The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-08

any rocky road to Dublin" and IT was
interesting for about a miuute) to no.
tice how many times a minute a man
would jump from one side of his ''see
stick 10 the other. Sometimes he would
not clear the string, and the result would
be trip. and If one didn't come down
on his face he would surely get on his
Knees. Then. too. the sled had lie diff
ferent motions. which kept the hand and
arm that We're on the gee stick or
guide pole waving back and forth. up
and down. in an effort to keep the sled
from overturning. This lasted for about
eight miles, and I honestly think II IL
had been 40 degrees below zero. instead
OF 10. | should have been plenty warm
enough. AS Il was. / was soon dripping
wet, a dangerous condition 10 be in. as
enc chils very quickly after perspiring
after the rough ice was over the trail was
magnificent, as hard and as smooth as a
board for klondike, the new Eidorado
was only fifty miles from Fort cudahy,
and the many men who had passed over
the road before us had made the going
good. We reached cabin that night
where we found stove, dry wood and
four hunks, and you may be sure We c.
cupied il.
Halfway House for All Corners.
The miners OF this section had Clipped
in" and paid for having two of these
miles apart. so that they could be easily
reached In a days journey. They were
open for everyone who came along. and
were "A source of great comfort and con-
, venience to all travellers. The next day
We reached Dawson City. which Is the
town at the mouth of the klondyke river
and the supply station for the MINIS.
There was little there besides bunk
house, warehouse and n saloon. but we
We're welcomed royalty as We assembled
the bank and warmly invited to come in
and have something warm"
II was here that he became accustomed
to associating with milionaires. for every
one who was In the town had from one
to three claims each on the new territory.
and while many OF them had to ''hang
up" the drinks when they bought. they
considered themselves every inch million
aires just the same. for they had the
ground and the gold was there, and they
were only waiting for spring TO get 1t out.
One man I knew. who had started for
Dyea thirty days before we left. had
made heroic efforts to get by this place.
bat the temptation was too strong. and he
abandoned his party, struck of up the
creek. ana having found "A man who was
willing 10 part with an interest in his
claim my friend went down into his sack
and weighed out senD for quarter in
terest in the property. Many were the
.
for prospects had been wonderfully rich.
A dollar and half Ia the pan In three
feet OF gravel was held to indicate that
s2Saoc could be taken from that claim.
for bedrock was from twelve to TWEEN
ty-five feet deep. One young man had
J repeatedly PANIED out s. and g. from one
/ pan. and by drifting" and burning had
! got 10 the surface what was roughly es-
F.! tmated at $4,000. Everyone who passed
his cabin was offered Is an hour IN help
him work. but he had succeeded in get
/ ting only FOUR helpers. everyone else being
bent on getting ground OF his own.
Locating n Rich Claim.
Two young ''tendersoots" were working
| In an ignorant sort OF way at burning
/ their ground. thinking thar IL was neces-
sary 20 get to bedrock before they could
expect 10 find gold. An ''oid-tiyrer.'' pass
Ing. asked them what prospects they were
/ having and was surprised when he was
/ told: We haven't got to bedrock yet.
/ and can't tell"
Bedrock? You bloody fool. you don't
/ have 10 wait till you get there 10 see
whether you have struck pay dirt or not"'
said the old-tiunr. Here. my son. CIV.
+ me that gold pan ard I'll snow you how
+ 10 ind out whether YOU are in II or not
The young men were iclightsd TO DO this
and watch the old man pan OUT show
/ ef,ul of dirt. The ''oid-;rners' was paral-
yZed when ne roughly estimated the pan
at 81 ard with We'll, by --. pardner'
| this is good enough for me-" ne cut some
I stakes and bscaue their neigsbor.
I Ile watched the young men the next day'
( until they got 10 bedrock (they didn't
T know they were there TIL ne got into the
hole himself when he went down. and in
n short time had scraped from the bed
rock seventeen ounces OF as pure gold as
ne ever saw
.sweu. I am -" he said. "Tf Ia been
told az this I never would have believed
Il, | arm prcisty old. young n1en. bat II
cant make 81 q. day snovei!ug 'nto a
sfusce box alone land i am a pretty poor
shoxefer1 wsth such ground that I
hope | may never make another clean
np.1
don, suppose tn go would buy these
claims today. Such was the news We
heard when ws had been in Dawson a
little while.
Dog. Under y Snow Drift.
/. was hard work 90 pass by such
: chance. but we were a long way frcm
( Dvsa. and had no chance 20 Sc: any
more grub than we had until we were
ous. and grub goes awfuily fast sitting
around camp. The next morning al
o'clock we were OF IN a binding snow
storm. The trail was covered. Tie wind
blowing Ike the dickens, tne GoRs lazy
and ugly and every man IN TIE party GA
SNOW shoes. pigngtng more or less sstrGiy
ahead IL made one inclined 70 turn
back.
All our fsofssen@ Rad been toward the
SEA zrd wa did not begin then 10 DO any
~souhls tripping" Having psekes ap =
white Esa1 1ao wanted 10 go home. IN