Evening journal., 1897-08-30
THE GOLD STEAMERS
Tho Portland Arrives at Seattle,
Wash.
STORIES OF SOME RICH CLAIMS.
1t Is Estimated That the Finds In the
Kiondike Will Aggregate SG0,-
100000 In the Next
Three Years

Seattle. Wash. Aug S0.-The steamer
Portland arrived here yesterday morn
ing at o'clock. 1t was IA hours after
;he Portland was sighted of Cape Flat
cry before she arrived here. The Port
land carried lS miners. each Of whom
brought only a small part of his stake.
The total amount of dust on the vessel
is perhaps $4,000. The Portland was
delayed by the failure of the Z. II.
Weare to arrive at st. Michaels and by
q storm on the north Pacific ocean. The
miners on board. with the amount OF
their total mining profits, part Of which
was brought with them. are as follows.
J. Rowans. $4,000; Jim Bell $4,000;
Joe Goldsmith. $4,000; n. w. Powers,
s35O0O; w. w. Caldwell. $4,000 W.
Oler, $50 600: c. X. lilly, $25 .000; l.. w.
Cobb, S25 600; w. Zahn, $4,000: A. Buck
ey, $40. 600; NJ. S. Lansing. $4,000; b. w
Farnham, $4,000, and NJ II. Camler
$4,000.
The returning miners say that the
remarkably rich claims on El Dorado
creek viii number 40.
1t is estimated that at the rate these
claims are now producing and consid-
ering ground yet to be worked the
next three years win produce about
! 500 .00O GEO. To this must be added the
waverng possibilities Of new gulches
and the development of claims already
! found but not opened so as to permit
4 greatest production. There have been
| other rich strikes. on Stewart river
/ Hunler, Henderson and Indian creeks,
but none Of these is as rich as claims on
| I'll Dorado and Bonanza creeks.
Until the wonderful discoveries of the
| Klondike were made, ground worth 10
cents to pan with or two or three feet
OF pay dirt was considered very good
for the Yukon. and miners made fair
money with rockers and sluices. This
year miners are passing entirely over
ground Of this richness in their search
FOR sand and gravel that viii lay like
that Of the Klondike discoveries.
Up to date none of the claims show
any signs Of exhaustion, and scarcely 0
dozen are more than well opened Every
one has large areas Of ground to be
worked. 1t is said It Is impossible e
make anything like an accurate esti
mate of the probable yield Of the mines
The ground is not at all even in rich
ness, and the width Of pay strcaks va
ries greatly.
Last Trip of the Season.
The most important news frsm ST
Michaels is that the Yukon river steam
ers left there two weeks ago for thei
last trip up the Yukon. II was not Ger
tain they would reach Dawson this fall
n which event passengers who left tn
sound on the steamer Portland as earl
as July p would only reach Circle Cit
before navigation closed.
This makes IT certain that hundred
OF miners who have left the sound an
California since Aug. l for ST. Michael
Will have to winter there. At least the
can scarcely get started up the Yuko
before the river freezes over solid. A
vessels touching at ST. Michaels thi
summer have had great difficulty keep
ing their crews. who have caught tn
gold fever very soon after arriving.
one schooner from Victoria was en-
tirely deserted. and her crew, from car
tain to cook. started uD the river ia
Klondike The CREW of the schooner
M. Coleman endeavored to desert alsI
but the attempt was discovered in tim
/, and by the display Of firearms the me
were compelled to remain on duty. I'll
/ mates Of the schooners Jewett and Cole
man and the carpenter of the Sander
were piped off at ST. Michaels and dc
parted at once for Dawson. Every We:
sci from ST. Michaels has come ava
short handed. The Portland lost sever.
OF her crew, but was able TO obtain ne
men by paying high wages.