The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-26
KIoyDIKE NUGGETS ov TREE.
SO, 900 spread Before the Wondering
Ives of the Clements Family.

o.
seventy tEcrssrd dollar Christmas
tree glistened in room al the Lafayette
Hotel last night. Ilcs OF twenty -uVii.i
gold pieces cncircled its base. Nearly cav
~ worth OF virgin nuggets were 'ieu ~
the Ups Of the bending branches. James
clements retiILeU from the hlohulhc'
sat. with family and friends aiOuHu 'Hv
treasure of "a year s. gathering, ana tlLa
celebrated the yuletldc ana nus u al1i .
nation from bIak man on lHc 9o"tii'l4
Pacific railroad 10 "a klOndlhe prince.
Mrs. Clements rubbed her eyes as sue
sat I'm room 20. at The Lafayette ho'ei,
Mercer street ana Washington place ana
wondered If il was all dream. si.'
tOvDd with the bracelet u gOld nuggets
that euCiIclcd her Mflsl anu bd1'd a..
$4,000 worth Of duh hued Jumps anu
shimmerlng yellow COM lI,sn tloH' wy
mint. that weighted the tree on the cehtIe
Geima Clements. seven years old. ana
Walter clements three, played mar Di''
with nuggets with the colored nurse ON
the carpet. but soon Wcarled OF .he ~ r".
me they could not understand To ntN"-,
their attention 10 htc sized WdA'h u.''
that opened and snut hef cytS ai" " 'o'
ton batting dog that hopped Ike a. J''h
rabbit when the spring was Wouhu w
TOTS FIRST REAL CHRIST MAS.
IL VAS the first real Christmas TOT the
little ones ana one That the mother mlbNt
he hardened for thinking only dream.
All the thousands that blosSoihtu on we
tree did not represent me JOY iS' ~
James clements. as MIin ulal' ecu 81 Wy
tcntment he watched the boy OF 'Hi,
and the girl Of seven playing win 10Y
that cost little less than Il Jay laDoI
may earn in the klondike.
looked In on this climax OF romano
last might ana heard from the Ups Ut
LINES elements and his wife the story
oi their rapid rise from poverty 10 ilN".7'
/ heard of 81 Christmas dinnci year "7v
u The regions Oh pclpclual llrf 10" """'
from civilization. that cost the most 81.
| D.
| served AS luNurlcs lOr a colAp""y ga t.'if
and "a banquet Ou the same Gay OF lli'e
potatoes ana bread ana butter III "a rus a.. .'l
little home I'm tdllloiludi Par ~. ,i'-'', 100
by IL faithful wife ana TWO Attlc ONES
t5 whom santa Claus was stranger
IL superstiuOus always counted Jane
Clements would stun DC caiIlls on. ,'i.
names OF stations 10 passengers dlol6
the line OF the Southern fdcluc IdlllOa'l
lie was born Oh February Idth; ne S@lIlu
from Los Angeles Tor lhc N4o4iuIhc ga
| March 18th and arrived thcIe june i',i,.
lie travelled through the ALASKAN Cl."4i'
| of gold belonging 10 himself ana TWO seq
tul "Trip 10 california he o-cuIlc1 DDi ~
No. IS and under 10 ana IN IL was S-iV'.,.'N
| of gold belonging 10 himself ana 10 seq
I sick companions. who had lntIuslcu tiit4l
riches 10 him for SAFE Keeping uulIi5
The misery of "a tempestuous voyage
| There is u vast difference between lhls
| Christmas and The one a year ago s"'I
! Mr.. clements meditduVely. 'Oh, yes, j
\ had a good dinner. but 1 thought Oh my
wife and little ones far away ia Los Al
gclcs. VINO had scarcely enough u" '".
while 1 had gold IN abundance, but could
no. provide Tor them. 81, ,
! Il had a good dinner, though, Whlch
cooked myself ana invited ten othei Inii-
ers 10 help eat. The food cost me $l"d
and the service at that was me most laa"-
iOnuble. ] had a table TWO leet squdIc q
and for plates there were the I'm lops
| of two lard cans. Only four could eat al
| "a tune and then / washed the dlshes ana
| knives and forks and four more sat DOWN
We had roast caribou, lotple OF 1901 mem
the arctic phesdnt-lodsl moose, Dc@i
| steak, corn pudding, minccpie made IRON
canned stun. and peach cObbleI. we nae
| "A quart of whiskey. TOO, that cost $50. ~
wouldn't be tolerated here, but 1t was
| warming d., 49,
same dav 1 was IN in bed, and for dinner
we had fried potatoes and bread ana but
Ter We didn't have any presents al all.
This year" continued Ar: CienlSn's
I'VE thought we would come East ana Sc
the country Ny wife was raised IN Cal
| ifornia and / had never been East. W.
have friends here. and ! guess they VII
| he clad 10 see us. / have brought along
, nuggets and coin made from lne Bol9
' brought back, amounting 10 SWNp or ~
| 90 10 show the friends mere. some OF ~.
| nuggets are worth 500 apiece. Tonight
| / thought il would be "A pleasant thlnS L,
| have a Christmas tree for the children
| The first one they have ever midland IL
| our friends have a glimpse OF klondik'
| riches. 49,,
II don't mind saying 7 was poor Wher
/ left the summit q little over year g 20
| | didn't have a nickel 20 my name. has
hard luck around Dawson city until nnal
| ~ got a job papering man saloon
! That gave me "A little money and ! start
| cd out 10 prospect on Eldorado Creek. an,
| nick was with me. We took Sl5O.too out O
eighty square feet. the gold running from
! S25 20 S7Jp 90 the nan. | guess We've 90
| enough. so that We won't have ~ SO
| without Christmas dinner in the future.
| Mr. Clements sailed for the klondlk
| March H.. 1876. arriving az Dawson Cit
June 18th following. lie LEFT DAWSON Cit
| on the return trip June 10. 1881. on IN
| Portland the steamship that brought tn
| first load Of wealth that started the klon
| dixie craze all over the world. lie vii
| go hack as soon as he has visited friend
| i'm New England and elsewhere 10 adj
| 10 his store of riches. The treasure III
| carries with him is in the custody OF IN
| express companies except when he DIS
| piave n n 10 friends as no aid last night
All the friends gathered around tn
| Clements Christmas tree last night tool
| away with them nuggets OF pure gold II
| the form OF scarf pins as souvenirs OF III
| occasion. After the gifts had been dis
| ,ributed the SEQ 900 or $40 900 treasure wa
| locked up In the hotel safe and then III
| evening was given up 10 stories OF Klon
| dtLs advepfure told nv Mr. Clements In