The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-25
FIRST IN THE NEW FIELD.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE Ex~
PLORATION MADE SEVEN
YEARS AGO.
CAPITALISTS BELIEVE THE STORY
Two Cash Offers Made by Men Who
Believe the Claim Is "a Valid
One.

Frank Leslie expedition of 1890 and
1871, organized by w. J. Arkell, in an
interview today on the subject Of Mr..
ArkelPs claims to the gold fields of
the Klondyke district by right of dis
coVery for the estate Of r. 7. Glave.
said:
was In charge of the geographical
work Of the Frank Leslie expedition
which started out in the early spring
or 1890 for the purpose Of exploring
the country Immediately north of Mt.
st. Elias Alps, which previous to that
tilhe mad not been penetrated by white
men. we started north from San
= francisco on the government steamer
patterson, Of the coast and geodetic
survey, and were landed at Pyramid
Harbor, on Linn canal 1t is at this
point where roads leading to the pres
eht gold field diverge and, as fas as I
KNOW, the great majority Of the pros
pectors have been, and are entering nv
the way or Dyea, over Chilkoot Pass
TO Lake Linderman, to the headwaters
Oh The Lewes CYukon) river The Chill
koot route was we'll known at that
time, but our party at once turned
westward and scaled the Mount ST
Elias Alps over a new pass between
Chilkoot and Chilkat, necessitating
twelve days portage over the mount
AIMS We named this pass Leslie
Pass and were the first white men
ever to reach any of the waters north
ward of Mt. st. Elias in that way. I
don't believe anybody has gone the
same way since.
After we reached the north side of
the mountains we found a lake some
forty miles in length which was named
Lake Arkell, and is the headwaters of
the Tahkheena. This river is of great
Importance, and has numerous affiuents
from what is now called the great gold
district. At Lake Arkeu the party
divided by agreement and all of US
retained our rights to anything that
might be discovered by any branch of
the expedition
Wells, Price and myself went north
ward and investigated all the tribu-
taries of the Tahkheena, eventually
advancing down to La Barge, the
Yukon river, the Pelly river, White
river, Stewart river, Sixty-Mile creek
and Forty-Mile creek. The outposts of
the gold prospectors we found at
Forty Mile creek, in June 1890 and
there were at that time about $50 white
men in the entire territory in which
thousands are now seeking their for
tunes
Il think that Mr. Arkell, in all Justice
may lay claim to whatever rights our
ex pforatfoffs would entitle' him IN All
the country between the Yukon aud
Mt. Elias, Lake Arkell, and Mt Wran-
gel, including the river districts of the
as the upper waters of the White
(Yukon) river, some Of the Eastern
branches of the Coppa river and the
territory drained by these various
streams. What these rights amount
to L am not in position to say. but
the different members of the original
exploring expedition will, of course, eX-
pect their share in whatever may re-
suit. 1 have so much confidence in my
friend, Mr.. ArkelI, that 1 would leave
my interests entirely under his direc-
ton.
"Glave and Dalton came out of the
disputed territory in Aug, 1890, and
went again in the spring of 1891. on
which occasion Glave was the first man
to introduce the use of horses north
of the Mt st. Elias Alps. He and
Dalton trained the horses to wear
snow shoes, and altogether performed
miracles of patience and endurance.
1 lie SOlu IlulCdllOllS, WHICH ndu Deen
found the previous year, were followed
up, and it was the intention of the
entire expedition to follow up all
claims, but, unfortunately, Mr.. Glave,
While travelling in Africa, in behalf of
the Century magazine, lost his life,
and the matter has been latent since
then.
After the summer of 1890, descend
ed the Yukon in an open boat to Ber-
ing sea, and then made my way III
Eskimo kayaks Skin canoes) southwark
along the Boring coast to Fort Alexan-
der, at Nushagak, where 1 went into
winter quarters in October, 1890. Dur
ing the winter of 1890 and 1891 1 made
a dog-sledging trip to the country north
of Lake Illiamna, territory previously
UNEMPLOYED, and geographically of the
same origin and formation of the gold
bearing foot hills of the Alaskan noun
tains My companion of the trip was
John w. Clark, in command of the post
of Fort Alexander.
MIR. Clark had q pCoSpector grub
staked on the Mulchutnak river, which
is a branch of the Nushagak, and all
along that stream, as we'll as its
branches, we found prospects indicat-
ing pay dirt. North of Lake Illiamna.
on the spot still unified on many of the
maps, we discovered a large lake near
ly eighty miles in length and twenty
Lake Clark. The Indian name is Kill
1 chikhwona, and all of the enormous
streams which run into it are uhdoubt-
eddy gold-bearing. 1 made the first
map of this lake, and reported the same
on my return through Ivan Petroff. the
Alaskan geographer, at that time con-
nected with the eleventh census.
mention this at the present time in
order to put it on record once more,
that the Arkell explorers of 1890 and
1891 are entitled to all the credit for
whatever may be discovered hereafter
in the Lake Clark district. I expect
one of these days that the ancient
Golconda or King Solonlon's mines will
sink into insignificance when the gold
en- story of the Lake Clark district is
revealed.
ka, you will find Lake Illiamna in the
southwestern part of the main line, al
most cutting the Alaska peninsula il
two. Lake Clark is situated immedi-
ately to the north of Lake Illiamna
and connected with 1t by the huge river
Negholin.
Whatever geogra phical and geology
cal discoveries were made by the Ar
kell expedition. 1 think certainly ought
to entitle us to recognition, and. al
though personally / am content with
the satisfaction of having been there
and come back alive, 1 would not be
averse to accepting my share in what.
ever Mr.. Arkell will achieve in his
claims. OF course, you understand thar
Mr. Arkelrs claims for the Klondyke
district will have to be filed with the
claims for the Lake Clark districts are
in United States territory"
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