davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

The Klondyke mines are placers-the
most easily worked mines of any, and
requiring the least expenditure. The
methods of washing out placer gold are
known as "sluicing" and "panning." The
former Is employed where the yield is of
ordinary value, while all old-timers pre-
fer the latter In rich ground.
In sluicing the dirt Is shoveled into the
sluice box, through which water is rapid
ly running. The box Is Of varying length,
and has holes bored in the bottom. These
holes are filed with quicksilver; the dirt,
gravel and small powders are washed
over the QUICKSILVER, but the gold adheres
to II. When n miner cleans up" some
times every night, sometimes once a week,
the water Is turned off and the sluice box
holes are cleaned out.
In panning, the dirt is put into a gold
pan-about the size of a small disbpan.
This pan Is made of copper. The miner
squats beside a stream, dips water into
the pan, oscillates 1t with a motion that
can only be acquired by experience, and
gradually sloughs out the water, dirt.
gravel, ETC., retaining the gold in the pan.
Gold being the heaviest substance, it Is of
course the easiest to retain In the pan.
II 1t be in the shape Of nuggets, the miner
picks them out of the pan with his fingers:
IL the gold be In small particles, fine gold
or flour" gold, he dries the pan in the
sun and carefully brushes the deposit into
a piece of buckskin or other material used
for carrying the precious metal.
A pick, shovel, gold pan, water, and,
of course, some gold are the only essen
tials Of placer mining. Machinery Is only
necessary In placer mining where large
areas Of ground that yields only moder-
ately are worked, and then only for ny
drauIic power In washing down the dirt.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

winter NJ In the Yukon region little can
be done but sit about a fire In vain en-
deavor to keep warm, for darkness exists
most OF the time, and the life seems like
that of man uncomfortably seated at
the bottom of well.
During the summer season the days are
sometimes even a little bit hot, but not
for long. In that time, too, there IL al
most continual day, for that end Of the
earth liz 1t may be so called) is the one
that is pointed directly at the sun.
But rs the summer brings warmth and
daylight II also brings mosquitoes. And
such mosquitoes! Creatures that buzz
and bite in such a way as to make the
dreaded Jersey variety seem by COMPARE
son like the silvery, angelic, sweetly, hum
ming fancies Of a peaceful dream. The
travellers who return from the Yukon re-
gion tell stories of how brave and strong
men, courageous enough to undertake the
perils a journey to that country involves,
actually break down and sob in utter des-
peration and despair under the torments
Of these terrible pests. The ice and the
magnificent distances" of the country are
not the only drawbacks to its explora-
ton or to journeying to the gold fields; the
mosquitoes must ever be remembered.
or course, in the southern part of Alas
ka, where Juneau and Sitka are situated,
the winters are not so rigorous. There
the weather is comparatively mild, and in
summer is said to be delightful. But
Juneau and Sitka are infnitesimal as COM
pared with the whole country, and they
are not an index to what is furnished far
ther up and farther inland.
Industries of Alaska.
When travellers were asked as late as
two or three years ago what were the
principal pursuits in Alaska they replied,
of course, that fishing and hunting fur
nished occupation for the greater part Of
the population. What else was to be ex-
pected from population made up in the
main Of Eskimos and Indians? In the
Sitka district there are magnificent for
ests and numbering is an industry, but in
the barren, icy north the occupation of
the Indian was to shoot and trap the
bear, the fox, the otter and the other ami
mals whose fur would bring a price in
the markets Of the world, to catch the
seals and spear the whale and catch the
other fish or game that could be turned
into money. Salmon canning Is the great
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

The original photograph was taken by
Prof. William Werthner, of the Day
ton high school. The tree stands near
Waynesville, o. 1t Is very symmet-
rical coalescence of two blue ash trees,
five feet apart at the ground and at fif-
teen feet above joining to form per-
feet trunk that extends to a height Of
some seventy feet. Each tree is from
fifteen to eighteen inches in diameter,
and each trunk, as well as the upper
bole, is perfectly normal, nor does the
fork show any signs Of flattening,
ridge or one-sided coalescence. Hence,
the union must have taken place when
the trees were saplings.
Is this natural graft" or did some
Indian possibly use the saplings as part
of his wigwam support. and tie them
so tightly as to induce a coalescence?
The size Of the trees considering the
slew rate Of growth of the blue ASH
seems to make them antedate the
white settlers In Ohio.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

Alaska and It's Resources.
In the purchase OF Alaska, the United
States acquired a territory more than
half a million square miles in extent, n
part of IL within the arctic circle and in
the region Of everlasting ice and snow
where. during part of the summer, there
is continuous day and during the winter
continuous, dreary night. The Alaskan
coast line Is greater than our Atlantic sea-
board, but the entire population of whites,
Eskimos and fierce Indians who are
called the Apaches Of the North. is not
much more than that of ward division
in Chicago.
In acquiring the Alaskan territory,
though the United States moved its cen
ter, figured in geographical mines, not in
area or population, as far west rs San
francisco. The country now extends
from about the 65th degree of longitude
up mt the far east corner OF Maine to the
122d degree up at the far northwest tip
Of the Alaskan mainland. This Is taking
no account OF the little island of Attu,
1000 miles out in the Pacific, beyond the
Hawaiian group, which, since the pur-
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

mainland and islands south of the Alas
kan range, and the Sitka district, includ-
ing the archipelago and the coast, extend
ing south to British Columbia. The Sit
ka district Ia that seen by the tourists
from the States. They gaze on its enor-
nous forests and imagine they have seen
the country. AS a matter of fact, they
do little more than set foot on the terri
tory. The population OF Alaska, as given
in the census reports, Is necessarily large
ly an estimate. What census taker would
be willing to go a couple Of thousand miles
up the Yukon, for instance, to find the
number of miners in one Of the new
count the noses of the Esquimos, who are
said to have their May day festivities
romping around the north pole? Dogs
furnish great part Of all the means Of
transportation and communication up
there in the SHOWS, and they are not val
liable for census work.
Character OF the Popuiation.
The census enumeration Of 1880,
gave the population Of the terri
tory as 30,329, Of whom 4,416 were whites,
80 blacks, 1858 half-breed Indians and
Eskimos, 1885 natives not Esltimos Qn-
dians), 2,125 Chinese and 8, 400 Eskimos.
The number Of whites has probably been
more than doubled since then, however,
as the Alaskan gold fever set In In mild
form three or four years ago. One would
hardly think of going to Alaska for the
social advantages of the place.
Neither could It be said that reasona-
bly, constructed individual would go there
for the climate. In winter the thermome-
ter falls 70 low In places that no one will
recognize It; that Il goes down to 20 de-
grees end lower. During all this kind Of
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

energetic efforts of the house mover.
Among the structures rescued was the
Russell home. Along with the rest of
the town, 1t was moved back to the foot
of the bluff. When the town had got
itself cuddled up in safe place the
river turned to the right and flowed
over into Saline County, leaving Bruins
wick five miles inland. A few years
later, however, the Grand River crept
into the old bed of the Missouri, and it
has been doing there ever since, ex-
cepting when the rains come in the
springtime to wake its current.
1t Is not related in Brunswick that Sol
Smith Russell has ever exhibited his
art there since he became famous, or
that he has in late years revisited his
ancestral home. A heavy footed man
who is hostler in livery stable lives
in the house now.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05
The Worst Boy In School.

He was about the worst boy In the
school and the teacher had punished
him again and again until she had be-
gun to consider him In the light Of a
natural enemy, and she felt that the
boys feeling for her must be almost
one Of hatred. So it was I'm the nature
of a surprise when, i'm view Of the ap-
preaching holiday separation, other
boys Of the school brought to her desk
little gifts of remembrance, to have the
bad boy approach with some hesitation
and place box Of candy ON her desk.
"But I don't think ! can take 1t,
Tom" she said. "You have been too
bad boy; you have seemed to do
everything you could to displease me-"
"Oh, please take it, Miss Blank, -
said the bad boy in entreating tones.
1T worked after school hours to get the
money to get It,"
And someone felt tears coming very
near the surface then, for the bad boy
was a poor boy and had not so many
pleasures I'm life that he could be ex-
pected to sacrifice any of them for any
one.-Exchange.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

industry of the Kadiak district, and has
been for years.
or late, however, the other industries Of
Alaska have sunk almost out of sight be-
cause Of the new gold furry. Mining, Of
course, is the industry of the white man.
Virgin gold might have lain in plain sight
in the rocks to limitless extent and in
all probability the Indians and the Es-
kimos would never have touched it. Food
and furs are the standard of value with
them. Gold fills no Eskimo stomachs and
keeps no Eskimo body warm.
But with the white man it was differ
ent He came, he saw, he dug. and in
the digging he found richness. Glittering
gold greeted his eyes, and the fever of
gold is pDon u.s.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05
BIRTHPLACE OF AN ACTOR.


First eaw the Light.
In a little side street that ends
abruptly at the foot of the bluff that
overlooks the town Of Brunswick, Mo-,
stands modest looking old-fashioned
frame house. 1t has the narrow caves
and the low upper story that distin-
guished the style of architecture that
prevailed In Missouri before the war.
Old residents Of Brunswick point 1t
out to strangers as the house In which
Sol Smith Russell was born.
On account Of this close association
with the earlier days of the distin-
guished actor, this plain-faced old
''story and half house" is the most
famous of the landmarks of the quaint,
old-fashioned town. Oddly enough,
the house In which the gentle character
artist was born does not mark the spot
of ground which was his natal place.
No house does for that matter, as the
Grand River drowses over the place
where this and many another building
stood as a part of Brunswick when 1t
was famous for the amount Of tobacco
and the number Of "niggers" sold there
every year.
The town was originally built on the
left bank Of the Missouri River, and
among the first residences Of the town
was the Russell homestead, so local
tradition runs. There were no rail-
roads then, but packet boats made
regular calls. Then the river became
restless and rolled over against the
town and tore away Its foundations.
Nearly all of the buildings were
saved from the capricious flood by the
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05
FACTS ABOUT ALASKA.
URCHASED In 1867 from Rus
L sia for 81, 200, 900; purchase negoti-
ated by william H. Seward

L sia for 81, zoe, 900; purchase negoti-
ated by William H. Seward.
Area In square miles, 531 400.
Population Census OF 1890, 30,32o.
Of whom but 4,416 were whites, 400
Esquimaux and 1875 Indians.
Estimated present population. 49,
Principal cities. sitka' (the capitaD.
'1 ps,na;n Wra angel. Circle ir CITY City ,o.
than 1000 miles long,. the Kuskok-
win. the Colville and the Copper.
Principal mountains, Mount Logan,
altitude 900 feet; Mount st. Elias,
1900; Mount Wrangel, 1850 fest.
- Governor Of the territory. James D.
Brady; residence at Sitka.
Principal products besides gold, furs,
fish and lumber.
Principal occupations OF the people,
hunting and fishing.
Gold first discovered In 1879.
Estimated product OF gold to date,
$50. OOO, 900.
Product OF gold in 1896. S4.e7o,Ooo.
Klondyke In English Is Deer River
The river Is so designated on the
maps.
Klondyke gold fields partly In Amer,
lean and partly In British territory.
, and the product Is disposed Of In the
United States.
Scene of the present excitement Is
along the Upper Yukon and Its tribu-
taries.
Distance from Chicago to the Klon-
dyke gold fields, via the Yukon, Is
about $500 miles; via Chilkoot Pass,
about 1000 miles.
Time to make the trip by either
route. thirty days.
Cost Of the trip, about $500.
Travel possible only In June. July
and August.
Climate In winter severe In the ex-
treme, winter beginning In Septem-
, Der.
During June and July continuous
daylight; during December and Janu-
airy continuous night.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

in the song who had so many nuggets that
he was accustomed to ''go hatful blind"
finds his parallel in the Yukon miner who
claims Ia have washed out" $212 in one
painful of dirt-a process that requires
ten or twelve minutes.
The Alaska and California gold fields
are alike also in being placer mines. Placer
mining is commonly called poor mans
mining" for the reason that it is done
without machinery, while the implements
required in the work are few and of small
cost. A placer miner can get along very
well with pick, shovel and gold pan.
II the dirt is not rich he can accomplish
better results by running it through Il
sluice box, but where the yield is in mug
gets instead of fine gold he prefers to
''pan" il.
The great Klondyke strike was made
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

Of the world are turned toward
our frozen acquisition in the north.
for within it's borders has been dis
covered an Eldorado. The word klon-
dyke, literally translated meaning Deer
River, is on every tongue and is known as
the designation for.a gold-bearing district
greater in area and richer in character
than any the world has ever known, with
the possible exception of California.
KlondyKe is the new open sesame to
Aladdin's cave; it supplants pixies Peak
or bust" in the gold-seeker's vernacular.
THE days of 81" may become as cele-
brated phrase as 1.-THE days of 40" for
the same fever that seized upon the people
and dotted the Western prairies with en-
igrant trains bound for the Pacific coast
is claiming victims by the thousands, all
eager to brave the perils of the arctic cir
Gle and wrest a fortune from the frozen
zone.
The reported gold discoveries Of the
present day in Alaska and the reported
gold discoveries of 10 in California afford
many parallels. To the average man the
treasures Of the coast State were seem
ingly HIS inaccessible as are the riches of
the Yukon and Its tributaries. One was
more than 1000 miles across a trackless
desert and over snow-bound mountain
passes beset by sayages. whose deadly
attacks marked the trail with bleaching
bones across the Western States; the
other Is nearly 1000 miles by water,
through rigorous climate. or almost
1000 miles by land and water, with noun
tain passes to scale as dangerous as those
Of the Swiss Alps.
The fabulous tales Of wealth sent out
by the California pioneers were no less
wonderful than those brought back by the
men who braved the last cold season in
the KlOndyke mineral belt, and in both
cases those who returned brought back
with them great nuggets Of the precious
stuff that left little OF no doubt in the
mind Of the hearer. The California miner
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

"You remember" said the gentleman
in the bald wig, how all the world
went to Chicago four years agoT
81 do" answered the gentleman in
the pea-green whiskers.
swell, now, all the world has gone
TO Wheeling. "-Cincinnat EnQuirss.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05
TWIN ASH TREES.

They Joined Together Fifteen Feet
Above the Ground.
A remarkable twin tree growth is
shown in the accompanying cut repro
duced from the Scientific American.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05

you are destined to marry riches
the seeress said, but"
But what?
Death will claim you two years be-
fore the ent"-Town Topics.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-08-05
|-p HE United States

lin Ouittu osuetS
G ov ern ment In
1867 paid Russia
81, 20 90 90 for
Alaska. The terri
tory has paid back
her purchase mon
ey in gold four
times, having pro-
duced during the
time it has been a
part of the United
States about $780,
600, 900 of the pre-
cious yellow metal.
To-day the eyes
II
The record-union., 1897-07-17
ALASKA GOLD FIELDS.
MORE CONCERNING THEIR FA-
BILIOUS WEALTH.
Five Million Dollars in Gold Taken
Out of the New Ell Dorado
During the Year.

CHICAGO, July 16.-Vice- President
P b Weare of the North American
Transportation and Trading Company
has received dispatches from the Clon-
dyke placer gold fields of Alaska which
confirm the stories of its fabulous
wealth received from the Pacific Coast
during the past week.
The steamship Portland of the North
American Company arrived at Seattle,
WASH from its semi-annual expedi-
tion within a week, and bears 81 ,0O0,-
900 in gold dust from the Yukon fields.
The dispatch sums up the yield of
dust and nuggets in that Ell Dorado
country during the year as approx
mately $5,000,000.
The letter is from Captain John w.
Healey, who has piloted craft for the
North American Company through the
winding Alaskan rivers for years. 1t
is dated June 1th, from Circle City,
near the British boundary, and de-
scribes graphically the immense for
tunes which have been made within a
fortnight by roaming penniless miners.
Captain Healey tells of new regions
which have been discovered. Indeed,
the Captain says that not less than 81
worth of gold dust is scooped up with
every shovelful of dirt and that this
applies to every piece of ground into
which the shovel is dug. Salaries to
miners are not less thau So day, and
man can get his provisions and sus-
tenance for 50.
There is no doubt said Mr.. Weare,
that the veins of gold are only partly
uncovered. All my dispatches agree
that this ic the continuation of the
mother vein in this country.
Won Humboldt upon his visit to
Dutch Harbor near Bristol Bay, pre-
dicted that the mother vein would
show itself in Alaska in parallel line
Everything indicates the truth of this
prophecy.
"Circle City and Fort Cudahy We're
the principal gold fields before the
Clondyke fields were discovered last
fall and the rush for those fields has
| continued ever since.
Gold fields have been discovered of
great value in the vicinity of Noatak
River, which is in British territory, but
| the travel has been and continues to
| be toward the Yukon fields''
| Mr.. Weare has also news of a new
| discovery of gold fields, hitherto un-
! touched near the mouth of the Tanana
| River, which is the second largest river
| in Alaska and enters the Yukon at the
/
The record-union., 1897-07-17
TEA IMPORTERS STRANDED.
Bought Large Stocks Which They
Will Have to Sell at a Loss.

NEW YORK, July 16.-The Times
says the importers in this city are con-
fronted by the prospect of heavy loss
on their importation of from u, 5,000, 600
to 20 600, 600 pounds of tea, which began
arriving in this city about the LIST of
July. 1t was ordered when the general
impression was that Congress would put
a duty on tea. 1t is of the first crop,
the finest tea of the year, and to fore
stall the tariff, the importers took all
they could get
When the tariff was abandoned it left
a second crop and every other inferior
grade of tea free to come in, and conse-
quently there is a large stock of high
grade tea to be sold at sacrifice.
Charles A. Donnohue of the we'll
known tea-importing house of that
name said:
When the rush of tea began, Chinese
and Japanese merchants advanced their
prices and reaped a harvest. To-day
tea is fully cents lower than it was
before there was any tariff legislation -
A member of the firm of Carter, Ma
cey & Co. said that the first crop, upon
which importers plunged 50 heavily, is
arriving here now. The promise that a
duty would be placed on tea had bene-
flied China and japan alone.
The record-union., 1897-07-17

That's a chestnut" replied Bou-
telle, "but I'll roast it again for the
gentleman's benefit"
We'll, the people would like to have
IT roasted replied Barlow.
Boutelle argued that the prices paid
by foreign Governments for armor fur
nished conclusive evidence that it could
not be manufactured for $500.
Is not the late Secretary of Navy
(HerberD now the private attorney OF
the Carnegie Steel Company" asked
King (Dem.) of Utah.
L do not know" replied Dalzell
but l should hesitate to entertain such
a suggestion about one who is not here
to speak for himself"
Stone of Pennsylvania defended the
Carnegie Company.
The debate was concluded by Can
non, who expressed the opinion that
the Senate would never agree to any
more than $500
Stone attempted at this point to Sc
cure an adjournment, and thus delay
action, but this motion was voted
down.
Sayres then moved concurrence in the
Senate amendment
On a rising vote there was plainly a
large majority for the motion, and
Boutelle demanded the ayes and nays
Sayres' motion to concur was car
ried-142 to AZ.
The bill was then sent to further
conference.
The House then, at 6:35 p. M, ad-
journed until Monday.
The record-union., 1897-07-17
SPAIN AND JAPAN.
No Credence Placed in the Report
of an Alliance.

WASHINGTON, July 16.-At the
Japanese Legation here no credence is
given to the report cabled from Lon
don that the Spanish and Japanese
Governments have entered into an alli
ance against the United States.
1t is pointed out that the Spanish
newspapers are nearly as bitter in their
denunciation of the japanese, whom
they charge with giving material aid
to the Philippine insurgents, as they
are against this Government for per-
mitting arms and men to be sent to
Cuba.
It was stated in the most positive
terms that there was absolutely no
truth in the rumor, and it was ex-
planned that the presentation of the
chrysanthernum decoration had no po-
liticaI significance so far as the United
States is concerned, and does not i'm
ply any change in the relations be-
tween Japan and Sapin.
The State Department has no infor-
nation whatever Of any alliance be-
tween Spain and Japan