The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-09


Five Tons This Winter II They Were
All Worked, and . Total of q Quarter of
Billion Is His Rough Guess For the
Region-Food Question is What the
Gold Digger Is Wrestling with Now.
Eureka, Cal, Sept. 8.-The news by
the steamer National City from st.
Michaels corroborates all that has been
said of the prospects Of short rations in
the gold diggings of the upper river dur
ing the winter. The steamer connected
with the river steamer j. j. Healy at
the mouth Of the river, brought three
passengers.
One Of these is ]. A. Raiston, Of pa
McCallister street, San Francisco. He
says there is gold, and lots of it, in the
Klondyke, but il is generally still in
the ground. It is believed that the
claims now located could turn out fifty
tons this winter if the scarcity of food
did not prevent full operation. He gives
a rough guess that the Klondyke is
good for $3.50, 900, 900 before petering out.
Six thousand men in the mines about
Dawson City, is the estimate of Ralston,
who came down on the National City,
with F. Z. Leonard OF Naaimo. B. c.,
and r. 3. Lamb of Portland, Ore. The
supply of the necessaries of life 10 feed
these men, he says, is totally INSULT
Gent. In fact on an estimate, the stores
will be exhausted before the winter is
half over when the famine will be on
in earnest, and especially as the num-
Der Of men in the country will be greatly
augmented by the later arrivals over the
passes. There is whisky, beer, and all
kinds of liquor in profusion. he says. but
their places could have been better filled
on the steamers with flour.
1t is not that the men in the country
have not the money to5uy supplies, but
that the stocks of the stores are made
quate.
Ralston says that one Of the best
claims on Ell Dorado is the property Of
James Hall, of Missouri. 1t will turn
out at least 81, 900, 900. Claim No. II on
FL 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 coming on by the
steamer Excelsior cannot be estimated.
Those of the passengers of the Healy
who came to st. Michaels were very re-
ticent as TO their store Of dust.
With the exception of Raiston and
his companions, all the passengers Of
the Healey took passage on the Excel
sior. That vessel left st. Michaels the
night of August 26 with eighty passen-
gers she was put into Onalaska for
coal, and Captain Anderson of the Ma
tional City was of the opinion that the
Excelsior should arrive in San Francisco
today.
When the National City left St.
Michaels, the steamer Cleveland was
taking in ballast and expected to sail
for Sound ports on August 80. Many Of
the passengers whoh &C tickets for the
Cleveland took passage on the Excelsior.
On the way down the river from Daw-
son City, which place the steamer
Healey left August IA, the steamer
Weare was found hard 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 Healey laid along
side, took off her passengers and some
of the freight and then proceeded on
the way, leaving the unfortunate boat
hard and fast aground. with small
chances of getting off before the river
closes.
z. Leonard says that the Weare had
on board $50 passengers and about ST.
500 900 in treasure. This was transfer
red 10 the Healey and taken to St.
Michaels. A considerable amount of this
will arrive in San Francisco on the Ex-
celsior.
When asked why he returned, Leon
ard said:
II found I had 10 get out or starve.
There about 1000 men in Dawson and
not more than a third of them have
work If you have not a stock of grub
you can't get work at any price. I had
provisions for three months and no one
wanted me. I had not enough to work
my own claim until spring, so 4 sold my
stock at good figure, and will wair |
until spring. Jim Dunsmuir, the FL
Dorado king, has had $4,000 worth OF |
provisions ordered for some months, but |
has not been able TO obtain more than a !
fifth Of it, even with the cash put up in |
advance"
Those coming out, however, did not |
bring all their clean-upS with them. |
Leonard recites numerous instances OF |
men who had cleaned up from $50. 600 70 |
500, 900 but had taken away barely a |
third OF that. The men say they made |
nothing except as wages a. SIS day for |
4 month or so.
f. Lambof Portland. Is authority for !
the statement that over fifty men have |
already died Of scurvy this summer.
In regard 10 discoveries on Stewar. |
river. Ralston says that there were |
Nancy rumors Of rich strikes. but up 10 !
the time he left Dawson. nothing de- |
finite had been received. The National /
City made the trip in eleven days from
St Michael, Alaska. where she left sixty
five eager gold seekers. It is very doubt
full whether any Of the passengers who /
went up on the National City will Sc:
through this year The small boat which |
some OF the passengers had taken up on
the deck Of the steamer has proved a
disappointment. Her machinery has
gone wrong and she draws too much Va
ter. There is enough provisions in the
party. however, to winter il out. and
proceed up the river when spring opens
The Cleveland was expected to sail on
the day after the National City's de-
parture. The Excelsior lef; s.. Michaels
twelve hours before the National City. |
Captain Anderson reports tina: on Au-
gust = he passed the steamer Hum
~ k-r- 6z- 30 - /
n all probability arrived al 81. Micaaels