The San Francisco call., 1897-09-11

II don't know. but it's chape, whativir
it isl
The majority Of the people who came in
yesterday on the Cleveland were the
stranded passengers OF the Weare They
have been just forty-six days on the way
from Dawson. having started from there
on the 26th of July.
The trip was pleasant and uneventful.
At Dutch Harbor several queer crafts
were sighted all headed for ST. Michael,
among them the Politofsky, which was
condemned years ago, they say, and the
Merwin. When the Cleveland entered
the slip this afternoon crowd Of Seattle's
best citizens jammed the docks and every
available fence and roof eminence and
almost fought to pass the gates. The ex-
citement was intense.
What are they waiting for?" queried
one of the ladies aboard.
"Just sight OF the boxes containing
the gold" answered a man, but there was
no great amount of gold aboard, some
thing over $3.50, ,000 Most OF the men were
some who went up in the spring to see
what they could get The oldest miner
on the Cleveland was Fritz Kloke, who
dured every hardship and worked hard
enough to kill hundred men, has suf-
fered scurvy. gone hungry and cold. To
be sure, fortune has favored him at last,
but not to the extent OF others. He has
but $S000. The miners will not tell
what they have. as general thing for
former men have been so ridicued at the
mines because their piles have been so
overestimated.
The Berrys for instance, had not half
what they were credited with, and the
wild reports current when the Portland
came in with the party have been the
source of considerable amusement at
Klondike.
The fact remains, however, that Alaska
is a country rich beyond belief. There is
scarcely gulch or creek that does not
bear color from one end of it to another,
but with present facilities for transporta-
tion nothing under two ounces a shovel
pays to work. 1t will not pay grub and
expenses Why, sluice-lum Der anywhere
back from the river. with freight added,
costs from $500 to $500 thousand.
a man can do nothing by himself, and
he has to pay wages from SIS to $40 day,
so wages are not to be 6espised; but a man
cannot be hired unless he has his outfit
and he cannot be sure of getting one up
the river. nor having it carried i. he buys
it down here. Many people who are at
St. Michael and can 60 no farther this
winter would do well to prospect there
abouts, where there is much quartz and
some which promises well. Fritz Kloke,
the experienced miner before spoken of, is
particularly interested in quartz, and has
a number Of specimens with him to be
assayed at Denver-part from his own
Mines some from others.
At Golovln Bay is a silver, lead, etc.,
mine, in which friend OF his was inter-
ested. They dug through between 80 and
100 feet of frozen ground. From ell re.
ports there is gold across Norton Sound.
The trouble with many of the men is,
however, that they have no idea of the
herdships to be endured. In talking with
them 1 was astonished 10 find that they
even had no idea of the great distances.
and thought that nu gets were picked up
along the Yukon River instead of being
dug for deep in the ground back in the
mountains, to be reached only by frightful
trails, knee deep in mud and moss and all
but impossible.
But gold is there. everywhere. have
nugget that came from 26, Bonanza
1t is shaped like small key. 1t is pure
gold / have bent it double and back
without breaking it. Upon one claim at
Klondike they work very little, because
they can't do anything with the gold
when they get it out; but wnen they want
thousand dollars they simply go out
and get it. Rothschild has repres ,nta-
tive at Dawson, but 80 far he has obtained
nothing.
The end of August the biggest nugget
ever found in the Yukon was picked up
al 36, Ell Dorado, and is coming on the
Excelsior with the man who picked it
up-a man named Knutson. 1t IS worth
$583 25, and is as big as your hand, wedge
or hatchet-shaped and seemingly pure
gold No wonder people, despite the
difficulties. the dangers and the hard ships,
brave Alaska. PALMER HENDERSON.