is panning out gold that pays]
from W to Sc a pan. She has several
offers OF marriage, one being from
very wealthy miner who will soon be
millionaire.
- Il. G. CHARLES.