The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-09-02
DIRECT FROM DAWSON
ihe Colman Brings Four Klondikers
and Lots of News

' ooiy 90, Was spoken last night OF
Race rocks at $3.50 by the tug vigilant,
which was in the straits watching for
the arrival of the steamer Portland.
The Colman brings four passengers
who have been on the Klondike. and
who left Dawson City July II. The
passengers are Charles H. Metcalfe. of
Detroit, Mich; B. E. Jones, of Berk.
ley, CAL, an assayer for the Alaska
Commercial Company, at Dawson; C.
b. and q. b. Patrick, brothers from
Humboldt, Cal.
They left Dawson 10 days after the
Thorp party, who arrived at Seattle
last Saturday on the steamer George E.
Starr, from Dyea.
They all tell stories of the richness of
the Klondike, Bonanza and Eldorado
creeks, but all say that few clean-ups
have been made since the early sum-
mer.
Mr.. Metcalfe has been engaged in the
merchandise business at Dawson CITY,
Circle City and other points for three
years past, and has been out every year.
He goes in each year over the Dyea
trail, and last spring took in 20 tons of
freight. 1t took him from March to
May l to get his freight over the pass
with one man, two horses and eight
dogs. From Lake Lindemann to Daw-
son City he was IA days.
When the Colman left st. Michaels,
there were about II men waiting to
come out on the Portland and another
steamer with passengers was expected
down the river before the time set for
the sailing of the Portland for St.
Michaels.
The men waiting at st. Michaels all
had from $4,000 to $4,000, but no
phenomenal strikes were reported by
them.
With regard to ascending the Yu-
kon, Mr.. Metcalfe said it takes from
20 to 25 days to 60 from st. Michaels to
Dawson City, and passengers leaving
Seattle later than August 20 will have
about as much chance of reaching Daw-
son City this fall as they have of flying
to the moon.
The Lippey claim, on Bonanza creek,
from which gold amounting to $l12,-
900 was taken, he said, was one of the
best-developed claims in the group.
Others will doubtless prove just as rich
when fully developed.
The first claim located on Bonanza
creek was named discovery, and is
recognized by the miners as the center
of the field, other claims being num-
bered each way from it.. Sixty claims
are now located above and 80 below
discovery, in all Is miles being taken.
On Eldorado creek, which empties
into Bonanza, 60 claims are located,
the 90 nearest the conjunction of the
creeks being fabulously rich.
From one claim located on SkOokum
gulch, tributary to Bonanza creek, N.
w. Porters, of Denver, and Joseph
Goldsmith, of Juneau, took SIS, 900 in
nuggets, ignoring fine gold. They af-
| forwards sod the claim for $25, 900 in
cash. They worked only four weeks.
Bear creek, a small tributary to the
Klondike, is also remarkably rich in
gold.
B. E. Jones, of Berkeley, CAL, said:
81 should say there are about $500
people in Dawson City and on the
creeks around there.
"This summer only about 20 claims
| have been worked, and thus far not
large sum of money has been taken out.
Most everybody is getting ready for the
winters work, which will bepushed as
| vigorously this year as last
LAS far as / can estimate, the great
wealth of the Klonkide is heading out.
Still. the amount of gold that will
come down this fall will not be as
large as estimated in some quarters.
should say that there will be in the
neighborhood of It's men down by the
Portland and Excelsior. and very fair
average to each man would not exceed
$40, 900. Many will bring down prac-
| tically nothing.
81 would not care to say What the
Alaska Commercial Company has in
gold on hand.
cat one time gold was SO plentiful
at Dawson that people did not know
what to do with it. Trading COM
nanies' safes we're filed, and the stuff
was packed away in saloons and IN any
place miners could find. But most OF
the gold was taken out when the clean
ups were completed last spring. Since
then. there has not been such large
amount of gold coming out, as the wet
season does not permit OF excavatlng.
"This winter there will be about 600
claims in active operation. They will
| nearly all do we'll. according to present
indications, and next winters output
will be proportionately as large as last,
although there will not be as many very
rich strikes.
.sThe bench claims are turning out
we'll, much better in fact than was ex-
pected. The upper end of some OF the
creeks that are rich at the mouth range
| from Is to 30 cents to the pan.
| sAs to supplies, believe there Will
be fully 4, 500 tons taken up on the
river boats owned by the trading COM
panies. Only about half OF this, now
ever, represents provisions, the other
being supplies.
Last year ice began to run in the
Yukon as early as September %. and
if the river begins to freeze as early
/ This wear, many of the boats now going
no and intended for the klondlke wiii
not get though until next year.
San Francisco, Aug. 27.-PrOfessor
% %. Campbell, Of the Lick observa-
| tory. will head the expedition to India.
made possible through the generosity
of the late Colonel C. F. Crocker, 70
to+ol oc1ina0 of the