El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-08-03
AN INTERESTING TALE.
An Illinois Lawyers Profitable Ex-
nerjerca i'm Northwest Gold Fields

An Illinois Lawyers Profitable EX-
perieEca in Northwest Gold Fields
County Cierk Park 2. tman received !
last night a copy of his home paper. the
Mason County, H., Democrat, in which
an acquaintance OF his, young limb
of the law of Havana. H., figures as Il
successful miner in the Klondyke coun-
try. The lawyer-miner writes his
mother a letter that is so inter esting
that it is pr nted below:
DAWSON, N. w. t, June %, 1897,
my Dear Mother:-We landed here
about two weeks ago and as the first
steamer is going to leave tomorrow, L
hasten to write to you. We had very
pleasant trip down the river. AT mos t
place the river was high and the cur
rent swift. L stood at the sweep for
80 hours. The last 200 miles we ran
without stop and never rOwed, just
foated. Ninety-six miles were run ia
II hours. We called our boat Illinois.
Had q name at least and she was good
boat, for she ran the rapids like duck.
never took any water but we had her
covered with canvass when we ran the
Grand Canyon. 1t is of g. mile long
and ran it in less than minutes
Many lost their outfits there because
they did not understand how to manage
boat in swift water.
"There is no time to mediate but
act at the instant and keep cool ano
don't get excited or one may knock
against the wall and break his boat.
No lives were lost on the river this
trip but one was drowned on the Klon-
dyke this morning by trying to row a
boat and fell in. One man was killed
by his companion accidently. A sub
scriptiOn paper was circulated and 3d.
800 was raised for the widow.
Il will not go to Circle City but will
stay here in Dawson. as nearly all OF
Circle City has moved here. The min
es have turned out much better than
was expected. Some claims took out
from $3.50, 900 to 100000 1t don't
| look possible but have SO much gold
here now that few thousands is but
| little sum. Some have their dust in
sacks and baking powder cans ed to
the ridge pole of their tens, others put
it in 80 gallon oil cans. About b tons
of gold will leave on the first two boats.
zone young man who came here, the
same time [ did (last year, had not
enough mouey to buy his winters grub:
1t required eight men to bring his gold
down from the mines last week. Some
PANIED out over $500 to pan, THAT Is
about two shovelfuls.) Two men shOv-
eled in $50. 900 in one day. 1 saw where
two men who were freighting down
to Circle City last winter cleaned out
| 1UUOZ, Or oliOO lOI lOuI udyS WI n. L
enclose a small nugget with quartz
which l took out of the pan they rad
the dust in.
"Wages have.raised to SIS per day.
That is what L have been getting. l
was offered $500 a mOoth TO work with
the pack train but | want $40 or | will
DO something else Tor summer. There
will be plenty of work and l have no
doubt they will pay more than that this
winter
81 have the promise of lay on a good
claim for this w inter aud if | can get
enough men | will have some of the
yellow metal my self next spring. The
| aim that | located last winter com
| ing out has done nothing, but half in
! terest in a calm, eight claims b Glow 1t
| sold for $1,000 last winter, as we were
! going out aud it is estimated that ST.,
| coo. 900 will b taken outof it. L would
not believe it myself until l saw how
| rich those mines were. There Is no
dou bt it has no equal on the American
| continent today.
"Tnere are about 5000 me1 here in
| Dawson, SO you see we are not alone.
The boat has whistled and | must
bring this letter to close. Hoping
you are all we'll L an ever your sOo.
FRANK KELLERSMAN.'
| 'P. s., A ddreSe me in DAWSON, N. w.
T., as this place is not 10 Alaska but is
about 300 miles up the Yukon RIVER in
the British northwest
! Mr.. Pitman thinks of hieipg himse If
to Dawson ely by telegraph aud COM
! ing home next fall with freight car
full of yellow metal.