The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-09
LOADED WITH WEALTH
STEAMER EXCELSIOR REPORTED TO
HAVE A RICH CARGO OF GOLD.
Stories Told by Passengers of the Ma
tiOnal City, Which Has Returned
from st. Michael's.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. S-According to
information brought by the steamer Ma
tional City from st. Michael's an immense
amount of Klondike gold is on its way
from the mouth of the Yukon to San Fran
cisco. The National City reached here,
after a voyage of eleven days, from St.
Michaels, bringing three passengers who
just made the trip down the Yukon be-
sides important letters from the Klondike
region. One letter, received by G. Murray.
of this city, from DR.. ]. w. McKennan,
says: I'VE leave tomorrow for the Yu-
kon. Two steamers arrived last night from
Dawson loaded with wealth. The mines
are the richest on earth. Men get $40 per
day, but they must have provisions, and
they are scarce"
Captain Anderson, of the National City,
says that he knows that a large amount
of gold came down the river from Dawson,
but he could not give figures, as the miners
were very reticent about their wealth j.
A Ralston, of PA McAllister street, San
Francisco, one of the passengers on the Ma
tional City. says there is gold, and lots of
it, in the Kondike, but it is generally still
in the ground 1t is believed the claims
now located could turn out fifty tons this
winter If the scarcity of food did not pre-
vent full operations. He gives rough
guess that the Klondike is good for $25O0O0,-
600 before petering out. Six thousand men
are in the mines about Dawson City, is
the estimate of Mr.. Ralston. These figures
are confirmed by F. E. Lehard of Nanai-
mo, and X. r. Lamb, of Portland, Ore,
who came with Mr.. Ralston. The supply
of the necessaries of life to feed these men,
Mr.. Ralston says, is totally insufficient In
81, 10 fhn ctr will he
exhausted before the winter is half over,
when the famine viii be on in earnest, and
especially as the number of men in that
country will be greatly augmented by the
later arrivals over the passes There is
whisky, beer and all kinds of liquor in pro-
fusion he says. but their places could have
been better filled on the steamers with
flour. 1t is not that the men in the country
have no money TO buy supplies, but
quate
Mr.. Ralston says one of the best claims
on Eldorado creek is the property of James
Halack. of Missouri. 1t will turn out at
least $1,000000. Claim No. II, on Eldorado
is also very rich. 1t is no uncommon thing
to take out two ounces to the pan from any
What wealth is coming on by the steam
er Excelsior cannot be estimated. Those of
the passengers of the Healy which came
to St MichaeIS We're very reticent as to
their stores of dust. With the exception
of Ralston and his companions all the pas
sengers of the Healy took passage on the
Excelsior. That vessel left St Michaers
the night of Aug. &c with eighty passengers
She put into Ounalaska for coal, and Cap
tain Anderson. of the National City, is
of the opinion that the Excelsior should ar
rive in San Francisco some time to-day
When the National City left St. Mchaels
the steamer Cleveland was taking in bal
last, and expected to sail for sound ports
Aug. 30 Many of the passengers who had
tickets for the Cleveland took passage on
the Excelsior.
ON the way down the river from Dawson
City. which place the steamer nealy left
Aug. IA, the steamer Weare was found hard
fast on a bar She was passed on the 18TH
being about 1,200 miles from the mouth of
the river. The boat had been on the bar
for twenty days and the Healy laid along
side took off her passengers and some OF
the freight and then proceeded her
way, leaving the unfortunate boat hard
fast aground. with small chances of getting
off before the river closes f. Leonard
says the Weare had on board $50 passengers
transferred to the Healy and taken TO st.
Mchaels. A considerable amount of this
will arrive in San Francisco on the Excel
sior.
When asked why he returned. Mr. Leon
ard said II found / had TO get out or
stafve. There are about four thousand
men in Dawson. and not more than third
stock OF grub you cannot get work at any
price. | had provisions for three months
and no one wanted me. I had not enough
TO work my own claim until spring, so /
sold my stock at a good figure. and will
wait until spring. Jim Dunsmuir. the Ell
dorado king. has had $4,000 worth of pro-
visions ordered for some months. but has