The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-30

ker creeks that will probably be worked
this winter: An average OF eight me men to
are employed, and there are five thousand
or more seeking work, what must be the
result2 Wages must go down. / am told
that much grub has gone over the divide,
yet, from what / know, l would wager my
last dollar that not to exceed five hundred
tons of supplies. over and above what the
carriers eat, will reach the diggings. No
man going in can arrive with more than
four months supply.
NO WAY TO SEND RELIEF.
Il am also told that there is plenty at
st. Miehaels. So there may be, but after
Sept. Is it might as well be in New York
city, for to try to transport it by dog train
or sled over 1000 miles Of icy river is abso-
lutely impossible There is not, nor will
there ever he a dog train that can take
enough in to feed itself over 1,200 miles.
Relief is therefore impossible Over the di-
vide in the winter would be quite as diff
hcult. To draw provisions for the trip from
Dyed 10 Dawson any time before the spring
breaks up is an impOSSibility. Relief for
thoSe caught in the hlondike after winter
sets IN Is equally impossible and, in the
name OF humanity, L ask that stop be
put to this wholesale transportation of peo-
pie without supplies. Let no man be al
lowed 20 enter that region unless he car
rieS with him enough food and clothing to
last him year. There are women and lit
tie children in there to-day who should be
sent out as far as st. Michael'S before naVi-
cation closes l hear much of the boats
that are building to go up the river, but
aside from one steamer ready on Aug. IL
no new boat can be added to the carrying
crop this fall The Klondike is a land of ice
and snow, as well as a land of gold. Let
1t not be made land of gaunt hunger,
WretchedneSS and death. Let no one be al
lowed to WreSt from the foolish people a
few thousand saved, borrowed or begged
dollars. There Will be as good chances for
mining in the future now. Let the peO-
pie wait. This is not a Cripple Creek or
DeadwOod proposition. If caught, they can
not walk out"
While the small amount of gold brought
from the Yukon by the Portland was a dis
appointment to many, the miners who re-
turned unite in saying that the country
is fabulously rich. The claims which have
been worked promise well and in fact many
of them give assurance of proving very
rich. All estimates of the amount of gold
which will be taken out of the Yukon next
year must necessarily be very rough,
there is no means of determining how much
work will be done. If men could be secured
to work the claims already located there
undoubtedly would be many millions of dol
lars taken out, but the most of the men
who go there prefer to prospect their
own account, Notwithstanding the fact that
high wages can be had wherever claims
have been located. Statements have been
made that the Portland on her next trip
will bring fully 81 0O0 900 in gold, but the
most reliable men from Dawson City say
that no such amount of money will come,
as it has not been taken out of the ground.
One miner who came down places the out
Bonanza creeks, where the richest strikes
have been made, have been staked for many
miles, but desirable claims are scarce and
the prospectorS are beginning to scatter
out.
Most of the rich strikes were made at
Bonanza and Eldorado. Hundreds of min
erS left paying claims and rushed to the
new diggingS, many of them struck it rich,
while others secured nothing and either
returned to their old claims or went pros
pecting anew. John f. Miller, eX-district
attorney of Seattle, writes to a friend of his
from Dawson City, under date of July 3,
as follows:
ONLY TWO "PAY" CREEKS.
'There is an enormous amount of wealth
in this country, gold by the thousand and
millions but it is just as hard to acquire
it here as elsewhere. Eldorado and Bon
anza creeks are the richest Of all in this
locality and in fact are so far practically
the only diggings of great value and I
can say that one might just as we'll try to
get in on Wall street in New York city.
He could do so with no more money than
here. Men on these creeks value their
claims at enormous figures, from one, two
and three hundred thousand dollars and
even higher. The amount taken out last
winter may justify such valuations, but of
course there are no purchasers you can
inform anybody and everybody intending 70
come here that If they expect to find gold
scattered around at random or get some
thing for nothing, they will be disappointed
While it is true that the gold deposits in
the locality were found almost accidentally
1t is not encouragement to note the fact
that it is the first accident of the kind in
thirty years searching. New dige1ngs
TIME q9u0aaS to e Ba %he3 &SS9VeaGS and whero 5S@
the sages cannot tell. One in
this country is quite a creature CT crcum-
stances. II he chance to be within reach
of a discovery he may stand a show of
obtaining a claim, but should he be some
distance away he stands no chance what
hgNv an tcfq do
two and staked a claim. but the chances
are there Is nothing in it, Some have an
idea that they will go out and find some
thing. If they should stop to think that
every creek, gulch and recess has been
proSpeCted years ago by experienced min
ers, their enthusiasm must lessen. All the
gold in the country is from twelve to fifty
feet under ground, and frozen ground, too,
so you see the free and wandering avoca-
tion of the prospectors is not an easy task.
IT takes two or three weeks of the hardest
labor to sink one or two holes on a creek.
II is not like other countries where gold is
on the surface. Here surface indications
count for nothing and all prosepctors' rules
are worthless. One creek may be rich while
another in the immediate vicinity and much
more inviting may be absolutely worthless.
OF all creeks, Eldorado and Bonanza are
the most uninviting, low and marshy, COW
cred with willows and all kinds or under
growth, but there it was found lying like
grains of corn awaiting the eyes of man.
Indeed, I may be pardoned for again re-
peating that people who come here should
come rich a thousand remain poor. My adj
vice is if any one comes bring at least a
years provisions and enough money to pay
passage back home. 1t is no place for a
man to attempt to play gentleman. Every
one works hard, the hardest of his life
Don't let tho reports of the great amount Of
gold going out turn your head; it all came
from the creeks above named and the own
ers of the claims realize their position too
we'll to let it go for a song"
THE ESTIMATED VALUE.
The returning miners say that the re-
markably rich claims in the Eldorado
creek will number 140. Mr.. Ogilvie esti-
mates that at the rate these 14O claims are
now producing and considering ground yet
to be worked in the next three years will
aggregate about 500 0O0,0 00O To this must be
added the favorable possibilities of new
guches and the development of claims al
ready found, but not opened 50 as to per-
nit of greater production. There have been
other rich strikes on Stuart river, Hunker
Henderson and Indian creeks. but none of
these is as rich as claims on Eldorado and
Bonanza creeks.
Until the wonderful discoveries Of KIon-
dixie were made ground worth 10 cents to the
pan, with one out of three pay dirt, were
considered very good for the Yukon and
miners made fair money with rockers and
SluiceS. This year miners are passing en-
tirely over ground of this richness in their
search for sand and gravel that will paw
to date none of the claims show any signs
of exhaustion and scarcely a dozen are
more than we'll opened. Every one has large
areas of ground to be worked He says il