The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-08-27
FROM KLONDYKE
SchOOnir COlman Arrives at
Port Townsend With Four
Passengers.
Not Very Much Gold Has Been
Cleared Up Since Early
Summer.
Amount to Come Down. Ais
Fall Not as Great as
Estimated.

PoRT TOWNSEND, Wash, Aug. 81
The schooner j. M. Colman, which left
st. Michael's. at the mouth of the Yu.
kon, July %, was spoken off Race Rocks
at $3.50 by the Associated Press tug Wig
liant, which was in the straits watch
ing for the arrival of the steamer Port
land. The Colman brings four passen-
gers who have been in the Klondyke,
and who left Dawson City July 81.
The passengers ore Charles H. Metcalf
of Detroit, Mich. B. E. Jones of Berk-
eley, CAL, an assayer for the Alaska
Commercial company at Dawson; G. B.
and z. B. Patrick, brothers from Hum.
boldt, Cal. They left Dawson 10 days
after the Thorp party which arrived at
Seattle last week on the steamer George
E. Starr from Dyea. They all tell
stories of the richness of the Klondyke,
Bonanza and Eldorado Creeks, but all
say that very few ~clean-ups have been
made since the early summer. Mr..
Metcalf has been engaged in the mer-
chandise business at Dawson City. Cir.
Gle 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 he took in 20 tons of
freight. 1t took him from March 8 to
May l, to get his freight over the pass
with n man. two horses and eight
dogs. From Linderman to Dawson
City he was IA days.
Not Much Will Come Out This Fall.
B. E. Jones of Berkeley, CAL: IL
should say there are about 1900 people
in Dawson and on the creeks round
about there. This summer only about
20 claims have been worked and thus
far not a large sum of money has been
taken out. Most everybody is getting
ready for the winters work, which will
be pushed as vigorously this year as
last. AS far as l can estimate, the great
wealth of the Klondyke is holding out.
Still the amount Of gold that will come
from there this fall will not be so large
as estimated in some quarters. I should
say that there will be in the neighbor.
hood of l75 men down by the Portland
and Excelsior, and a very fair average
to each nan would not exceed $40, 600.
Many will bring down practically moth.
ing. would not care to say what the
Alaska Commercial company has in
gold on hand. At time gold was so
plentiful at Dawson people
Did Not Know What to Do With 1t.
The Trading company's safes were
filled 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 a large amount of gold coming
out as the wet season does not permit
of excavating. This coming winter
there will be about 600 claims in active
operation. They will nearly all do well
according to present indications and
next winters output will be proportion.
ately as large as last, although there
will not be as many rich strikes. The
Bench claims are turning out we'll,
much better in fact than was expected.
The upper end of some of the creeks
that are rich at the mouth range from
Is to 20 cents to the pan. AS to supplies.
I believe there will be fully $500 tons
taken up on the river boats owned by
the trading companies. Only about
half Of these, however, represents pro-
visions. the other being supplies. Last
year ice began to run in the Yukon as
early as Sept. %, and if the river begins
to run as early this year many of the
boats now going up and intended for
the Klondyke will not get through until
next year. l believe the Indian river
and its tributaries will prove valuable
diggings next winter.
"You may say that Circle City is
practically deserted, the people having
all gone to Dawson. The river steamers
Alice, Bella and Healy have made their
second trip down the river for the sea.
son. They will be down again in time
to meet the Portland and the Excelsior,
and most of the miners who will come
out this fall will be aboard on their
final trip"