The herald., 1897-08-26
FROM KLONDYKE
Mines Are Rich but the Cleanups Are
Rare


Rare
PORT TOWNSEND, Aug. 25-The
schooner j. M. Coleman, which left st.
Michaels, at the mouth of the Yukon
river, July 2Sth, was spoken last night
a. $50 off Race rocks by the Associated
Press tug Vigilant, which was in the
straits watching for the arrival of the
steamer Portland. The Colman brings
four passengers, who have been on the
Klondyke, and who left Dawson City
July 18th. The passengers are Charles
H. Metcalfe of Detroit, B. E. Jones of
Berkeley, an asasyer for the Alaska
Commercial company at Dawson; C. B.
and 2. B. Patrick, brothers from Hum
boldt, Cal. They left Dawson ten days
after the Thorp party who arrived at
Seattle last week on the steamer George
E. Starr from Dyea.
They all tell stories of the richness of
the Klondyke, Bonanza and Ell Dorado
creeks, but all say that very few clean
ups have been made since the early
summer. Mr.. Metcalfe has been en-
gagged in the merchandise business at
Dawson City, Circle City and other
points for three years and has been out
every year. He goes in each year over
the Dyea trail and last spring took in
twenty tons of freight. 1t took him from
March 6 to May l to get his freight over
the pass with one man, two horses and
eight dogs. From Lake Linderman to
Dawson City he was fourteen days.
When the Colman left ST. Michaels
there We're about twelve men awaiting
to come out on the steamer Portland,
and another steamer with passengers
was expected down the river before the
time set for the sailing of the Portland
from st. Michaels. The men awaiting
at st. Michaels all had from $4,000 20
$4,000, but no phenomenal strikes were
reported by them.
With regard to ascending the Yukon
Mr.. Metcalfe said 1t takes from twenty
to twenty-five days to go from St, Mich
aels to Dawson City, and parties leaving
Seattle later than August 20 will have
about as much chance of reaching Daw-
son this fall as they have of flying to the
moon.
The Lippy claim on Bonanza creek,
from which gold amounting to SIP, 600
was taken, he says, was one of the best
developed claims in the group. Others
will doubtless prove just as rich when
fully developed. The first claim located
on Bonanza creek was named Discovery,
and is recognized by miners as the CEN
ter of the field, other claims being num-
bered each way from it. Sixty claims
are now located above and ninety below
Discovery, in all fifteen miles being
taken. On El Dorado creek which
empties into Bonanza, sixty claims are
located, twenty nearest the conjunc-
tion of the creeks being fabulously rich
From one claim located on the Skookum
gulch, a tributary of Bonanza creek,
n. w. Porters of Denver and Joseph
Goldsmith Of Juneau took $4,000 in mug
gets, ignoring the fine gold. They after
wards sold the claim for $25 900 in cash.
They worked only four weeks. Bear
creek small tributary to the Klon-
dyke, is also remarkably rich in gold.
B. E. Jones of Berkeley, Cal, said: "I
should say there are about 25OO people
in Dawson City and on the creeks about
there. This summer only about twenty
claims have been worked out and thus
far not large sum of money has been
taken out. Most everybody is getting
ready for the winters work, which will
be pushed as vigorously this year as
last. AS far as 1 can estimate the great
wealth of the Klondyke is holding out
Still the amount of gold that will come
down this fall will not be as large as
estimated in some quarters. I shoull
say that there will be in the neighbor-
hood of 175 men down by the Portland
and Excelsior, and very fair average
to each man would not exceed $4,000.
Many will bring down practically
nothing. l would not care to say what
the Alaska Commercian company has in
gold on hand. At one time gold was so
plentiful at Dawson people did not know
what to do with it. The trading COM
pany's safes were filled and the stuff was
packed away in saloons and in any place
miners could find. But most of the gold
was taken out when the clean-ups were
completed last year. Since then there
has not been such a large amount of gol6,
coming out as the wet season does not
permit of excavating. This coming
winter there will be about six hundred
claims in active operation. They will
nearly all do we'll, and according to
present indications next winters output
will be proportionately as large as last,
although there win not be as many very
| rich strikes.
THE bench claims are turning out we'll.
much better, in fact, than was expected
The upper end of some of the creeks
that are rich at the mouth range from
Is to 20 cents to the pan. AS to supplies
I believe there will be fully 45OO tons
taken up on the river boats owned by
the trading companies. Only about hall
! OF this, however, repre- cents provisions
the remainder being supplies. Last year
ice began to- run, i'll, tne Yukon, as early
as September %, and If .he river begins
to freeze as early this year many of tht
boats now going up and intended for the
Klondyke will not get through until rex
year.
II believethe Indian river and its tribu.
taries will prove valuable diggins uext
winter. Circle City is practically de.
serted, the people having all gone te
Dawson. The river steamers Alice. Bella
and Healy have made their second trir
down the river for the season. The,
will be down again in time to meet the
Portland and the Excelsior and mos
Of the miners who will come out this
fall will be aboard them on their fina
trip"