Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1897-08-06

from the Clondyke district. 1t says:
Joseph Ladue, the richest man that
ever came out of Alaska passed the
day in the city yesterday, and left last
evening for Schuyler, New York, to
meet old friends. Mr. Ladue was en-
gagged every minute of his time ia Den
yer In answering questions from excit-
ed Dqulrers and his modest manner
and ready replies carried conviction
that he spoke the truth He reached
Denver I'm company with friend,
John ii. Harris. OF the office of the gen
eral superintendent of the Denver a.
Rio Grande railway, and representa-
tive of the News was so fortunate ms
60 be present for an hour or more while
the visitor was describing the wonders
: OF the gold fields at Rio Grande bead
quarters. His recital elected exclama-
lions OF establishment which were
doubled In Intensity as he drew from
his capacious pockets the largest and
finest specimens of gold nuggets ever
displayed at the headquarters OF the
company. The nuggets which he Is
carrying home, Mr.. Ladue says, are
fgnOble samples of the big chunks Of
yellow metal which are picked up
daily In the valleys OF the far north.
AS a result OF Mr.. Ladue's stop over
in Denver, a syndicate was organized
last evening which will send two stout
young men into the wlds of the froZ-
en- north In search OF the yellow metal.
Mr.. Ladue is about forty years of age.
and was a Black Hills miner. He will
return to Denver within six weeks ac-
lcompanied by bride. and may make
Denver his permanent residence.
'1he largest nugget l saw MT any
time, said he, III answer to an inquiry
l"upped the scales at forty ounces. 1t
was forked out Of a hole In which
miner was working last winter and
picked up on the dump when the
ground began to yield under the heat
OF the sun. The gold runs about SIT
TO the ounce, so that the nugget was
worth $3.50.
mo Imagination can conceive of the
wealth in the Clondyke and neighbour
ing Districts" said the lucky miner, as
he pulled buckslSln bag from one Of
his pockets and proceeded to edify his
listeners with a magnificent display
from one OF his thirteen placer claims.
"Ihat Is a sample of the kind of stuff
we get when at the close of the days
work we wash bucket OF dirt in or
der TO pay the men their wages. The
usual method is to pay for the days
operation out Of n single bucketful of
dirt. The dirt Is washed out Ia the
cabin and the wages, which are SO a
day, are weighed on the scales. Gold |
nuggets and gold dust Is all the money |
we know anything about In the dig |
gins. Every man carries pair of |
scales and $40 Is the days salary of |
a common laborer. A miner who may |
be detailed TO cut wood receives the
tom OF the pit.
After the listeners had regained their
composure Mr.. Ladue proceeded: II
have been Alaska, off and on, for fiji
teen years. Part of the time was en-
gagged In mining and part of the time
as merchant. | know q good deal
about the country, its climate and its
pecularities, and the chances which
are offered 10 energetic men. My adj
vice is for outsiders to stay away un-
I'll next spring and then will be the
time to make rush for fortune. The
excitement next summer Will be much
greater than Il is to-day. and the diff
Guilty IN procuring miners will be much 1
greater than the present time. /
would not be surprised If they will be [
paying $50 day for good miners. for /
everybody VIII be Wild over prospect I
ng, and the men now 1T work on the y
blazers will so prospecting. The day c
before l left the camp there We're 100 @
'laims staked out on the banks of the d
liver. Somebody went up on the e
bank and panned n pan of loose gravel v
L the surface. He found Ii carried v
$50 In gold and the camp went wild.
ION the high ground man is al q
owed 10 stake out a claim 900 feet k
quare, and man can stake only one Il
lain in the same district. In the val ei
ays the claim is 800 feet up and down | d
he stream, and II extends side WAYS ID
the banks, even il they are ten OF
llles apart. That Is the law and as V,
he district Is seventy miles inside the II
anadian possessions, the man who OF
takes a claim is protected by the best al
lining laws IN the world. | never b,
new mining claim 10 be jumped in III
anada, and the protection of the gov pl
'nment commences from the moment OF
ne stakes are driven. In order to Il,
old a placer man must do three In
Onths' continuous development work. is
hen he Is given patent and that Is to
, there is about H." 10
Mr.. Ladue showed the most perfect tn
miliarity with the practices and laws w
the country and he patiently an sa
Nefeu every inquiry, although he was IN
most hoarSe from the constant exsr- is
on since landing In San Francisco IN WI
mpany with a party OF twenty-six, co
hich created such furore through clC
Il the country. He estimates that the We
Irty brought out about $1,000 In
I'D, and modestly says that he is car tn
ing only $4,000 for his expenses. He sh
ed upon the town site OF Dawson. tn
e only town of any Importance in en-
g gold regions, and as lots are al by
ady selling for sums as high as So is
., and he refused an offer OF $50, 900 be
r one OF his placer claims, IL was es- the