The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-07
GIRL WINS IN ALASKA.
Clara Wilson Discovers Mine Of
WcnIth Near circle city.


From the Chicago Record.
Clara Wilson, whose home is In Den
yer, Col, and who went to little min
ing camp south of Circle City, Alaska,
wear and a half ago to serve as cook for
a number of miners, passed through the
city yesterday en- route for her old home.
Miss Wilson does not have to wash
dishes for a living now, neither is she one
of the deserted ones in the presence of 9TH
err women She is not handsome young
woman as personal appearance goes, but
she is now the poSSessor of that when
makes her the loadstone where eligible
young men are present and would afford
her an opportunity of taking her pick In
ordinary company. In other words, the
dishwasher, Clara Wilson, returns to the
United States the multi millionairess, Miss
Wilson, and all through her own EFFORTS
Miss Wilson was educated in the public
schools in Scranton, Pa, but her parents
moved to the western country before she
had an opportunity to get above the
grammar grades. At that time her father
had considerable means, but he exhausted
it in an endeSxor to locate gold in Colo
RADIO and California. Miss Wilson was 10
years old when her father died and at
once determined to make her own way in
the world. she went TO Seattle anu louHi
employment as domestic on a steamer
bound for Alaska. She found her way to
Circle City and became the cook and gen.
eral housemaid for number of miners.
Miss Wilson was not satisfied with this
kind of a life. She had had some expert
ence in mining while accompanying her
father on his pilgrimages, and she cross
ed lots in Alaska on her own account
The result was that she located a copper
mine, which is now being worked, and
which is said to be panning out as pro-
ILLEGALLY as any of the gold mines that are
making the Klondike fields famous. Miss
Wilson had no sooner staked her claim
than her possession was disputed by a
number of men, but besides mining she
had learned from her father how to use
rifle and revolver, and for days she sat
the sole guardian of her claim.
Her possession was finally recognized
and several OF the men who disputed her
right of occupancy are now working with
or for her, and it is estimated that she is
not worth less than 100000. The young
woman said yesterday:
Il was in Chicago five years ago after
my father died. Then 1 was a common
place restaurant waiter or dishwasher and
no one cared for me. Now ] am worth per-
haps 81, 900 900 in money, and am being con
stantly followed by young men of good
families who would be glad to take wife.
/ might as well say now IHdL L am not
marrying at this time. l do not know
when | shall go back TO Alaska. / may
never go back, for | don't mind saying
that / have had an abundance of the kind
of living they have in that country My
mother and / can live now wherever we
see fit. and / want to tell you that we shall
not have our rooms facing in alleys, as We
have been compelled to since father died.
1.-THE copper mine in which I am the
principal owner was all my own find. The
funniest part is that 1 found it less than
a quarter of a mile from where we We're
making our headquarters There were in
dications that others had discovered the
presence of copper ahead of me, but the
gold fever must have had full possession
of them because they passed it over. 1
secretly prospected my find for a month
before any one else found it out, and then
three men claimed prior ownership. Then
1 had to make personal defense, and this
! did. ] never had to fire a shot, but
would have done so without hesitancy.
mo; | would not advise any young wo-
man to go to that country who has not
has some experience with miners or who
is not prepared to defend herself and un-
dergo the severest hardships. In that
country representation is truly thS first
law of nature. Men forget all their chiv-
airy. and although women are scarce they
are not curiosities and do not seem to
awaken any special interest among men.
Alaska miners are not sentimental. They
are looking for riches and they dc not care
how thew get them"