The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-29
Romance OF The
NeW Gold Fields
From the Chicago Times-Herald.

Clarence j. Berry is the Barney Barna-
to of the Klondike. He took $780, 900 from
the top dirt of one of his claims in five
months. He kept it all but $220 which
he paid to his miners. He did not have
to give his wife even so much as pin
money. She had a pan of her own. She
would occasionally get time from her
sewing and mending to drop around to
the DUNN. She sifted out $4,000 or so in
her spaIe moments. This was her amuse-
ment in the strangest years honeymoon
that is recorded. The two started fifteen
months ago as bride and groom. She was
the devoted sweetheart of a poor Fresno
farmer. They have returned to San Fran
cisco with all kinds of gold dust, mug
gets and coin. They have millions in
sight, and behind the millions is a pretty
romance.
Berry was a fruit raiser in the southern
part of California. He did not have any
money. There was no particular prospect
that he would ever have any. He saw a
life of hard plodding for a bare living.
There was no opportunity at home for
getting ahead and, like other men of the
far west, he only dreamed of the day
when he would make strike and get his
million. This was three years ago. There
had then come down from the frozen
lands of Alaska wonderful stories of re-
wards for men brave enough to run
fierce ride with death from starvation
and cold. He had nothing to lose and all
to gain. He concluded to face the dan
gers. His capital was $40. He proposed
to risk it all-not very much to him now
but a mighty sight three years ago. 1t
took all but s. to get him to Juneau. he
had two big arms the physique of a giant
and the courage of an explorer. Present
ing all these as his only colaterals, he
managed to squeeze a loan of $50 from a
man who was afraid to 80 with him, but
was willing to risk a little in return for
a promise to pay back the advance at a
fabulous rate of interest.
Juneau was alive with men three years
ago who had heard from the Indians the
yarns of gold without limit. The Indians
brought samples of the rock and sand and
did well in trading them. A party of
forty men banded to go back with the
Indians. Berry was one of the forty.
Each had an outfit-a years mess of
frozen meat and furs. II was early spring
when this first batch of prospectors start
ed out over the mountains and the snow
was as deep as the cuts in the sides of
the hills. The natives packed the stuff
| TO the top of the Chilcoot Pass. 1t was
life and death every day. The men were
| left one by one along the cliffs.
The timid turned back. The whole out
| fit of supplies went down in Lake Ben
| nett. The forty men had dwindled to
| three-Berry and two others. The others
| chose to make the return trip for more
| food. Berry wanted gold. He borrowed
| a chunk of bacon and pushed on. He
| reached Forty Mile Creek within a
| month. There was not a cent in his
| pocket. The single chance for him was
| work with those more prosperous. His
| pay was 500 a month. 1t was not enough
| and, looking for better pay, he drifted
l fnn Of fha a1pl,V h.
always keeping his shrewd eye open for
| a chance to fix claim of his own.
| There was q slump in the prospects of
| the district and he concluded to go back
| to the world. The slump was not the
only reason. There was young woman
| back in Fresno who had promised to be
his wife. Berry came from the hidden
world without injury and Miss Ethel ID.
Bush kept her pledge. They were mar
| ried.
Berry told his bride about the possibil-
| tiles of Alaska. She was a girl Of the
mountains. She said she had not married
him to be a drawback, but a companion.
| If he intended or wanted to go back TO
| the Eldorado, she proposed to go with
| him. She reasoned that he would do bet
ter to have her at his side His pictures
OF the dangers and the hardships had no
effect upon her. IL was her duty to face
as much as he was willing to face. They
both decided It was worth the try-suc-
cess at a bound rather than years OF
common toll. Berry declared he knew
exactly where he could find fortune
Mrs. Berry convinced him that she would
be worth more to him in his venture than
any man that ever lived. Furthermore
the trip would be a bridal tour which
would certainly be new and far from the
beaten tracks of signing lovers.
Mr., and Mrs. Berry reached Juneau fif,