The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-09-01
FROM THE KLONDIKE.
Steamer Portland Arrives, Bring
ing Much News.
Lucky Miners Among Her Passengers
They Say Alaska's Fields Are
Rich I'm Gold, Hut Awful Hard
ships Threaten PrOspectOrs.

terry before she arrived here. The Port
land carried 10 miners, each of whom
brought only n small part of his stake.
The total amount of dust on the vessel
is perhaps $575,0OO. The Portland was
delayed by the failure of the =. b.
Weare to arrive at ST. Michaels and by
a storm on the North Pacific ocean.
The miners on board, with the amount
of their total mining profits, parts of
which were brought with them, are as
follows: j. Rowan, $4,000; Jim Bell,
$4,000; Joe Goldsmith, $685. 900; n. w.
tPowers, $4,000; w. w. Caldwell, $685.
600; w. Oler, 100000; C. X. lilly, $685.
900; +. w. Cobb, S25 900; w. Zahn, $751;
600; A. Buckley, $40, 1000; NJ. S. Lansing,
$4,000; B. w. Farnham, $4,000; NJ. r.
Camler, $4,000.
The Portland made the trip from ST.
Michaels without a convoy of revenue
cutters. But she will be guarded by
Uncle SANS armed ships on her next
trip. She brings news from Dawson
City that provisions are very scarce
Coffee is worth so cents a pound.
Country FabuIousIy Rich.
brought from the Yukon by the Port
land was disappointment to many the
miners who returned unite in saying
that the country is fabulously rich. The
claims which have been worked promise
well, and, in fact, many of them give
assurance of proving very rich. All es-
Inmates of the amount of gold which
will be taken out of the Yukon next
year must necessarily be very rough,
as there is no means of determining how
much work will be done. If men could
he secured to work the claims already
located :here would undoubtedly be
many millions of dollars taken out, but
the majority of men who go there prefer
10 prospect on their own account, not
withstanding the fact that high wages
can be had wherever claims have been
located and have proved rich. State
ments have been made that the steamer
Portland on her next trip will bring
fully 100000 in gold, but the most
reliable men from Dawson City say that
no such amount of money will come, as
II has not been taken out Of the ground.
One miner who came down places the
outside figure at S1,000,O00.
VIII Produce S7O,OOO,OOO.
One of the returning miners says that
the remarkably rich claims on Eldorado
creek will number 140. He estimates
that al the rate these 40 claims are now
producing, and considering the ground
yet to be worked, in the next three years
they illaggregate about $40, 100000. To
h. IA 81 1. l.
bilities of new gulches and the develop
ment of claims already found, but not
opened so as to permit of the greatest
production. There have been other rich
strikes on Stewart river, Hunker, Hen
derson and Indian creeks, but none of
these are as rich as claims on Eldorado
and Bonanza creeks.
Until the wonderful discoveries on
the Klondike were made, ground worth
ten cents to pan, with two or three
feet of pay dirt, was considered very
good for the Yukon, and miners made
fair money with rockers and sluices.
This year miners are passing entirely
over ground of this richness in their
search for sand and gravel that will pay
like that of the Klondike discoveries.
Up to date none of the claims show
any sign of exhaustion, and scarcely n
dozen are more than well opened.
Every one has large area of ground to
be worked
Mr.. Ogilvie, dominion land surveyor,
PANIED out dirt which ran $500 per
pan. He says that bedrock of Klondike
and tributaries lies in great broken
slabs like pieces of rock imbedded in
cement. He does not credit the story
that the dominion government will levy
tribute in form of royalty on claims.
Last Trip Up the Yukon.
The most important news from st.
Michaels is that Yukon river steamers
left there two weeks ago for their last
trip up the Yukon. 1t was not certain
they would reach Dawson this fall. in
which event passengers who left the
sound on the steamer Portland as early
as July 25 would only reach Circle City
before navigation closed. This makes it
certain that hundreds of miners who
have left the sound and California since
August / for st. Michaels will have to
winter there. At least they can scarce
~ Rtl SNdi Atu ~ tuC uhOH DtlOTt inc
river freezes over solid.
should Wait Until Spring.
Seattle, Wash, Aug. 30.-H. n. Stan.
ley, who went to st. Michaels for the
Associated Press, returned to this city
OH the steamer Portland. He says:
ct have been seven weeks at the mouth
OF the Yukon. at st. Michaels where l
saw all the miners coming out and inter-
viewed them. AS result feel Il my duty
20 advise everybody to stay out until next
spring. Wild. and in many cases exagger-
ated, reports have been circulated since
the first discoveries were made. The strike,
however. was and is one OF the greatest,
~ not greatest, in the worlds history.
Probably $1,000, 0000 was cleaned UP this
spring, and next spring l look for from
s.. OO0, 900 to 100000. The fields have hard
~ been opened up as yet, but those going
in now must bear I'm mind that everything
In that region was staked long before any
reports reached the outer world, and that
those going in now must prospect for them
selves, buy claims from the present own
ers or work for the owners.
mo new strike has been reported up
10 the time Of my leaving. and another
NAV not be made for five years. although
Alaska is an enormous country and Will
vet. / believe. produce more gold than is
dreamed Of But IL is also in many ways
a bleak. barren. desolate country-a coun-