The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-22
BRINGING or THB 0OLD.
More Than a Million on the first DON
Down the Yukon.

BlNbiAMION. y. IL jug -
following letter is from A. II. StaIley'
! President OF tho Evening Herald Com
pany Of Bngnamton. and IS dateu %.
Michael Island. ninety miles north Oh 'ne
| mouth of the Yukon. June q.
| This IS the most important sta'oh Oh
the coast for all the Yukon region anu
In fact the only one so far as ileisht
| and supplies are concerned. Io-uay al
noon the Portus b. Weare, the nrst pas
senger steamer to arrive from up inc
mighty river came steaming arouhu me
! low headland and drowned the frantic
| cheering Of the crowds on both boats
| with its hoarse whistle The Portland
and Excelsior. drawing in excess OF nine
| teen feet of water, were obliged 10 lie out
| mile or more from shore, nut the
| Weare, built for river traffic. ana drawing
! only Few feet, was enabled 10 steam up
the shallow harbor and touch the dock.
As she steamed near, friends who had
| not met in months or years, greeted one
another from deck to deck, and wives
| and children, who had come TO meet
| fathers and husbands. frantically threw
| kisses, and wept and laughed by turns.
| more excited throng was never seen.
| THAT the Weare brought good news
| was evident Husbands, fathers, and
| friends held up nuggets Of glittering gold
or bags OF II before the eyes Of those
aboard the Portland. and the news was
shouted across that Il great strike had
| been made. Circle City IS busted Only
three white men left IN IT. The klon-
dixie is the richest mining region on earth
! to-day. Hurrah for the new proposition
| Circle City is the silent city These and
kindred shouts rent the air There was
a great desire on the Portland to hear
the news from up the river as there had
been at 81. Michael to hear from the
| outer world. The pressure on Captain
| killston for boats 10 go ashore was tree
| mcndous. but as all the crew Of the Port
land were busy dscharglng the cargo 10
| lighters It was impossible. Through the
courtesy Of Dr. Sheldon Jackson. Com
| missioner Of Education for Alaska. ] was
| permitted TO land in a boat sent out for
| him, and was on the Weare soon after.
| where heard the most astounding new
and saw sights even more wonderful.
| From all ! can learn ! believe that on
the Eldorado and Bonanza creeks. both
| branches Of the Kondike. the richest
| strike I'm all American mining history has
been made the past winter. There has
! been complete stampede from Circle
| city, only few white men remaining.
and Dawson. the largest town OF this re-
| gion, IS booming. The history Of yhe
strike is hard 10 get at chron0lsgically.
No one seems able TO tell exactly. All
the people know is that gold has been
found In such quantities that il seems
! beyond BELIEF. that all who went in on the
! streams mentioned found gold. and that
most OF them or their partners are COM
| ing out and have the gold TO show. / can
not learn exactly how much the Weare
brought down but L should judge the
value Of her freight Of gold is some
where in excess of Sl,00O000. The reason
| / 90 Tr 1lf 10 g..
not talk. but with grips. bags. strong
boxes. belts. tin tomato cans and other
odd receptacles. filed with the gliyering
metal sit on guard in their 4x6 state
rooms.
The Durser IS the treasurer of the
smaller holders. and from him / obtained
| the following figures: For Stanley &
| Worden he has $4,000. r. McNulty. 500
Oo' Henry Anderson. $1,000: G. ID. Myers.
5000: L. Moran. $1,000: Joe Coolies. ST.
| 600; y. T.. Pickett $50 600: Victor Lord.
$500; c. A. Brannon, $1,000 Albert Gray.
$1,000; y. Murcer, $4,000; John X. Monett.
$1,000; G. II. Lovoland. $500: j. j. Hat
| terman, Sl250O. other men have sums far
in excess Of these, and while some OF
| them have given the purser from 5000 ~
| S-OWO each 10 keep for them, retaining
| from $4,000 10 100000 themselves. others
| have retained all. Some Of the following
! are among those who have treasure with
| the purser; the sums are given wherever
! can get them 10 talk.
Clarence Berry has $4,000: Henry An
| derson. $4,000; William Stanley. $4,000:
| j. Clements, 5000: Frank Keller. $1,000:
] T. j. Kelly, $4,000. The following men
refuse 10 make statements but have from,
$4,000 10 10000 each; Frank Phiscater.
| Nat Han, \. Mckenzie Il. f. Purcell o.
| Finstead, Charles Silverlock. jeremiah
Johnson, Pete Copeland. G.. T.. MYERS. r..
| Bellinger. II. H. Blake. Joe Burgoyne.
William Sims. John J. MOnatt. Joe De-
Kosher. Joseph r.. Bonser. Fred Tabler.
William Sloan, q. II. Loveland y. Mercer.
Charles Emcher. Harry Oleson. Charles
Anderson Henry Plato. Henry Dorcy.
Honora Gotthier and John Williamson.
Il talked with many Of these one a
poor boy Of twenty-three. seemed dying
of scurvy I'm answer to my questions
as 10 how big a stake he had, he raised
his CLASSY eyes and said:
Don't ask me questions. I've had
| damn good luck and damn hard luck
Il was told that he had about $4,000 for
his eighteen months Of privation. but that
he had hardly paid expenses before he
made his strike last December. j. J.
Clements Of Los Angeles was very agree
able. and he readily told me what he
nuggets and had ieff sl25.NO invested IN
other claims than his own. lie was go
ing TO Los Angeles o. invest his money i'm
real estate lie has n wife and two chill
dren and is thirty-fo1r years old. He
showed ne one nugget worth 1921 and
others of smaller size. ranging from so 10
$50 He begged Of me an orange and IN
exchange offered me nugget Of gold
worth about S. which I refused. ] se-
cured some raw turuips for him and his
! comrades. and was given all the cigars
would take. These cigars cost the do
nors 50 cents apiece The raw turnips
and even potatoes. were eagerly sohgnt
and as a crate OF onions came from the
Portland there was almost a rot so
strong was the desire for them. Several
Of the lucky miners went aboard the Port
land and there gave the steward $50 for a
dinner Of seven plates ] ate at the same
table, though not as their guest as my
dinner was paid for. These men ate Ike
famished wolves, and, as the various
courses were brought on. laughed Ike
| pleased children Most Of the Sixty pas
sengers aboard the Neare. Which started
| from winter quarters after the Ice started
i'm the Yukon had been living on beans
bacon and bread. or hard tack ior from
six months to year. some longer Inc
little agency store at 81. Michael was be-
seiged for bottled slider. canned plneapples,
| apricOts. cherries or anything tart ana
at dollar bottle cider went IKE gum
drops at "A Sunda,--eonOOl picnic.