The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-30
SEATTLE FULL OF CRAZY MEN.
Ordinary Run of Business Entirely
Upset by KIOndike Gold.

SEATTLE, Wash, Aug. 29-The arrival
of the gold-laden Portland means more in
tense Klondike excitement, if such be pos
sible. Ever since the Portland came down
from the north on her previous trip six
weeks ago, with siXty-two prospectors hay
ing in their possession over 100000 in gold,
Seattle has been excited. When this gold
done up in burlap sacks, was carried to the
express offices for shipment to the mint,
men stood about in wide-eyed wonderment,
absorbed, pulseless, paralyzed. 1t took but
a day, however, to recover from this leth-
argic state, and since then every one has
been running about thinking and acting
quicker Men who all their lives never
moved out of walk. and who never tried
to think but that the exertion brought out
Every one who is not going north has
raised money to send some one.
The prevailing gold fever" is like the
plague for it attacks one without warning
and carries him off suddenly. Men in Sc
attic have done so many strange things
within the past three weeks that one may
almost doubt the sanity of the race in gen.
eral. Ten days ago a man of means stood
up in his office calling down maledictions
on the heads of his fellows who were rush
ing northward. Two days later a friend
CHANGED into his office and asked for him.
His associate said sadly: Mr.. Blank is
out | do not know where. He leaves on
the steamer in the morning for the klon-
dixie" The previous mornings newspapers
caused the man to lose his head ana he
decided before breakfast to go north.
A dentist who has been enjoying lucra-
tive and general practice In Seattle
remarked: 1T is amazing what What fools .Ls
hundreds of ordinarily sensible fell
lows giving up good ~ places ana
good business for what? To chase an
elusive rainbow in the shape of mythical
gold camp, located in a region so cold that
q mans ideas freeze before they are
thought" s.,-+ ,.,,.o+,,.
closed up his office and sailed for the north,
to be gone q year at least0perhaps Two
years and perhaps forever occurrences Oh
a similar nature are getting so common
people cease to be surprised The tone of
the populace has changed, and every one,
in order to appear agreeable, anu at me me
I'm not going out, but I'll leave in the
spring.
DREAM OF THE KLONDIKE.
A well-known conservative business man
was engaged the other morning about 2
o'clock in pushing a observation-disclosures
nugget of pure gold down the Klondike
basin toward Dawson City. OF course, he
could not carry the nugget, so he pried it
along in the spongy SOIL an inch at a time,
using as a lever young saplng found by
the riverside. When he finally stopped to
rest and sat down on the nugget to mop
his heated temples he woke up. He was so
Wearied he could scarcely raise his head
from his pillow, but that dream did the
work Inside of a week this dignified bust
ness man. arrayed in jeans and sombrero,
babe adieu to his family and left for the
KlOndke. Il need a rest" he said to his
friends, and | think the trip north will
do me good l haven't the fever or any
thing like that; just taking little trip"
There is no denying the fact that the
Klondike excitement is all absorbing, per-
Vading the air like an aroma native to its
zone The gold strike on the klondike has
drawn more than ten thousand men to the
north but the existence of the railroads and
the presence of dozens OF steamers has les
sened the hardships of travel and enabled
all these men, hailing from every quarter
of the country, north. south and east, TO be
dumped into Alaska within thirty days fol-
lowing the news of the rich finds near Daw-
With all this talk of Alaska rivers run
ming gold it is not surprising that energetic
Canadians should now be developing a
scheme for the ultimate connection of Daw-
son City with Juneau by telegraph. II this
is done II Will be but short time until
Juneau and Seattle will be enjoying tele-
graphic communication. Nor is it strange
that another canadian company, antici'
pating government aid has incorporated fol
the construction Of six hundred miles OF
railway and the establishment of $500 miles
the Klondike via Hudson's bay and the Nc
KenZie river 1t is the impression that the
railroad and the telegraph viii be estab-
lished realities if the next steamer from the
gold fields via ST. MichaePs brings eorrobo-
rative evidence of the remarkable wealth
of the Klondike and its tributaries.
The Canadian authorities have arranged
for increased police facilities on the Yukon
and along the trails. If reports that come
from the north are true. the officers will
| have much work to do, and il will not all
! be along the line of enforcing mining laws
There are some bad" men in that country