The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-24
GOLD HUNTERS
FROM WILMINGTON.
Several Will Start In few Days for the
New Elcorado.
HOW TO GET THERE QUICKLY
Necessary Requisites are rIoney and
Health, but There are Some WHO
want TO go Without Either.

Althoug., the 1000 miles between VIII
mington and The klondyke gold iields act
as deterrent to the average atTentursr,
there are more men in Wilmington
and vicinity who will take the trip and
many other discussing ways and means Of
getting there. The last men who have
finally determined to go are Frank w
Graef Of Clayn0nt and who is j. Edward
Addick's private secretary here. Mr..
Graeff Is an officer of the Yukon. Coriboo,
British Columbia Gold Mining Develop
ment Company of which j. Edward Al
dicks Is president and Charles H. kittin.
ger, secretary. Street and sewer Director
Pratt Is the second man. He goes to as
sist in surveying the railroad through tho
country.
He has about completed hi, preparations
Along with him may 60 Godfrey r. Handy
a son of Senator Handy of Brandywine
Hundred, Should Mr. Handy go he and
Mr. Graelf will meet y. !. Packard, who
day and sail from that port on August Q.
Mr.. Packard goes to the klondykc for the
purpose of experimenting the building Of
the railroad for tho Yukon Mining, Trad
ing and Transportation Company. Mr..
Graetf and the others who will go
will bG absent for about two years. Mr..
Packard says he had applications from
men in all walks of life, Including phys-
clans, who are anxious to go with him in
q professional capacity. Many, who have
applied are men Of means and one is In
business OH Market street.
Mon who arc without the necessary cap.
itAl arc already seeking capitalists, who
will grub stake" them on the chance of
getting a fortune out of it. But there is
one Wilmington man who could not be
grub stascd'' there day. 1te is James
NcIlheney OF No. ll2t Chestnut street vino
was soldier at Fort Wrangle in 1S1i75,
and therefore knows the. hardships OF tho
country, and speaks in anything but Gn
encouraging term about the new Eldor
ado. In the winter Mr.. McIlheney says
the mercury falls to as low as CD degrees
below zero. Shows, mountains and plans
make the spot about tho most desolato one
in tho world.
In tho two summer months Mr.. Nc.
1heney says mosquitoes, gnats and other
insects are unbearable. They are his
reasons for not wanting to return to tho
Land of the Midnight Sun. Another man
in speaking of tho craze said that Alaska
is no place for consumptivoS or pie eaters
but for men with strong constitutions and
plenty Of grit there Is u great chance Of
winning fortune.
For tho benefit Of those who have be.
seiged the railroad companies for ths past
week to learn more about tho country AMI
the mines; how long it takes to yet out
there and the costs the following informa.
tion Is g.Gen.
The k.onGyke river Is u comparatively
small stream, flowing southwardly and
cmptyipg into the Yukon abouG sixty or
seventy miles oass Of the Alaskan bound.
ary. The whole course of tha klondika
(or Deer river) lies in British territory.
The town of Dawson has sprung up at its
mouth.
Gold has been found in tho gravel beds
of other streams which empty into the
Yukon on the Alaskan side of the bound.
ary, and within 100 or 200 miles thereof;
but the moro extensive recent discoveries
arc further up the Yukon. The healwuters
Of that mighty river are derived from sub.
stantially the same mountains in which
rise the Eraser and Columbia. once noted
for their rich p!acers. The most valuable
quartz mines of Alaska are in the vicinity
Of juneau, only few hundred miles south
of tho klondike.
One of the tributaries Of that stream is
Bonanza creek, which discharges Into the
klondiko about three miles above the lat.
ter's mouth Tho E!dorado, now cello
brated for its rich deposits. is branch Of
Bonanza creek. In what Is known as the
Bonanza district fully 500 claims have
been 5taked out Hunter creek is another
tributary Of the Klondike and has given
its name to Il district in which 200 mora
claims havo beer staked out
Vessels are taken at San Francisco or
Port Townsend and the voyage is thus
made to St Mchae!s. This island is loo
miles from tho Yukon delta, and runs up
the river Us faru Fort Se!kirk. Count. |
ing from ST Michael Fort. Yukon is re.
ported to be l,35J miles up tho stream,
Circle Ciiy 100, Forty Mile 1890. Sixty |
Mile l,60l. and Fort Selkirk 2,0?j miles.
As Dawson is about half way between
Forty Mile and Sixty Mile, it is lSj0 miles
from St MiChaels, and fully 100 miles |.
from tho mouth of tho Yukon river
The overland mail rout9 from juneau to
Fort Yukon reaches up through he noun
tain passes of tho St. Elias range, and so
through British territory, by WHY Of Fort
Seikirk. BY this route. the di taDc9 to
Dawson IS between 60 and C7j miles, |
which requires three days travelling