The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-12
FRIEND MORE THAN GOLD.
How "A kIOndike Miner Cared for His
Sick COmrade.

Seattle (Wash.) Post-Intelligencer
At Providence Hospital John Anderson
lies dying. Over his emaciated and uncon-
scious form bends friend who has shown
AT the close of this cynical and selfish nine
teenth century people are apt to read the
story of Damon and Pythias of David and
Jonathan, then smile incredulously, and
say such things may have been in ages
gone by, but not now. Such skeptics should
step into the little rom on the second floor
OF the hospital and Near the life story Of
the two men, William Sim and John An
derson.
Both are natives of Scotland, Sim having
been born at Elgin and Anderson on his
fathers little farm four miles out from
Elgin. The two learned the carpenter s
trade together, serving as apprentices in
the same shop. Eleven years ago Sim came
to America, locating in Chicago. A year
later Anderson followed him. He spent his
first year in st. Paul, whence he went to
Chicago and Joined his friend. The COM
rades came together to Seattle, where tn ~
arrived about two weeks after the great
fire. Then things doomed. There was
plenty of building going on, and the car
penter'S trade was good one to follow.
But the years rolled on and business
ago last March there came quietly into
Seattle the news that there were some
wonderful gold finds being made in Alaska
Sim and Anderson heard the name of Birch
creek, near Circle City mentioned with
special favor by some of their friends, and
they determined to go thither and try their
way as far as Forty Mile. In that neigh
borhood they prosDected in various direc-
tionS. but met with no success until year
ago last spring, when on Last Chance
about ten miles from Forty Mile, they
struck pay dirt. Patiently they toiled on
till summer, and while they worked they
averaged $50 day. They got good guam
tity of coarse gold. Among their trophies
from this field they have two nuggets of
good size, one valued at $6S and the other
at $32 Mr. Sim states that they picked
out number worth SIG each.
Last fall the Klondike excitement arose.
There was stampede. The friends re-
solved to go. They got to the new field
too late to locate, but in connection with
two of their companions, Foote and
Thomas, they bought a claim. No. 43, be-
low Discovery, on Bonanza tor which they
paid the very reasonable sum of $500. Mr.
Sim says that at that time almost any
claim on either Bonanza or Eldorado could
have been bought for that price.
THE claim we bought" said Mr. Sim to
a Post-lntelligencer reporter. proved a
fairly good one. The dirt we took out av-
eraged from 10 cents to 80 cents a pan. OF
course, we cannot tell precisely what there
is in the claim, but am safe in sayins
that, so far from being exhausted it has
not yet been thoroughly developed.
while we were still working this claim
two of us. Foote and |. took a lay on a
claim on Eldorado-that is to say, we
worked it on shares. Anderson and Thomas
remained on the claim on Bonanza, though
Anderson even then was far from well. and
was not able to do much work. In fact,
from about the LIST of April Anderson was
in bed. We didn't know then what we
know now-that he had Brights disease
and was a doomed man. We did all We
could to minister to his comfort. In Nav
we had Dr. Chambers from Circle City
Then we sent down to Dawson and got a
horse. It was a tedious undertaking. We
mounted Anderson on the horse. and one
of us walked on each side all the way to
the invalid.
his one wish during his sickness had
been to get back to old Scotland again and
10 mar han
him back he broke down and cried. The
doctors at Dawson City told me his case
was absolutely hopeless, and that l would
never get as far as St. Michaels with him
I simply told them 1 would take the
I'VE left Dawson City June 10 on the p.
B. Weare Anderson was then getting
worse but was still conscious. His strong
est wish at this time seemed to be that ne
might be able to reach Seattle. He be-
lieved that if he could once reach this city
he would be able to rally enough to get
back home again.
"At Forty Mile the surgeon of the mount
ed police came to see Anderson, and mis-
diagnosis was fully as unfavorable as that
OF the other physicians had been. At St.
was just as positive that the poor man
could not last long Still, he stood the voy-
age down remarkably we'll He even grew
a little stronger after we had left st. Mi
chaels, and did very well. indeed. until
about three days before we reached Seattle.
We left ST. Micnaels on July 8. and
trip of the Portland. l turned Anderson S
case over to DR.. Wotherspoon. and we
brought him up to the hospital. You see
his condition now. He lies in a stupor,
from which he now and then rouses suffi-
GENTLY to recognize me or some other old
friend at his bedside. Sometimes half in
coherently, imagining himself back at the
mines again, he calls to me, Bill, Bill, take
me home in tones pathetic enough to melt
ones heart. Again, when ] urge him to
get stronger so that we may be able TO
reach home. he says, despondently, Bill,
Bill, I'll never get home again. "
Thus Anderson fingers at the point OF
death. His physician thinks he may sur
vive a few days or few weeks, but not
longer. Still his friend stays by his bed
side. watching for every symptom of pain,
and bending eagerly above him TO relieve
every want. rs left his work. which was
paying him handsomely. with the sole hope
that he might be able to carry his friend
back to die with the old folks on the little
farm near Elgin. All the financial affairs
of the four partners have been carefully
arranged. so that in case of Anderson's
death his parents will receive his full part
nership share of all the proceeds of the
claims.
Anderson is thirty-three years old and
unmarried. Up to the time of this sick
ness he was robust man and always did
his full quota of work. Mr.. Sim is careful
to give out no statement about the amount
of gold thus far taken out of their claims
but friends say that Anderson had with
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