The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-13
THE PASSING THR0NG.


old Rainier hotel promised 70 be thing
OF beauty and a joy forever. 70 drop INTO
the Hotel Butler in the evening LAST
night the crowd that gathered there was
one Of the largest ever seen IN q hotei
in the city. One might conclude that
spring was here. and that the rush 10
Alaska had begun over again 10 YlSlt
the hotel and hear the crowd talk Every
body is talking Klondike.
Everybody has q scheme and ITS me
only one These other things are Wild
cat schemes" says the smooth man 70
yoa. after he has given you the inside
details Of his scheme. he Is gong 10
make a fortune. There Is no doubt about
that. He does not Ike 70 read Of so many
fake ventures. because he knows the
public Is a little skeptical and the ex-
pose OF every bad scheme injuries a dozen
good ones. Meet the same man the next
night. He does not think the scheme re
told you about is a good one. and wants
you to go into another one; "one that he
knows is all right"
But there is one thing certain. and that
IS that hundreds Of clever men are at
work and that as & result OF their schem-
ing the poor man viii be enabled to reach
Alaska next year for very few dollars.
One well-known business man OF Alaska
said last night that he had just finished
conversing with a miner who made the
trip from 4 point near salt water
on the coast OF Alaska over the mountains
to nayigabIe stream in nine hours. The
miner had asserted that he could do IL
again; that he had a secret route which
took him over the mountains but did not
bring him into contact With any severe
elevations. Il am satisfied" the miner -
credited with saying. that I can make
that trip in eight hours. i had an Indian
with me who Is well acquainted with the
route. A railroad can be built over this
route for very little money, and. mark
my words. the man that joins me and
gets railroad company interested in his
scheme will never have to do any more
work. As for the railroad company. ii
won't lose anything, and l won't be out
more than a thousand"
The Juneau business man who related
the miners statement TO a Post-Intell-
geneer reporter said he had known him
for years. and was satisfied that what the
miner said was true.
P. j. Hopkins. manager of the Hopkins
Alaska Gold Mining Company, of New
York, is in Seattle. a guest of the Hotel
Northern. Mr.. Hopkins came down on the
City of Topeka and viii in a day or two
proceed TO San Francisco. Mr.. Hopkins
says that the property Of his company is
located on the west side of Cook inlet, be-
tween Shintna and Tyoonock, and consists
OF l.6o0 acres running two and half miles
along the shore of the inlet and a mile
back 1t Is a bluff ranging in height from
30 to l50 feet, and is a placer proposition
or the best kind. 4 considerable amount
or development work has been done, ac-
cording TO Mr.. Hopkins, and he says that
the prospecting the claims have received
1ustifies the estimate that the entire prop
erty viii pay 80 cents to the cubic yard.
water question and has decided to draw
It's supply from the lakes on the bluff, al
though an alternative proposition pre-
sented itself in the river. The lake IS 800
feet from the present point of operations
and Is POLITICALLY named Lake Como. The
arrangements contemplate the use OF
water that will supply a three-inch noz-
zle. Next summer a chain Of lakes on the
blum viii be connected with Lake Como.
and the latter viii be used as a reservoir.
The piping is already laid for the use OF
water from Lake Como. In the spring Mr..
Hopkins says that fumes and sluice boxes
VIII be built which will require about six
weeks time. The increased possibilities. IL
is believed, viii result proportionateIy with
the panning. which is all that has thus
far been done.
Everybody. says Mr.. Hopkins. is salts
fed with the outlook. He AYERS that $500, =
600 was brought down on the City OF To-
peka FROM the Cook inlet country and
that an equal amount will follow.
Up Turnagain Arm, he says there will
be another excitement In the spring that
VIII rival the Klondke. On Resurrection
creek the claims have not yielded much
this year and miners and prospectors have
practically abandoned II for Six-Mlle
creek, where a dozen claims have pro-
duced from 81, 600 10 $4,000 in dust this
past summer. Mills creek, which empties
into Canyon creek, leads in productiveness.
The Polly company, on Mills creek has
taken out 100000 Link creek has pro-
duced $4,000, Canyon creek 500. 900. and
Bear creek S'ooeo. all during the past open
season.
Mr.. Hopkins believes there will be a
large emigration to Cook inlet next year
and promises that a considerable share
OF interest Will be shifted from the Upper
Yukon to Cook inlet. He explains the dis
satisfaction that prevailed among many
who went there year ago to the fact
that they did not prospect thoroughly
enough 10 obtain results.
]. Hannum Jones, of the Nooksack Re
porter. believes that the gold discoveries
In Whatcom county are destined to de-
velop into valuable mines He has faith
in the future Of the region and believes
that several thousand prospectors Will
visit the scene OF the discoveries next sea
son. To a Post-Inteiigencer reporter last
night Mr.. Jones said:
AS far as accessibility is concerned. IL
IS like all new countries. rather forbid
ding, but American grit VIII conquer all
such obstacles. As soon as spring opens
roads viii be built into the country and
the indications point TO n great influx OF
proSpectors and miners. The most prudent
men have come ont and are satisfied 70 re-
turn as soon as operations begin next
year. Nearly four-ffths Of the claims are
held by Whatcom county men
The Lambert mine can he capitalized
any day for sl5o 90. Flattering offers
have already been made for the mine
That railway will be built 70 the mines
ia only question Of months. There have
been some very good placers discovered on
the middle and south forks Of the Nook
sack river. but their location has been
kept secret There are two good methods Of
communication with the new district, one
from Whatcom direct n Holllngsworth
and thence by stage: the other BY way ~
the BeliinSham Bay & British Columbia
railroad 70 Sumas and thence BY stage 20
Looms ferry. Pack trains are now in op-
Grafton from the ferry 70 the mines"
Purser Charles In Fargo, formerly ~
the steamer Resale. has been transferred
20 the steamer city 81 Seattle Mr.. Ia
FarEe is one 81 the most popular pursers
on the Alaska rUn and the transfer TO
the Seattle II q substantial recognition Of