Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-09
NEWS FROM AC+sKA
The Mining Record of juneau Confirms Re-
ports of Richness.
Tenderfeet Seem to Have Been Most
Lucky in Making Gold
Strikes.

h
the marvellous Klondike gold fields. Ex-
tracts from its columns are as follows:
THE gold excitement which has upset
the city since the arrival of the late mails
from the interior became doubly intensi-
fled when the Al-ki arrived last Friday
noon, brir gine the news that the former
reports of the amazing richness of the
klondike were more than confirmed. and
the fever spread and Is still Spreading to
quarters where it was supposed impossible
for it to reach.
The news has set the Sound cities wild
and the rush to Alaska will far exceed the
NUMBER anticipated hitherto by the most
enthusiastic. Never in the history of the
world have the almost incredible stories
OF placer richness found SO complete a
demonstration in fact as those which
have come from the interior this snrjnp
and never before have men SO uniyersallv
turned their serious attention to gold fields
Ia any iand, while none has ever held forth
greater promise than the vast region now
80 prominently brought to the attention of
the world. VI
Sound Cities Are Crazy.
"A hastily written note from Seattle Of
July 10 says: The town is absolutely era
W. everything in the way of transporta-
tlon Is spoken for weeks ahead: all BUSH
ness is nearly paralyzed; the only tonic tn
be heard is the ''Klondike;" men are de-
serting and resigning all kinds of positions
, ahd the Town is nearly depleted of pro-
VISIONS Men and women of high and low
degree are going to the Yukon.
me excitement is spreading and by the
tlme thls is before our readers the great
army ar OF gold seekers will have fairly start
eo Horthward. In our own locality the
news was not entirely unexpected and
many were ready to start for the interior
tne Gay Following its receipt, having pre-
pared for the trip in anticipation of the re-
ports. others hustled hair
Ialrs into shape and started as soon as
possible after hearing the news. while
mere remains scarcely a man in Juneau or
us nelghboring towns or mining camps
who Is not tied down by circumstances
but will start within the next month or in
the early spring. Not only has the fever
reached the ambitious young men, but the
sturdy old timer, who packed his blankets
to the Frazer and the Cassiar country. and
VINO long ago supposed himself comforta-
bly, settled in business for life on the stake
gathered there, is himself as eager for the
hardships and wealth of the Yukon: while
he who cannot for any reason make the
start bemoans his fate and regards him
SELF particularly luckless mortal. And
there is nothing to wonder at in all this
when 1t is remembered that the great bulk
OF this vast amount of precious metal was
aug out OF its native payStreak in less than
SIX months and that far greater sum re-
mains upon the dumps to be washed out
while the claims themselves are barely
touched. Notwithstanding that the local
ity may be fully taken up, with no chance
TO squeeze another claim into that district.
the fact remains that there are many other
rich placers awaiting only discovery and
Development, and this is enough to rouse
the ambition and make the average man
forsake his business, however ordinarily
profitable. for the more Turing attractions
of the gistening nuggets.
Strangers Are Lucky.
among the names on the list of those
nrn{n MT cfna -
what remarkable that so many of the
fortunate ones ale comparative strangers
to the country, while so few of the pio-
neers of the valley seem to have acquired
fortunes there An old-timer, a veteran
who has made less than eight round
trips to the Yukon, offers the eXplana-
ton that the first discoveries along the
Klondike were made at season when
the working miners were busy burning
and drifting on their claims far from the
settlements. while the tenderfoot,' toast
ing his shins before bar room stoves in
Circle City and Forty Mile. was the first
to whom the news came of the great
strike, and. mastering sufficient courage to
face the cold, the first upon the ground
and to make his location. Then various
parties en- route from the outer world,
whose intentions were to travel to Circle
City, reached the Klondike almost soon
as the news had re" ched the towns beyond,
and very naturally stopped there Again
the old timer who had the fortune to get in
on the ground floor knows a good thing
when he sees it and is not forsaking his
diggngs for the fleeing pleasures of civ
iliZation, nor has he business of sufficient
Importance to take HIM from them. His
business is 20 dig and wash. and he is do
ing it. Hence the small proportion of old
timers among those coming down the river
this summer. The pioneer will be heard
from later on.
"a large proportion of those coming out
are comparative strangers with little
knowledge of the country its people,
and hence unable to give the gossipy items
with which the old timer is invariably
primed. But there are points upon which
there is no disagreement, and of these We
cite several which it will be well to re-
member and heed: The provision supply is
none too plenty now, even since the steam
ers reached the upper river; the supply
cannot at any time this year fully equal
the demand; too much provisions cannot
be taken by ingoing miners; the placers
are the richest on earth; the mineral
In a century.
A Letter of Much Interest.
1.-The following letter will serve to indi-
cate the feeling existing in the neighbor-
hood of the diggings. and coming from a
conservative man not interested primarily
in any particular claim, but following his
profession of manufacturing ieweler, may
be regarded as absolutely authentic:
DAWSON CITY, June 49, 1897.
James Kite, esq
Friend James: l arrived here June 10
safely and in good health, though the jour-
ney was not a pleasant one. AT the head of
Lake Bennett 1 was left alone with my
outfit, but found friends in T. c. Healey and
the Moore boys, and came down the river
with them. On my arrival here 1 met Jas.
Atkinson. who helped me along a great
deal. Anything 1 wanted. money or build
ing lots. was at my disposal Atkinson
helped build my shop, tent 12x20. with a
frame Of scantlings. 1t has floor, coun-
ter and work bench. and looks well as
most of the houses III the city. Well, James,
this is the greatest mining camp rec
ord. Gold is common here as iron is
in Juneau. Everybody has money here
Wages at the mines are SIS day. and
the men who own claims can well afford to
pay 1t, as they are taking out thousands
day. There seems to be no limit to this
district, as they are striking lew creeks
every other day for hundred miles around
Stampeding Is all the rage. Men with
packs on their hacks can be seen running
in all directions. / am getting all the work
can do, and put in fifteen or sixteen hours
at my bench every day. Prices are up.
get $25 for making a half ring Il
wish you were here, as am sure you could
make more money than in any other place |