The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-15

Each boat arriving from Alaska brings
word Of Increasing excitement caused by
le;isrs from the Kloa3ike. Juneau Ii said
20 De almost deporaIated- Everybody has
shs fever. Merchants n the smaller stores
are selling out their stocks ard leaving
posI-hasle for 4 field which holds out
such gl.trsrtEg prospects.
TIE steamship Al-ki arrived yesterday
a. noon from the North. bringing very
few passengers On the way up she lost
one OF her propeller blades and was
beacaed at Douglas Island 70 have IL re-
plaeed with one % the extra blades car
rie6 aboard.
There is liable 30 be trouble on the klon-
dixie and other mineral bearing creeks OF
that vicinity when an o1-c.ai survey is
made OF tae claims. There seems 20 have
been some crooked work done during ths
early period. when everything was .opsy-
furry. ane each Haan VAS MS own judge
and jury. Surveyor William Ogi.s.e, OF
the Dominion government, proposes 10
survey al claims and see tina, they are
properly entered. IN his report just IS
sued the situation - explained as fol-
lows:
When Il was fairly established tina.
Bonanza creek was ricn IL sald. which
took a sew DAYS. for the kloneike had
been prospected several times with no en-
cograsing results there was great rush
from all over the country adjacent 10
Forty Mile. The town was almost DESERT
ed: men who had been tn a chronic state
o. drunkenness for weeks were pitched
into boats as ballast ard taken UP to
stake ths mselves clam, and aims ware
stated By men for their friends who
were not in the country az the tine. Al
this gave rise 10 much conflict and con-
fusion. there being no one 70 take charge
OF matters. The agent being unable -
so up and attend TO the thing, and my
self not knowing What 10 do, the miners
held meeting and appointed enc Of
themselves % measure of and stake the
claims and record the owners names.
Tor which he got Tee o. s.. i, being OF
course understood that each claim holder
would have 20 record his claim with the
Dominion agent and pay his fee OF SIS.
Il am afraid state OF affairs will de-
velop in the kiondike district that viii
worry some one Naturally many sauab-
oles will arise out Of those transae IONS
when the claims come to be considered
saluan BILE and worked. and those. togeth.
CT with the disputes over the size of
claims. will take some time 10 clear Off.
Had a good, live, suave man been there
at the start things would not be much
better. Many Of the claims are said TO
x
course, the holders will insist on getting
them the full 800. and IL is now probably
impossible that they can without upset
ting all the claim holders on the several
creeks. Many Of them viii be reasona bic
enough to see things in their proper light
and submit quietly. bat many VIII ins!s,
Oh what they can their rights.
The extent OF tire geld bearing section
here Is such a. 10 warrant the assertion
hg D ~ cd III
give loo claims Of 800 feet in length eaen.
Now 1000 such claims will require at least
1900 men 10 work them properly and a
wages for working in the mines are from
s. 10 $40 per day. without board We have
every reason 10 assume that this part os
our territory will within a year or tao
contain l0,0<o souls at least, for the news
has gone out to the coast and an unpre-
cedentcd irfUx is expected next spring.
and this IS not all. for a large creek
called Indian creek adjoins the Yukon
about midway betwe klondike ard
Stewart river. and ali along this creek
good pay has been found. All that has
stood in the way OF working II hereto
fore has been the scarcity OF provisions
and the difficulty Of getting them up there
even when here. Indian creek Is
lie large stream. and 1t Is
probable IL Will yield so or 60
claims. Further south yet lies tbs
head OF the several branches Of Stewart
river. on which some prospecting nas
been done this GUNNER and good indjca-
lions found. but the want OF provisions
prevented development.
4 VIII soon commence survey OF the
creeks and claims on them The miners
appear 10 wish their claims measured and
some matters OF dispute settled. and as
the agent viii not act | think il well 20
make the necessary measurements ana
axe all the evidence "A the cases. A COOL
seal Of dishonest work is being and has
teen done on the creeks. which has been
more or less fostered by inactivity Of tha
proper authority. Tnts hope TO be sble
20 Expose ard in due tine have punished.
Fl / am rot called out before get
through. Things are In an awful mess.
ard whoever succeeds Constantine IS
agent viii have bad time for some
months. hope 20 be bic. while survey
nE. to straighten cut much Of Il. but as
| have TO authority l canro. DO every
hing. Things would not have been 50
pad rad the force and virtue ot miners
meetings prevailed. but the presence Ct
he Norfh Invest mounted Police anrullai
taet ard the snsEks Rad suil fling. Some
Il them dread the result Of a proper sur
,ey and are already somewhat fright
euea"
The Al-Hi's passengers were: Miss y al
Q Blake AR and Mrs. J. J Holm, J. II.
nson. +. ~. sullivan and seven second
class
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