The Somerset reporter., 1897-09-30
sol0n Men In Kl0ndike.

up to a greater or less extent over the
rich gold diggings of the Klondike few
people In the State have been aware
that three young men from Maine, three
brothers, are at work In these, the rich
est placer mines the world has ever
seen.
In the village of Scion resides Mr.. j.
S. Wilson with his family, In modest
story and half house, where he carries
on the business OF farming. Three of
his sons, not satisfied with the outlook
for remunerative employment In their
native place, and having something OF
the spirit OF adventure, boldly pushed
out into the world, went to the Pacific
coast and the Yukon gold mining
regions.
Sidney j. Wilson, the oldest of the
three, now being 81 years Of age, left
home ten years ago when he reached his
majority, and went to Gardiner, Oregon,
where he was employed for two years.
While there rumors and reports OF the
abundance of gold in the Yukon region
were flying fast and eight years ago he
with Is others started fron. Oregon for
the great river going by the Chilkoot
pass route. They secured the services
of man named Doherty to pilot them
but he sprained his ankle on the pass
and went back, the men making their
way down the river the best they could
in small parties. Sidney, then but %
years of age, went TO Forty Mile Creek,
the center of mining operations on the
Yukon. 1t Is located 40 miles below the
klondike, tributary of the main river,
and although called creek it Is as long
and as large as the Kennebec, being 200
miles 10 length. Although not much
more than a boy, he became one OF the
pioneers among the gold seekers of the
Yukon there being but 20 men engaged
In gold mining there at the time. Sidney
remained at Forty Mile Creek for four
years engaged in mining, when he
changed his location to Circle City which
is 200 miles below the Klondike, his dig
gings being at Birch Creek In the yicin-
ity of Circle City.
Two hundred and fifty houses were
erected &C the city the year he went
there. Last winter he was interested in
six different claims in the Circle City
region employing nine men to work
them. Last July, having closed up his
operations at that point, he moved up
the river to the famed Klondike fields
where he Is now at work. Two winters
of the eight, the young man spent 10 the
States, one In San Francisco and the
other at Gardiner. Oregon.
The other two brothers, Perley Il.
and Floyd departed for the Yukon three
years ago last February, going straight
through TO Forty Mile Creek. They ex-
pected to meet their brother Sidney at
Seattle but he WAS at Juneau where they
found him. Purchasing large stock of
goods, consisting of guns, ammunition,
bedding and provisions, they proceeded
to transport it over the pass and down
the Yukon, portion being for sale to
the miners and the remainder for their
own use. The whole stock weighed
$500 pounds which they packed over the
pass by piecemeal, sledging over the
lakes and down the river two hundred
miles where Sidney had boats, the rest
of the trip being made by water. They
started from Juneau, March 10th, and
arrived at Forty Mile Creek, June oath,
having been over three months In max
ing the trip. Sidney's load In climbing
a mountain was 100 pounds and the
other boys soon were able to carry an
equal weight. When the two boys start
ed from home, their grandmother, who
ia now dead, put some Tallman sweeting
apples In their trunk and a few of them
went clear through to the Yukon.
Perley staid a year at Forty Mile
Creek and then went to Circle City,
which is very near the Arctic circle
where he remained until last February in
which month he sledged up the river to
the Klondike and took up claim which
he was working at last accounts. For a
time while at Circle City, he owned a
dog team Of six dogs for which he paid
$500. After using them while he sold
the dogs out.
Floyd, the Youngest Of the three
brothers, being "a years of age, two years
younger than Perley, has remained at
Forty Mile Creek all the time until last
July when he went to klondike to work
his claim which he had located previous
ly.
Thus the brothers are all delving for
gold being located on the Klondike river
where the richest strikes have been
made. They are hardy, rugged young
men, Injured to the hsrdships and frigid
temperatures of the Yukon. Sidney
weighs 100 pounds; Perley, 2l4, and
Floyd, 100. They know the region thor
oughly, are skilled miners and the Scion
people sincerely hope they may return
home wealthy men. Their father says
they have not written much about what
success they have met with and he has
not asked them. Letters have come reg
ularly. The last one was written at
klondike August 18th, reaching Scion on
Monday Of last week, just a month and
three days from the time it started. All
the other letters have been over two
months in coming and some three. 1t
was from Floyd. In 1t he wrote: "This
Is the richest placer camp ever struck on
this continent. IL had come up here
last fall would be rich man today. |
think 1t is the best opening l ever ex-
pect to GET He advises those who con-
template going to Klondike net to start
until March and take the Chilkoot pass
route over which his brother has travelled
three times. Sidney wrote that the dirt
at Klondike averaged pound OF gold, or
about $3.50 to the pan. Seven hundred
and fifty dollars had been taken out at a
pan.
The boys have sent home several sam
Piles of Yukon gold which they dug. One
nugget which was exhibited to the Com
mercial correspondent In form resembled
smallish cud of gum, being three times
as long as it was wide and fiattened. 1t
was Just as dug from the Alaskan soil
and had the yellow lustre OF pure gold.
The boys also sent each of their two
sisters heavy band gold ring made at
Juneau of gold which they had mined.
They are as handsome articles OF jewelry
as can be purchased In any of the shops
| In Maipa