Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-09-25
THE KLONDIKES RICHES


II know absolutely from the re-
ports of expert prospectors. whom We
have had out for i've wears. that many
Of the streams OF Alaska are a. rich IN
gold ss the klondike. and not that
alone. bnt there il untold wealth there
IN coal, copper aud iron" This dec
lsratiOn was made with positiveness
and enthusiasm at the Holland House
by Z. h. Weare Of Chicago, Ill. 3
grain trader second In prominence
only TO Il. II. Armour Mr. Weare ~
here 10 purchase SIX steamships Of
$500 tons burden each. 10 form q
weekly line next season between Sc
attic and the mouth of the Yukon
river, IN Alaska, OF which the klon-
dixie II a branch. These boats will be
added - the feet os the North Ameri-
can Transportation and Trading com
pany. OF which Mr.. Wears and Mi
chsel and John Cudahy are the heads.
and which owns the much talked
about steamboat Portland
This rush TO the gold fields Is no
short-lived craze. added Mr. Weare
I'm my opinion me possibilities III
that region are beyond realization. I
alone believe that the develop
ment Just begun there will show that
Alaska. which this country has owned
for thirty years and never even ex-
plored thoroughly. Is the richest spot
IN the world.
In speaking Of the gold discoveries
IN the Northwest and the existing con-
dition- and possibilities. Mr. Weare
sand he desired a. the outset % give
credit through the Herald 20 the real
king of the klondike. the man VINO
/ first brought ont the news 81 the gold
deposits there. This man. Mr.. Weare
said. was Captain John Healy. who,
when boy az II wears. ran away
from this city 20 Join Walkers Nics-
ragua filibusters. He drifted 20 Utah.
/ Joined the United States army. and
later became hunter and trader With
the Blackfeet Indians IN what II nov
/ the Northwest territory. His partner
was Senator T. c. Power Of Montana.
and their headquarters was Fort Ben
ton. Montana.
There In 1869 Mr.. Weare. then an
Indian trader on the Upper Missouri.
met Healy, aud friendship was
formed. which increased with years
Mr.. Weare located az length in Chi
cago. where in 1892 Captain Healy
broke in upon him The visitor was
fresh from Klondike He had been
with the Indians when they found
gold In the valley. and instantly real
izing the richness Of the discovery.
aud thinking of his old friend. hal
FASTENED 20 him with the news. Nj
chael Cudahy was called in. aud -
him was repeated the story Of the
wealth Of the Klondike
This hurried journey Of Captain
Healy from the Wild Northwest t. Chi
cage resulted in the formation Of the
trading mpanv. and few weeks
later found Mr.. Weare az the mouth
OF the Yukon experimenting the put
ting together OF the steamboat Weare.
Work was pushed upon her for four
months, and on the night of Sept l..
1892, the vessel was launched, the
first on the stream
The growth of the country from
that time is shown by this statement
of Mr.. Weare. Two hundred tons Of
provisions and miners supplies were
carried into the territory the next few
years. This last season more than
ten thousand tons have been trans
ported there.
On her next trip the Portland will
carry two steamboats, and their ma
chinery. which will he put together
during the winter ready for river work
In the spring. They will be the
Healy and the Cudahy. aud will make
ten boats on the Yukon.
But IL Is not gold alone OF which the
trader speaks enthusiastically He
sees great riches in the iron aud cop
per and coal IN Alaska. with its excel
lent water facilities for getting the
products from mines TO market. He
predicts that III short time Alaska
will be alive with these industries, all
prosperous.
His company Is already starting 10
mine coal In Alaska. 1t took In the
machinery last June, and cattle to
draw the coal from the mines, for Mr..
Weare declares that live stock can be
wintered In Alaska with perfect ease.
The thick growth of tundra. he de-
clares. is excellent fodder. and being
almost as nutritious dry as green. can