Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-09

Il L
BY HE steamer National City from st.
M{haels corroborates all that has been
sah of the prospects of the upper river
during the winter. The steamer, which
connected with the river steamer J. ].
Healy at the mouth Of the river.
brought three passengers.
One OF these is J.. A. Ralston. of 214
McAllister street, San Francisco. He
Gays there is gold, and lots of it. in the
Kondke, but it is generally still in the
ground. 1t is believed the claims now
located could turn out fifty tons this
winter if the scarcity of food did not
prevent full operations. He gives
rough guess that the Klondike is good
I for S270,OO0,000 before petering out. He
estimates that there are 5000 men in
the mines about Dawson City. The
supply OF the necessaries of life to feed
theSei men, he says, is totally INSULT
clentl In fact, he estimates that the
stores will be exhausted before the win
Ter rs half over, when the famine will
ne On IN earnest, and especially as the
hurDer OF men in the country will be
greatly augmented by the later arrivals
oyer the passes. There is whisky, beer
amp all kinds of liquor in profusion, he
says, but their places could have been
better filled on the steamers with -four.
lt IS not that the men in the country
nave not money to buy supplies, but
That the stocks of the stores are made
quate. Ralston says one of the best
claims on Eldorado creek is the prop
erty of James Hallack, of Missouri. 1t
MI ftJry, C1,f o41
NO. IL, on Eldorado, is also very rich.
1t is no uncommon thing to take out
Two ounces to the pan from any part
OF the claim.
The passengers Of the Healy who
came to st. Michaels were very reticent
as to their store of dust. With the ex-
ceptlon OF Ralston and his companions,
all the passengers of the Healy took
passage on the Excelsior. That vessel
left st. Michaels the night of August
26 with thirty passengers. She was put
into Ounalaska for coal, and Capt. An
derson, of the National City, is of the
opinion that she should arrive in San
FRANCISCO some time to-day. When the
National City left ST. Michaels the
steamer Cleveland was taking in bal
last and expected to sail for Sound
ports on August 80. Many of the pas
sengers who had tickets for the Cleve-
land took passage on the Excelsior.
On the way down the river from
Dawson City the steamer Healy found
the steamer Weare hard fast on the
bar. She was passed on the 10th, be-
ing about 1000 miles from the mouth
OF the river. The boat had been on the
bar for twenty days, and the Healy
0ctd 10 IL 0fc lo,,
and some OF the freight and then pro-
ceeded on the way, leaving the unfor-
tunate boat aground with small chances
OF getting off before the river closes.
f. E. Leonard, another of the Ma
tional City's passengers, says the Weare
had on board about $50 passengers and
about s1,500,000 in treasure. This was
transferred to the Healy and taken to
st. Michaels. A considerable amount
of this will arrive in San Francisco on
the Excelsior. When asked why he re-
turned Leonard said: 81 found / had
to get out Or starve. There are about
5000 men in Dawson and not more
than third of them have work. If
you have not stock of grub you can
not get work at any price. I had pro-
visions for three months, and no one
wanted me. had not enough to work
my own claim until spring so l sold
my stock at good figure and will
wait until spring. Jim Dunsmuir, the
Eldorado king, has had $4,000 worth
of provisions ordered for some months.
but has not been able to obtain more
than fifth of it, even with the cash in
advance"
Those coming out, however. did not
bring all their clean-ups with them.
Leonard recites numerous instances of
men who had cleaned up from $50, 900
to 100000, but had taken away barely
third of that. The men said they
made nothing except as wages at SIS a
day for a month or so. F. Lamb. of
Portland, is authority for the statement
that over fifty men have already died
of scurvey this summer In referring
to discoveries on Stewart river, Ralston
said there were many rumors of rich
strikes, but up to the time he left Daw-
son City nothing definite had been re-
ceived.
The National City was eleven days
from st. Michaels where she left sixty
five eager gold seekers 1t is very
doubtful whether any of the passengers
who went up on the National City will
get through this year. The small boat
which some of the passengers had taken
on the deck of the steamer has proved
disappointment. Her fachinery has
gone wrong and she draws too much
water. There is enough provisions in
the party, however, to winter it out
and proceed up the river when spring
opens. The Cleveland was expected to
sail on the day after the National City
departed. The Excelsior left ST. Mich
aels eleven hours before the National
City. Capt. Anderson reports that on
August % he passed the steamer Hum
boldt, but did not speak to her, and
that she in all probability arrived at st.
Michaels the following day
Victoria, B. c., September S.-The
steamer Bristol returned to port this
morning. She started week ago for
st. Michaels with 200 miners, who
were to have been taken up the river
by the steamer Eugene. The Eugene
sprung leak and could not proceed on
her voyage, and the trip had to be
abandoned.
NERVIEST MAN IN NORTHWEST.
The nerviest man ipAthe Northwest was
Sheriff Orrin T. Moxth a slightly built