Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-07-29

Stewart river on the 18th and at p.
m. arrived at Dawson. our destination.
at the mouth of K,ondyke river, and
found very lively town indeed.
Lots 50x100 feet in Dawson are ell
ing all the way from $1,000 to SIS. 600.
We heard all sorts of stories about the
mines; but they all agree that it is
the largest strike ever made, as there
are no blanks at all. We came out
here to the mines on the goth and
found the stories all true. for Edo
RADIO Guleh is acorld-beater.
We started to work for Elwell on
the 21st of May at SIS day, or 81 an
hour. We put in extra time when not
too tired. The claims are 500 feet
and he only has fraction of 1872 feet.
Elwell bought his partner out May Is
for $25, 000 From that you can form
some idea of the richness of the claims.
He did not start to drift till 23rd of
February and has washed enough to
pay his partner off. We have been
shoveling into sluices ever since we
started to work and are not through
yet. One-half interests in claims up
and down the gulch are selling for
$25, 600 to $4,000 As | am writing
this. there is syrup can under my
head with $4,000 of gold dust in it.
Jim Elwell gave his brother half
interest in the claim when he got
here, and has promised us work for
next winter, so | consider our pros
poets for the future rather bright.
We will be ready to start drifting in
October and will have Z months in
which to drift. He says he ought to
take out twice as large dump as he
did last winter OF course if Elwell
gets chance to sell out for what he
wants for it, he will sell, and | sup
pose we will have to look for some
thing else then. There will be all
kinds of work and miners seem to
think men will be scarce, because 9TH
er discoveries are bound to be made
before winter. | don't think there
will be any trouble IN getting a lay on
a piece of ground; but if we don't sue
coed in that we can get SIS a day all
winter. Have made over 5000 in Is
days that have been working. We
worked last Sunday Decoration Day)
but are not working to-day. Elwell's
rush is about over now as he has his
dump about sluiced. He is going to
drift few more fires before he shuts
down that kind of work for the sum
mer. He took out more dirt last win
ter than any Elmer | ever saw back
home turn out in the same length of
time. | mean the dirt pile was
larger and he only drifted s weeks.
So you see it cannot be as hard to
work here in the winter as you thoght
it would be. A great deal of gold is
being gotten out this spring, but
nothing to what it will be next spring.
We are living in 10x12 tent now
five Of us. We are going to build
cabin and the sooner we do so the bet
ter it will be for us as the mosquitoes
are beginning to be troublesome. l
have just had dinner-Sunday dinner
that | got myself. Menu: Bacon,
beans, rice, honey, maple syrup, bis
cults, peaches. and tea We had a
little extra because we had company
for dinner.
We are Is miles from Dawson. Have
been down once after some '.Muck-a-
understanding to eat. We each
brought out a 75-pound pack. but |
think it weighed great deal more
by the time we got up here. We left
Dawson at Z p. m. and got here at 5
a. M. (You know it does not get
dark here az this time of the year,
There have been two boats in, up
to date, with provisions and with peo-
pie faom Circle City and Forty Mile.
Both of these places are deserted. If
provisions are not scarce we will be
all o. X. for next winter. Flour sold
here in Dawson, one day. at 500
sack, or $1.30 a pound OF course
that was only for a day or so. 1t is
worth $12 cwt now ar will be
cheaper later on. Everything else is
in proportion.
1t costs $40 cwt. to have anything
brought up from Dawson. We will
not bring up any more than we need
till it SHOWS and then we can haul it