Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-09-15

HVith"eet, WIS Ia CnarBe, and the very
atmosphere seemed pregnant with the
idea that Examiner Journal "combina
tom would scoop every body. The Ex-
aminer army was at Cape Flattery
also, the Journal army, In charge OF
Lee Greuner, an old Tacoma newspa
per man, and now telegraph editor OF
the Examiner. The syndicate" was
there and there was tugload of special
correspondents besides. For reasons
which only a newspaper man who has
bucked strong opposition on special
OF great importance will understand,
some of the small caliber telegraph
managers were loaded with more work
than they could get off in many. many
hours. l filed special to the Globe
Democrat about this time and was in.
formed that it might not get off in two
days. The telegraph manager was told
by me. in reply, that the two day limit
might apply to those not "in on the
deal" but that,really, the Globe Demo
crat matter would have to go. 1t went.
Nevertheless. somebody counted on the
order of its going.
Captain Walters of the Vigilant let
me take the wheel when we steamed
out of Port Angeles and asked him to
keep sharp lookout for a sail. We
beaded down toward the mouth of the
Straits of Fuca as night closed in. The
straits vary in width from twenty to
fifty miles and only a practiced eve
could detect sail or steamer at long
range. Mr.. Powell was thinking hard
and fast. At that time the fastest TUGS
on the Sound were under charter to
others and, realizing the situation in
all its bearings, he felt pretty blue. But
Captain Walters has an eagle eve and
he was constantly scanning the hor.
rizon " as the man who writes the novel
puts it. He knew the whereabouts of
every craft on the coast and the schoon.
ers Fred E. Sanders. j. NJ. Colman,
Ford and Alice Cook were all due'from
Alaska and with news from the land of
gold. Presently Walters said:
There's schooner off there. ="
Nobody but sea dog could see it
though. Not by six or seven miles
could the land lubbers see it. 1t was
nearly pitch dark, but Captain Waters
saw the sail in the dark. Under his di.
rection | ported the hem and logged
along at ten knots for a loug time be.
fore the Captain said:
I'll take the wheel now and speak
her,"
He shouted orders down the pipe to
the engineer, everybody "stood by,'
and presently a faint, timid voice from
the schooner called: -
"Ship ahoy."
what schooner is that2n asked
Walters.
". NJ. Colman, was the reply.
From st. Michaels?n
"Yes, sir"
By this time Powell had lost his
blues.
when did you leave st. Michoelsp''
July 20, sir"
HAS anyone spoken your" was
prompting the Captain.
mo, sir.
Didn't any newspaper men come
aboard off Flattery?n
mo, sir. :"
That settled 1t. The Colman was our
feast. We came alongside and Captain
Walters casually intimated that he had
bottle, whereupon the Captain of the
schooner, Captain Treanor, became very
anxious to interview it. We found
several miners aboard, all fresh from
the Klondike, Charles H. MetcaIf, of
Detroit, Mich, more of trader than a
miner, being the most experienced. We
unearthed mine of Klondike news on
the Colman, and even though it was
nearly midnight when we boarded her.
every man aboard crowded into the
Captain g room to hear the news of the
world, but they were no more anxious
for the news of the world than the
world was for the news they brought
from the Klondike.
The same night the schooner Fred E.
Sanders slipped into the straits unob.
served by the army of newspaper men
at Cape Flattery. Still it was not
thick" or foggy at Flattery, and Cap
tain Carlson Of the Sanders said he
saw one of the press tugs. His passen
gers, six in number, brought out about
$4,000 in nuggets. One of the pas.
sengers. Jennie McNamee, is a re.
puted Klondyke millionaire, although
ne was not worth above enough to buy
K'ondike outfit ten months ago. He
made a signed statement for the Globe
Democrat in which he estimated the
output of gold from the Klondlke for
the year ending today at only 80, 900, ,OOO
This, he said, was because the claims
had not been worked to advantage and
not because the gold was not there. On
the contrary, he, like all the other
miners from the Klondike, say there is
plenty of gold there, McNamee him
self estimating the output between
this day and August 81, 1898, at $4,000.
600. Even after the cream has been
worked off he says there will be good
pay dirt" there for many years to
come.
The significant point in the state.
ments of the Klondikers, just arrived,
by the schooners Colman and Sanders