The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-25

sessment.
The first fortunate Klondike bonanza
claim-holder to arrive in Salt Lake
City was Mr. j. L Clements. who put
in an appearance yesterday, and who,
on account Of having the honor of be-
ing one of the pioneers of this rich gold
region, and the fact that he made the
first discovery on Eldorado creek, is the
observed of all observers" in the city
today.
A representative of The Herald had
the Measure of an interview with Mr..
Clements last night. and found him TO
be an affable gentleman. intelligent and
well posted in Klondike history, and
the accounts given by him Of his eN-
periences in the frozen north we're eX-
tremeIy interesting.
For IS years Mr.. Clements was a
brakeman on the S. P. road. with head
quarters at Los Angeles and, While
making good wages in his avocauon, he
yielded at last to a severe attack Of the
gold fever and set out for the frozen
/. zone of Alaska in search of wealth
Klondike was then unknown; in fact
~ GOLD HAD BEEN FOUND
At Forty Mile. on the Yukon. and on
the 18th of March, 1896, Mr.. Clements
set ont for this land of promise by the
way Of Chilkoot pass, which route was
more difficult then than it is now al
though it is hard enough at any time,
and Mr. Clements and his companions.
Will Houser. John DotY. Frank Keller.
Charlie Lamb and a MIR Norcross. each
with Geo pounds OF provisions and neces-
sary supplies, Travelled over 700 miles
in getting their outfits from Taiia to
the left arm of Lake Bennett. where
boat was built, and the easy part of the
journey was begun, and the party were
fairly started for the center of hope
Forty Mile.
The voyage down the lakes was q
pleasant one, but the rapids and cam
yons down the river We're perilous and
ofttimes dangerous; but about June I
Forty Mile WAS safely reached although
upon arriving at their destination. the
s members of the party passed within "a
short distance Of the spot which. in less
than year later. Was the most widely
advertised locality in the world. the
fame of which fired the hearts of mil
lions Of people and caused a stampede
for IFS environments from every quar-
ter of the globe.
What followed is best described in
Mr. Clements own language. who
says:
For six months after reaching Forty
Mile ne prospected on the American
side of the river with but Indifferent
success, when we were forced TO return
to the base of supplies. as our provi-
5ionS had become exhausted.
at Forty Mile We first heard of
Klondil0e and learned that George Nc
Cormack had
MADE a RICH STRIKE
on Bonanza creek, and we Joined in
with the mad rush for the new Col
conda, and We're among the first to ap-
pear at the scene of the new strike.
where We staloed out some claims on
the creek, above MeCormack's dis
covery.
by this time we were short of pro-
visions again and started back for For
ty Mile for 4 new supply On our way
down we stopped at the mouth Of what
IS NOW known as Eldorado creek with
the intention of stonping there foc the
night. The locality impressed me as
+ being favorable for placer gold, and
/ while we we're eating supper ! pros
peeted around a little and made
THE FIRST GOLD DISCOVERY
Ever made on the creek, the first pans
fun of surface gravel ! washed going
from % TO 70 cents in gold to the pan
I'VE at once located two CLAIMS, now
known and recorded as claims no. 4
and No. .. This was on Sept. !. 1895.
and / want to tell yor that ne then be-
gan to believe that our troubles were
all over and that the world vas ours -
Frank Phiscator, Frank Keller, An
tone STANFORD and William Whippie
were with Ine at the time. and were
located in with me in the tWO claims.
but was obliged TO cancel my Bonan-
"a creek location, as in that country a
man Is only allowed TO locate one claim
in any one district.
A ".AS we were hard pushed for sup
xplies. and must eat, even if we did
have gold galore, il was decided ia
draw cuts 10 see Who should continue
on down the river to Forty Nile for
provisions, and the lot fen TO Keller and
STANFORD. who left at once. but buoycd
with hope and the almost certainty
that soon after their return they could
pose as bonanza claim holders with
gold in their pockets TO maintain the
assertion During their absence the
three Of US who We're left borrowed pro-
visions from Mccormack. and did CON
siderable prospecting on the claims
and upon their return we began making
arrangements 10 work the claims all
winter,
Getting in our provisions. for there
was snow on the ground by this fine
we built cabins. got il a big supply al
fuel, and, about the LIST of October, we
began sinking hole for bedrock. the
gravel getting richer as depth was at
tanned, and at bedrock. which WAS IS
feet below the surface the gravel aver.
aged 500 in gold 20 the pan. Then VIC
sunk another hole in what proved to be
a richer strata, and at bedrock toob
out gravel that ran from
$500 TO s775 TO THE PAN.
The latter was picked stuff. however
Y hut the average value Was from 500 tC
the pan up-
when fairly started, We hired every
man that came along, and for three
months we gave employment TO 81 men
paying them $3.50 an hour. the miners
- boarding themselves. and during that
i time we cleaned up Sl50,000, at an ex.
F-pense Of 5000 for labor"
In answer to the question as to wha
MAS going ON IN the different digging,
when he loft Mr. Clements said.
There was q great deal of actfvit,
all around US. and DrosDectorg wer,
daily meeting with success similar +,
ours on Ildorado and Bonanza. creek,
there were at least 400 locations. and n,
one drew a blank. The legal length o
a placer claim in that country is 50