Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-08-19

point Chapple and [ started. When
we reached Dawson City there were
only two log cabins there. We put up
cabin, II by Is, ana 6 feet high in
which we hoped to spend the winter.
After We had built our cabin we started
out to locate and did so fifty miles dis
tant on the Bonanza and Hunker
gulches, where we each took two claims.
We agreed to 20 halves in any finds
either made and we are still in partner
ship.
MADE BIG MONEY.
after locating our claims, which was
in the month of October, 1896, we did
no work until February, 1897, when We
began to work on shares and put in
Just ffty-three days work before l
started for home June 19last. We both
made big money"
Mr.. Gray modestly stated that he be-
lieved that his partner and himself were
as we'll located in the Klondyke gold
field as any one there. He will 60 back
in the early spring prepared to work
their claims for all there is in them.
When Mr.. Gray left home for Alaska
he weighed lI9 pounds. He was %
years of age. He comes back Weighing
142 and says his health was never bet
ter.
As to the climate the coldest weather
they had last winter was y below and
the average winter weather WAS about
40 below. Gray says that lie lived in a
small tent all winter and did not lose a
days work. He wore heavy under
clothing and thick woolen shirts, and
was out of doors half the time when at
work Instead of boots and shoes the
miners wrap their feet in heavy stock
ings and pieces of blankets two feet
square. In the summer rubber boots
are used. The mosquitoes and gnats
were very bad and great trial to the
miners.
OFTEN OBLIGED TO GO HUNGRY.
He corroborates the stories as to lack
of food and says that many times he
and his partner were short of food for
several days at time. He says while
in Alaska he suffered less hardship han
he did while on hunting expedition
in Northern Wisconsin the winter be-
fore leaving for Alaska. He advises no
one to attempt to make the trip to the
Klondyke gold fields until next spring
for it is impossible to make it. He also
advises those who 60 to so well provided
with food, and money enough to last
them one year at least.
OF course the leading question asked
about the twin cities is, Chow much
did Gray really bring home ?" And
this is question which the young man
does not seem in hurry to disclose
publicly. From what he said in his in
terview Sunday afternoon, however, we
would understand that he left the Klon-
dyke with about $50, 900 worth of gold
dust and nuggets, part of this being
entrusted with him by other miners for
safe delivery III the United States. We
also understood that snug sum was ex-
pended to send back supplies for year
to his partner, and money was left with
the transportation company for his
father and brother. When he left
Alaska it is indicated he had something
less than $4,000 of his own treasure
Mr.. Gray says that all accounts in the
large daily papers, especially those from
San Francisco and the coast, are exag-
gerated.
Whatever amount our young citizen
brought with him, he has certainly done
well, and all friends are glad to congrat-
ulate him upon the good fortune He
has still the promise of big 'strikes'' in
the claims now held by Chapple &
Gray.
He will remain with his mother here
until November, when he will move to
California and spend the winter there
SO as to be ready to return to the Klon-
| dyke in the early spring.
From the Chicago Daily News of Mon
day we clip the following interview held
with him. He says:
':The cold, though Intense, is not SO
bad as in Chicago or other places in this
latitude. The air is perfectly dry and
there is little snow and no rain in the
interior. | saw rain in Chicago Satur-
day morning for the first time since
! last September [ have never been
sick day in Alaska and | saw all the
hardships possible. We nearly starved
last winter. Toward spring before the
new supplies arrived there was practi-
cally nothing left in camp but navy
beans and 200 men lived several weeks
on these with little pop corn, which
we ground into -four in small coffee
mills and managed to make into a sub
stitute for corn meal.
''The transportation companies, which
have monopoly Of the food supply,
have literally robbed the miners, if high
prices can be called by such a hard
name The Chicago firms are not so
bad as the San Francisco people. We
paid $l.2O a pound for -four. Five
pounds of lard cost S13 and all other
prices were in proportion. Fresh meat
cost 81 pound. We paid s1.50 for d
cup of coffee and sandwich up to the
time we left there for home.
every man going i'll should take pro-
| visions with him as 4 measure of econ