New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-20
OFF FORTHE NEW ELDORADO
THE RICH PLACERs ON THE CLoNDYKE
A MAGNET FOR MANY.
NEARLY s2.0ooOOo BROUGHT ON THE STEAMER
poRTLAND-oNLy MINERS LAWS IN FORCE

took passage on the steamer Al Ki to-day. most
Of them starting on what is called the overland
trip to Clondyke. From Juneau they go one
hundred miles further by water to Dyea then
the mountain passes. down Lakes Linder-
man and Bennett. to the Yukon River. and from
that river to the rev discoveries. Among the
crowd were many well-known men. who have
long been identified with the growth OF the
Northwest. An immense crowd was at the dock
and when the AL Ki threw off her lines and
drew into the bay thousands Of people gave
cheers and shouts bidding her godspeed. Every
inch Of her passenger and cargo space was
taken.
The amount Of treasure brought down from
the Clondyke by the steamship Portland IS now
placed at $1.50O.O0O. and there is good reason to
believe the nearer S2.O0o.OW. Each
man was required to place his gold chest in the
ships safe. but many Of the miners secreted
their dust in blankets or luggage. which was
either taken to their staterooms or thrown care
lessly about the ship Clarence J. Berry. one of
the Clondyke kings. brought down at least
SSI 900 in nuggets, Of not a cent Of which the
Portland had any record.
When pressed for an estimate to the total
OF the Portlands gold cargo. Captain kidson
said It was no doubt nearer $1.0OO,OW than
At present only miners laws rule the camp,
but next year Dawson City will be Incorporated
and municipal officers elected. The miners are
determined that order shall be preserved at all
hazards No "sure-thing" gamblers will be al
lowed in either Dawson City or the diggings.
Information comes that several strikes nave
recently been made in the neighborhood OF
Forty-Mile 1t has been named Minute Creek
and Is now panning out SOD day to the man.
Another discovery on American Creek. nifty
miles below Forty-Mile Camp. is said to be
paying well. and a great number OF men nave
hocked there during the last few weeks Inc
pan runs from SO to SIS 1t Is thought likely
that many Of the prospectors Will strike Tor
these camps thus relieving the strain on Daw-
son City.
A detachment OF mounted police OF the North
west Territory which passed through Seattie
two years ago struck it rich. Five or the
twenty guards returned on the Portland with
gold amounting to 100000. The other fifteen
remained in Alaska to engage in mining.
Mrs f. A. Gage, wife of the son Of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury. came down on the Port
land She went north It, and was at St
Michaevs She said in an interview: the
country is enormously rich. The present gold
diggings are only a very small part OF 1t, and
the'e is little DOUBT tnat tneTe are HllliloHS oHiy
waiting for miners to come and dig out. The
men from the Clondyke are not the men to ex-
aggerate. for / have talked with people whom
| know to be truthful"
1t Is declared that there is no danger Of food
giving out. and that the reports to the con-
trsry are not trustworthy.
The North American Transportation and
Trading Company will not allow man to take
any food north from Portland, but II will guar
antee to furnish him fHd for year for less
than $500 He receive such a guarantee
before leaving this city, so that starvation will
not he one of the difficulties to stare men In the
face.
letter received from Dawson City. under
date of June Is. contains many interesting
facts. The writer. Arthur Perry. well-known
citizen of Seattle. says:
"The first discovery of gold on the Clondyke
was in the middle of August, 1896 by George
dyke on the south. called by the Indians Bo-
nanza He found 81 60 TO the pan on high
rim. and. after making the find known as For
ty-Mile," went back with two Indians and took
out 81 400 In three weeks. with three sluice-
boxes. The creek soon staked from one
end to the other, and all the small gulches were
also staked and recorded About September I'D
creek emptying into the Bonanza and named
1t Whipple Creek He shortly afterward sold
out and the miners renamed i Eldorado
Jimmy McLain took out 900 during the
winter just in prospecting the dirt. Clarence
Berry and his partner. Anton Stander. panned
out about the same In the same manner. Mrs.
Berry used to go down to the dumps every day
to get dirt and carry to the shanty ard pan 1t
herself She has $4,000 taken out in that
I MI his bPn from SACK of nas 5f
S6OOO that she has picked up on the dumps.
when the dumps were washed in the spring
the dirt paid better than was expected. Four
boys on a lay IN Eldorado took out $49.0 900 In
four months. Frank Phiscater. who owned the
Grand. had some men hired and cleaned up
$4,000 for the winter S,4 MG 1Go Lppln, SO nh am
No 81 Bonanza. has cleaned UP $4,000. Clar-
ence Berry and Anton Stander have cleaned up
S13O.0OO last winter.
This is probably the richest placer ever
known in the world. They took it out fast
and so much OF 1t that they did not have time
to weigh it with gold scales. They took steel
yards. and all the syrup cans were filed"
LIKE THE STO-.Y OF ALADDIN'S LAMP
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM CAPTAIN HIG-
GINS OF THE STEAMER EXCELSIOR
San Diego. Cal July l9.-An interesting letter
telling Of the recent trip Of the steamer Excelsior
to Alaska has been written by Captain J. F.
Higgins of the steamer. to a friend in this city.
He says:
The word Clondyke means Deer River and II
Is called Reindeer River on the charts. 1t emp
ties into the Yukon fifty miles above the Big
River The geographical position Of the juno
ton Is ~ degrees lO minutes north latitude. Ids
degrees 30 minutes west longitude. Bonanza
Creek empties into the Clondyke about two miles
above the Yukon. Edorado is a tributary of the
Bonanza. There are numerous other creeks and
tributaries. the main river being 300 miles long.
The gold so far has been taken from Bonanza
and Eldorado. both well named. for the richness
of the placers Is truly marvellous. Eldorado.
thirty miles long, is staked the whole length and
so far as worked has paid.
"One Of our passengers. who is taking 100000
| with him. has worked one hundred feet OF his
ground and refused 100000 for the remainder,
and confidently expects to clean up S4OO.OOO and
more He has In a bottle $2l2 from one pan OF
dirt. His pay dirt, while being washed. aver
aged $3.50 an hour 10 each man shovelling In.