The Meeker herald., 1897-09-04
PORTLAND COMES IN.
DIDN'T BRING a CARGO OF GOLD
Lees Thas $500. 900 In sioiA D.st Yroa he
Yukoa-Not Much More Nay he Espoes-
cd rhss iear-Gold Hard 70 0ss u
Kiondyke.

Seattle. Wash. Aug. 29.-The steam
er Portland arrived here at O'Clock
this morning. II was fourteen hours
after the Portland was sighted o6
Cape Flattery before she arrived here.
The Portland carried thirteen miners,
each OF whom brought only small
part Of his stake The total amount
OF dust on the vessel is perhaps 1171,-
900. The Portland was delayed by the
failure of the +. B. Weare to arrive
at St Michael's and by q strong
storm on the North Pacific ocean. The
miners on board. with the amount of
their total mining profits, part of
which was brought with them. are as
follows: J. Rowan. $lO.OOO: Joe Gold
smith. $4,000: W. w. Caldwell, 1885,
600: C. X lilly, $4,000: ". Zahn,
$15.OOO; q. :. Lansing. $4,000: N. X.
Camler. 5000: Jim Bell. $4,000: n.
W. Powers. $3o.N0: w Oler, $50. 600;
+. W. Cobb. $25OOO; A. Buckley, $1O.-
coo: Il. W. Farnham. $4,000.
While the small amount OF gold
brought from the Yukon by the steam
er Portland WAS disappointment ta,
many. the miners who return unite IL
saving that the country Is fabulousiy
rich. The claims which have been
worked promise well and in fact many
OF them give assurance OF proving
very rich. All estimates OF the amount
OF gold which will he taken out of the
Yukon next year must necessarily be
very rough, as there IL no means OF
determining how much work will be
done. II men could be secured to
work the claims already located there
undoubtedly would be many millions
OF dollars taken out, but the majority
OF men who go there prefer to pros
pect on their own account, not with
standing the fact that high wages eau
be had wherever claims have been To-
Gated and have proven rich.
Statements liave been made that the
steamer Portland on her next trip will
bring fully s2.OO0.OOO 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 ST.
100000. FL Dorado and Bonanza
creess. where the richest strikes were
made. have been staked for many
miles and as desirable claims are
scarce. the prospectors are beginning
TO scatter out.
When the rich strikes were made
at Bonanza and FL Dorado. hundreds
OF miners left paying claims and
rushed to the new diggings. Many
OF them struck 1t rich while others Sc
cured nothing and either returned to
their old claims or went prospecting
anew.
1t Is stated that the North Ameri-
can lrading and Transportation Com
pany brought down $150.OOO Of their
81
but II was generally understood that
this money would not he brought down
until the next trip Of the Portland.
when she would he conveyed by n
United States revenue cutter. -
John L. Miller, ex-district attorpey
OF Seattle. writes to a friend in this
city from Dawson City, under date
OF July Bird. as follows:
There is an enormous amount NJ
wealth In this country. gold by the
thousand and million. but 1t Is fust
as hard to acquire It here as elee-
where. 1t. as elsewhere. Is In the
hands of few. while the many are
hunting and searching-the same old
story. FL Dorado and Bonanza creeks
are the richest of all in this locality
ana IN fact are so far practically the
only dtggings of great value. and I
can say that one might Just as well
try to get in on Wall street In New
York city. He could do so with no
more money than here. Men on these
creeks yal1r their claims AT enormoux
ngures. one. two and three hundred
thousand dollars. and even higher.
Ihe amount taken ont last winter NAV
justify such valuation. hut Of course
there are no purchasers You can in
form anybody and everybody intend
Ing to come here that II they expect
TO hnd gold scattered around at ran
dom or get something for nothing, as
Colonel Sellers once attempted. they
VIII he disappointed While 1t IL true
that the gold deposits in the locality
Were found almost accidentally. 1t IL |
no encouragement to note the fact that
II is the first accident Of the kind in |
thirty years searching.