The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-10
COLD xuoeErs IN SEAS OF ICE.
The Eventfui Career OF % t5tsiwart Pioneer
or the Far North west.

from the san Fruncfsco cal.
Joseph Juneau, the founder OF juneau. Alaska.
who has had one OF tho strangest and most
romantic careers of any mar perhaps ON the
Pacific coast. Is In the city. MIR. Juneau comes
OF n race OF town builders. His uncle. Solomon
Juneau. founded Milwaukee, and other relatives
have been onsplcuous In opening the country
for n distance OF 1000 miles.
Mr.. Juneau is Of French Canadian stock. He
was born at Montreal. and has been on this
coast forty-1ve years. Some Of his people be-
fore him were famous hunters and trappcrs,
belonging TO the Hudson Bay Company anu the
American Fur company.
enough. yet speaksa Language Indicative of his
French blood, talked OF himself and tho gold
mines with which he had been connected.
When ! was 90 years old. " he said, II left
Montreal and came direct TO California. THIS
was In 1901, at a time when there was a great
was Mt Downieyille. | remained there well on
to two years and made considerable money.
Then | came down to San Francisco and went
across the bay to where Oakland il now and
bought a farm OF 22O acres. 1t was, between
san Leandro and u place then called san Al.
tonic. Most OF IL IL nov covered over with big
buildings. | stayed there and farmed nine
years. raising GRIM principally.
After that ! put In In all nine years In Mon
tana. and made about 500 600.
Then. In 1874. | concluded ! would have to
s,Tiks out to a new county ana ! went up TO
had not been prospectcd even along the coast.
! set TO work and | found gold. II WAS the first
gold that had ever been struck IN the Territory.
found 1t at n place called Shucs. eighty miles
from Fort WranRel, on the river OF that name
was al a point about hall Way bet%sem juneau
and Fort Wrangel. But | only made So or 81 n
day mining there, and | wasn't satisfied with II;
20. the boom In CasHiar coming on, ! went there.
] stayed there i've years: but wasn't lucky. |
didn't do much. made enough TO live on and
get around on. but no stake.
=" IN 1850 / went back to Alaska, this time
going to juneau, ard there found the rich
placer and quartz mines which have made the
country so celebrated over the glouc. They
were the mines of the Silver Bow basin. n few
miles from juneau. started 10 work on these
mines and founded n town.
81 WAS fairly fortunate at Juneau. for I made
about $40. 900 there. OF course ! didn't keep
II all. for it's hard to live in q country, like that
and not let your money go. Living is high and
everything you do takes cash.
when | sold out IN the silver Bow basin |
went away up the Yukon River. This was two
years ago. went TO Circle city. the far north.
ein camp. which lies Inside tho Arctic circle. and
where you can see the sun all the time in sum
mer. This. though n new camp, H. n great one.
There Is n wonderful amount Of gold there. The
only difficulty l. the climate IL IL 80 cold. II
we had u climate like California II would be a
good deal richer country than this. Hut even in
summer time there. IL you dig down n foot under
ground. you will come to ice. II may he pretty
hot. but somehow the ice never melts. You've
got II always there. For this reason II Is hard
work comparatively TO mine.
But | made $4,000 In cash .uD there, and he.
sides that own four good claims. Two OF the
claims are In DeadwoOd Gulch and the two 9th.
ers are on Hollluay creek. ConNluer them very
valuable property. ! am going back there IN the
spring. There are about 800 people wintcrinp
ut Circle City. and next summer II is believed
there will pc a rush there. The camp ought &c
be a big and n booming one.
II have had all Kinds OF experiences sand.
wicheh into my life. The only mistake that
ever made was that ] did not get married. II
had GOT married would have been worth q
whole lot Of money to-day, and by n whole lot
mean millions piled on millions. II | had KEEP
that 220.acre ranch J. had IN Oakland | "nulc
have been In clover. ! had everything my owl
way ut that time