The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-08
TONS OF GOLD.
Steamer Excelsior is Coming
Freighted With Millions.
This Winters KlOndike Output
Estimated at so Tons.
GOOD FOR S25O,OOO,OOO.
Returned Miners Say the Region
Will Produce That Amount.
Six Thousand Men in the Mines
About Dawson City.
TWO OUNCES PER PAN
Is No Uncommon Thing on the
Ell Dorado Claim.
A Missouri Man Who Will Take
Out 100000.
Steamer Weare Has Been On a
Sandbar 90 Days.
Six Thousand Men in the Mines
. About Dawson City.
TWO OUNCES PER PAN
Is No Uncommon Thing on the
Ell Dorado Claim.
A Missouri Man Who Will Take
Out $1,OOO,OOO.
Steamer Weare Has Been On a
Sandbar 90 Days.

Eureka, Cal, Sept S.-The news by
the steamer National City, from ST.
MichaeIs, corrohorates all that has been
said of the prospects of short rations in
the gold diggings of the upper river
during the winter. The steamer, which
connected with the river steamer ]. j.
Healy at the mouth of the river, brought
three passengers.
One of these is J. A. Ralston of PA
McCallister street. He says there is
gold and lots of it in the Klondike, but
it is generally still in the ground. 1t
is believed that the claims now located
could turn out so tons this winter if the
scarcity of food did not prevent full
operation. He gives a rough guess that
the Klondike is good for $25O,0OO,OOO be-
fore petering out.
Six thousand men in the mines about
Dawson City is theseStimate of RalSton,
who came down on the National City
with F. E. Leonard of Nanaimo, B. c.
The supply of the neceSSarieS of life to
feed these men, he says, is totally in
sufficient. In fact he estimates that
the stores will be exhausted before the
winter is half over, when the famine
will be on in earnest, and especially as
the number of men in the country will
be greatly augmented by the later ar
rivals over the passes. There is whisky
beer and all kinds of liquor in profusion,
he says. but their places could have
been better filed on the. steamers with
flour.
RaIston says that one of the best
claims on the Ell Dorado is the property
of James Hall of Missouri. 1t will turn
out a least 81, ,OOOO 900. Claim No. II on
the Ell Dorado is also very rich. 1t is
no uncommon thing to take out two
ounces to the pan from any part of
the claim. What wealth is COM
ing on by the steamer Excelsior cannot
be estimated. Those of the passengers
of the Healy who came to St Michaels
were very reticent as to their store of
dust.
With the exception of Ralston and his
companions, all the passengers of the
That vessel left ST. Michaels the night
of August 26. with eighty passengers.
She was put into Unalaska for coal and
Captain Anderson of the National City
is of the opinion that she should arrive
in San Francisco today.
When the National City left st.
Michaels the steamer Cleveland was
taking on ballast and expected to sail
for sound ports on August 80 Many
of the passengers who had tickets for
the Cleveland took passage on the Ex-
celsior. On the way down the river
from Dawson City, which place the
steamer Healy left August IA, the
steamer Weare was found hard and fast
on bar. She was passed on the 18th.
being about 1,200 miles from the mouth
of the river The boat had been on the
bar for twenty days and the Healy laid
alongside, took off her pa SsengerS and
some of the freight. and then proceeded
boat hard and fast aground, with small
chances of getting off before the river
closes
E. o. Leonard says that the weare
had on board $50 passengers and about
81, 500. 900 in treasure. This was trans
ferred to the Healy and taken to st.
Michaels. considerable amount of
this will arrive in San Francisco on the
Excelsior. When asked why he re-
turned, Leonard said: Il found L had
to get out or starve. There are about
1000 men in Dawson and not more than
a-third of them have work. If you
have not q stock of grub, you cannot
get work at any price. had provisions
for three months and no one wanted me.
/ had not enough to work my own claim
until spring, so I sold my stock at a
good figure and will wait until spring.
Jim Dunsmuir, the Ell Dorado king. has
had $50 900 worth of provisions ordered
to obtain more than fifth of the goods,
even with the cash put up in advance.
Those coming out. however, did not
bring a ii their clean-upS with Them
Leonard recites numerous instances of
men who had cleaned up $50, 900 to $780,
600. but had taken away barely a third
of that. The men say they made moth
ing except as wages a SIS day for a
month or so.
F. Lamb of Portland, is authority for
the statement that over so men have
already died of ScurVy this summer
In regard to discoveries on Stewart
river, Ralston says that there were
many rumors of rich strikes, but up to
the time he left Dawson. nothing def
mite had been received The National
City made the trip in eleven days from
st. Michaels; Alaska. where she left 65
eager gold seekers. 1t is very doubtful
whether any of the passengers. who
went up on the National City, will get
through this year. The small boat,
which some of the passengers had ta-
ken up on the deck of the steamer has
proved a disappointment. Her ma
chinery has gone wrong and she draws
too much water. There is enough pro-
visions in the party however to winter
it out. and proceed up the river, when
spring opens. The Cleveland was ex-
pected to sail on the day after the Ma
tional City's departure. The Excelsior
left ST. Michaels II hours before the
National City. Captain Anderson re-
ports that on August IS. he passed the
steamer Humboldt but did not speak to
her and that she in all probability ar
rived at St. Michaels the following day
Victoria. B. C., Sept. s.-The steamer
Bristol returned to port this morning
She started a week ago for ST. Mi
chaels with two hundred miners, who