The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-02

them owing to their greatly excited condi-
tion at the time. None of them was prose-
cuted.
1T is not my purpose to unduly infiame
adventuresome men to go to the Klondike
regions, but what really occurred there,
having seen with my own eyes, I shall
and William Stone and a man named VIII
Hanson sank d hole eighteen feet in Edo
rs8do creek and struck a four-foot pay
streak that went S. to the PAN or $3.50 to
the shoyelful. This was not for a short
time, but for weeks and weeks. They shov
eled out ton after ton of dirt that was lit
orally filled with gold and did not know ii.
The news of the new strike was spread out
all over the Northwest and not only pros
pectors. but practical mining men came to
the diggings. Some capitalists the
Flack mine and bought out his partners,
Flack and Williamson. for $4,000 each but
Flack would not SELL which proved his
sense as the men who purchased his part
ners, interests got over $1,000 each out of
the dump that the trio had discarded before
they struck the pay streak at the eighteen
foot level. There were very few practical
miners there at first, but they soon began
to flock in and take hold
WILD RUSH FOR BONANZAS.
Each day brought news of other marvel
ously rich strikes The excitement grew by
the hour. Not a moment was lost in the
accumulation of the precious metal, and
even women began to move toward Ell
dorado. The Yukon had completely frozen
up and three steamers the Weare the
Bella and the Arctic-were fast in the ice.
That however. did not deter the passen-
gers, as they came along on sledges and
snowshoes. 1t was anything to get there
with them Two ladies' Mrs. Lippi whose
huspand now mas claim valued al 81, 900 COO,
ana MRS Berry, picked out of dump $1,000
edch rev days after their arrival They
round the metal by poking around in the
dirt with sticks. I cite this instance to
show how much valuable material was dis
hos o1a-
Daslc principles of placer mining were in
many instances utterly ignored and men
aelVed IN the earth for nothing short of
nuggets 1T was the most exciting scene /
nave ever witnessed read about
hen the big strike was made in Edo
RADIO the men down at Bonanza creek be-
came very much dissatisfied with gravel
that went from 60 cents to S1.60 pan
when, as matter of fact, cents a pan
pay we'll in the cleanup The finding of a
nugget would almost drive the prospectors
crazy. The largest was picked up by Bert
Tucson IL on Claim 8, and was worth $257.
me next best was secured by j. ]. Glenn
ents IN Indian creek and went 1926. There
are 2OO claims in Eldorado creek and not one
or them has failed to produce large re-
turns In the Bonanza are thirty-nine
claims. and they too, are wonderfully rich
and constantly improving. There is four
and half miles of pay gravel in one
streak, and from all indications more to
come.
"A miner by the name of Alex Mcdonald
TOOK out $9lO9O from forty-foot patch of
ground only TWO feet thick. He employed
four men to do the work and consumed but
tWenty-eight days That gravel went $3.50
10 the pan and was in Claim No 80, Edo
RADIO creek: Different men have cleaned up
from $4,000 to $4,000 in fine gold and all
of II was done during three months of the
last winter. Out of Eldorado alone came
$1,000 600, and at least 81 600, 900 900 from Bo-
Hanza creek. How much more there is in
1t is impossible to say, but to all appear
ances the whole district is full of gold
waiting to be taken out.
When the ice began to melt this summer
another rush began. Forty Mile creek ana
circle City were depopulated last winter
and the new rush came from the south
Seattle, Juneau and all the States. Steamer
after steamer has left the Pacific coast
bound for the mines, but for the life of
me | do not know where they are to get
supplies. All the boats now obtainable by
the Alaska Commercial Company are
worked TO their fullest capacity 1t takes
thirty-hve days in good weather to get
down to Dawson from San Francisco
Now that / have touched the subject of
transportation, ! may as well go deeper
into 1t. There seems to be a general belief
that anybody can go up to Eldorado and
pick up hatful of gold any time. Perhaps
there was a chance to do that at first, but
since then the mines have filed up with
practical scientific mining men, and Moth
ing is lying around loose The nearest point
to get supplies at anything like civilization
rates is Juneau, but beyond that city is
stretch of territory that an inexperienced
man would best avoid, and particularly at
this season of the year.
Il have been careful not to exaggerate in
the least bit, and | hope some day to see
the region of the Klondike thriving min
ing and commercial center, but / trust no
one Will be foolhardy enough to attempt the
trip now. If you must go, follow my adj
vice and do not start until the 18th of
March, and then so by way of Seattle to
to the headwaters of the Yukon and sail
from there four hundred miles down stream
to the city Of Dawson, which by this time
next year will have twenty thousand peo-
them