The record-union., 1897-07-18

DCA e1oO- IOSpGClS dS nlSh 1S Ff ~
the pan were found early in the fall.
Many of the old miners from Forty
Mile went there and would not stake,
saying the willows did not lean the
right way and the water did not taste
right; that it was moose pasture, 1T
being wide and fiat. Both creeks were
staked principally by 'Chee Chacoes
(new men in the country, and as early
as they could get provisions about 2oO
men went there and commenced pros
pecting, by sinking holes to the depth
of from nine to twenty feet, doing so by
burning down, as the ground was froz
en- solid to bedrock.
November 23d a man by the name Of
Louis Rhodes located on No. y, above
Bonanza, and got as high as $50 30 TO
the pan. This was the first big pan of
any Importance, and the news spread
up and down the creek like wildfire.
This news reached Circle City, 800
miles further down the Yukon River,
but nobody would believe it. Soon af
ter large pans were found on both the
Bonanza and FL Dorado, and each
creek was trying to outrival the other,
until a man by the name of Clarence
Berry got 500 to the pan. From that
time on the Ell Dorado held a high
position. Many claims from the
mouth up for distance of three miles
got large pans, until they reached as
high as $3.50.
About March II, 1897, I reached the
diggings from Circle City, having
hauled my sled the whole distance
without a dog. The Importance of the
new strike had become too significant
to be overlooked, and about 300 men
from Circle City undertook the jour
ney in midwinter. Such an exodus was
never known before in the history of
the Yukon, but not a man lost his life,
although several had their faces and
toes nipped at times. Even some of
the most resOlute women made the
journey in safety. Fancy prices were
paid for dogs by those able to purchase.
and as high as S119 and even 5000
were paid for good dogs. Almost any
kind Of a dog was worth $50 and SO
each.
when I first reached the new camp
I was invited by the butcher bays
Murph Thorp of Juneau and George
Stewart, from Stuck Valley, Wash-to
81 OONA III lIlClL SIldIl anu plGh a pan
of dirt as they had just struck a rich
streak. To my surprise it was
$2S3 30. In fourteen pans of dirt they
took out 81. $50 right in the bottom of
the shaft, which was four by eight feet.
March Goth, Clarence Berry took out
over $500 to the pan. Jimmy McLain
took out over 5000 to the pan, and Frank
Phiscater took out S135 to the pan.
Four boys from Nanaimo took as high
as S125 to the pan They were the first
men to get a hole down to bedrock on
the FL Dorado, and got good pay. They
had No. II and -. In fact, big pans
were being taken out on nearly every
claim on the creek, until one and two
hundred dollar pans We're common.
April 18th Clarence Berry took in one
pan 80 ounces. S493, and in two DAYS
panned out over 81 200
April 14th we heard that some BOYS
on No 3 FL Dorado had struck it rich
,and taken $500 in one pan. This was the
banner pan of the creek, and Charles
Myers, who had the ground on a lay,
told me that if he wanted to pick the
dirt he could have taken 100 ounces just
as easy. Jimmy McLain took out
pecting the dirt Clarence Berry and
his partner, Anton Strander, panned out
about the same amount in the same
manner. Mrs. Berry used to go down to
the dumps every day to get dirt and
carry to the shanty and pan it herself
She scraped up over $4,000 taken out
in that manner.
''Mr. Lippy from Seattle, has rich
claim, and his wife has a sack of mug
gets alone of $4,000 that she has picked
up on the dumps.
When the dumps were washed in the
spring the dirt paid better than was ex-
pected. Four boys on q lay in Ell
Dorado took out $40, 600 in four months.
Frank Phiscater who owned the ground
and had some men hired, cleaned UP
S!4,OO0 for the winter. Mr.. Lippy, so
am told, has cleared up $54 900 Louis
| Ehoades No. p Bonanza, has cleaned
UP 100000. Clarence Berry and Anton
Strander have cleaned up $4,000 for
the winter.
Enclosed are the names of some of the
| boys who are going out on the boat, with
the approximate amounts: Ben Walter.
Swede.. Tacoma, $4,000; William Carl
@NAi ANCdOs dCOilid, sND,ODO, W1IIldn
Sloan English, Nanaimo, $50. 900: John
Wilkerson, English. Nanaimo 1000;
Jim Clemens, American, California.
S50,000; Frank Keller, American. Cali
fornia. $50, 900; Sam Collej. Icelander.
SD 600; Stewart and Hollenshead. Cali
! fCrnia (boys), SO 900; Charles Myers
ard partner Arizona boys. S22 900:
Johnny Marks, English $40 900; Alex.
Ore. English, S10.G00 Fred Price.
American. Seattle, So 900: Fred Latis-
ceure, Frenchman. $4,000: Tim Boil.
American, S31 900: William Hayes. Irish
American. $4,000; Neil Macarthur.
Scotch. $4,000; Charles Anderson.
Swede. $4,000; Joe Norris Canadian.
81, 900; Hank Peterson Swede. 81. 900.
There are great many more going out
with from $1,000 to $4,000 that do not
know
This is probably the richest placer
ever known in the world They took it
cut so fast and so much of it that they
did not have to weigh it with gold
| scales They took steel yards. and all
| the syrup cans were filed
| 1t looks as if my time would come
about the time I am ready to die. One
man received word that his wife and
little girl had died since he came here
and he is now going out with S25. 900
Another man was waiting for the boat
to go home and died of heart disease.
having in his possession ST., 900 Things
stranger than fiction happen here very
day. Yours truly,
ARTHUR PERRY"
ADVICE TO GOLD SEEKERS.
/ SAN FRANCISCO I,1lrr L. rnrnnh