Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-07-22
THE RUSH FOR GOLD.
The Growing Demand For Trans
portation to Alaska.
TALES OF FABULOUS RICHNESS.

| A Thousand Dollars to the Pan Not
an Uncommon Thing in This Land Of
Wealth Preparing For Big Rush
| In the Spring.
San F'raneisco, July 22.-The steam
| ship Umatllla which arrived yesterday
| from Puget Sound ports. brought down
almost 100000 worth of Alaskan gold
of which $186.700 was in gold dust from
| Seattle, consigned to the Wells Fargo
company. There were several other
! shipments of gold In sacks. Some was
! shipped directly from Juneau, and ad-
vices from that place are to the effect
| that at least $750,000 worth of dust was
waiting shipment at various Alaskan
/ stations.
| Among the sensational advices re-
ceived was one from ST. Michaeis to
the effect that over 100000 in gold
! dust, which had not been included with
the fortunes brought here by miners
will be shipped through the Wells
Fargo company other lucky miners
having reached the island since the de-
parture of the Excelsior and Portland
who have secured greater fortunes, in
dividually, than those whose stories
have already been told.
| Although the capacity of the steam
ers Portland, which sailed today for
st. Michaels, and the Excelsior, which
| sails on the 2Sth. is limited to about
| no passengers, over 1000 applications
have been made for berths Most OF
| the disappointed ones are making ar
rangements to travel hence to Tacoma
| by rail and secure passage on the Mex
leo and Topeka, which sail thence next
week, but many must inevitably wait
| until next spring.
| The Alaska Commercial company
yesterday closed it's books of the Elk
celsior. Scores fiocked to the COM
pany's office again yesterday. A
great majority go from San Fran
cisco, but number belong to the in
| terror of the state, which is largely sup
plying recruits for the Yukon.
s. w. Shaw, formerly a we'll known
| insurance man of Seattle has written a
] letter to business man of that city
| in which he states frankly that he does
not expect to be believed This is a
great mining strike" says Shaw, prob
ably the greatest on the American con-
been found in great paying quantities
| except on two creeks covered by about
200 claims. Some of the pay streaks are
nearly all gold. One thousand dollars
| to the pan is not an uncommon thing
| and as high as 100 ounces have been
taken out in q single pan. 1t is not
unusual to see men coming in with all
| the gold dust they can carry. You
would not believe me when l tell you
that went into one cabin and counted
| five five-g gallon oil rans full of gold
| dust, but it is a fact. 1t is the result
| of the work of two men during the
| winter, and the dump is not much more
! than half worked out. There has been
about 100000 in dust taken out so faI
| in the district At a low estimate !
believe there will be $50,OO0.0 900 taken
out during the next year"
/ A Port Townsend, Wash, dispatch
says: Owing to the present rush to
the Klondyke gold fields, and the still
| greater rush which is expected next
spring, the Puget Sound Towboat COM
pany has decided to put steamer on
the Yukon river to carry passengers
/ and freight from st. Michaels to Circle
City and the Klondyke valley. Steam
boat men here estimate that, begin
ming about the first of next April, a
large steamer can leave the sound for
Alaska daily with all the passenger
and freight accommodations crowded.
There are promises of an additional
steamer service between Seattle,
Wash, and st. Michaeis, also a line of
Yukon river steamers. Arrangements
are now being made in Seattle by a
company that is being organized by
local and eastern capitalists. The
| scheme Is to build a seagoing steam
| ship and light draft river steamer
for the business between ST. Michaels
and Dawson City. The company is
organizing on 100000 paid up capt.
tai basis.