The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-23
'ARKELL's BIG CLAIM.
Eew Yorker Asserts Ownership to
Nearly All the Klondyke.
Based on Right Of Alleged
/ Original Discovery.
More Millions In Gold Dust Coming 10 San
Francisco. Miners Leave Seattle.

New York. July 23.-The Press this
morning says
, II the day dreams of w. ]. Arkeli are
realized he will be AZ rich as Barney
Barnato, providing he can convince the
governments OF the United States and
Great Britain that he is the rightful
owner OF some $500 miles OF the Klondyke
gold fields Of Alaska.
So deeply Is he impressed with the be-
aief that ne has more than an ordinary |
claim that he Is organizing an expedi-
tion, which Will start for Alaska In |
month. Bartlett Arkell will head II, |
and he will have with him Harry i. |
Clark OF Pittsburg, his brother-in-law, |
and "A party OF newspaper men. |
Arkell's claim to the gold field is based |
on information received from two men, |
~. T.. Wells OF Cincinnati and A. Is. |
Schanz OF Indiana mineral springs OF
Indiana Wells and Schanz were two
OF an expedition which visited the Klon-
dyke gold fields with T.. j. Glave, the
explorer, In 1890 and 1891.
The expedition was organized by Mr..
Arkell and cost $4,000. Glave has since
died, but Wells and Schanz are alive and
have asked Mr.. Arkell II he Is going to
protect his claims. II he does not they
expect to go to Alaska themselves to
look after their interests. The party
explored the Yukon river from It's source
. 10 its mouth. Gold, according to Mr..
Arkell, was found in large quantities,
and $500 miles Of claims were staked out
for the party. Arkells share was one
khird, one-third for Glave. Wells.
Schanz, =. Il. Pierce and John Dalton OF
IL i'll
Chilkat natives.
Maps of the land have been made by
members Of the expedition and accord
ing to Mr. Arkell the government Is now
using the maps. All the original copies
and pictures of the claims are In the
possession Of Arkell, after whom lake
has been named near the head OF the
Yukon AT present Arkell cannot tell
whether or not claims were filed for the
land staked off at the mining claim Office,
in Sitka.
'I base my claim on the fact that
am practically the discoverer Of the
dand." said Mr.. Arkell.
"It was my money which betrayed the
expense of the expedition, and under the
law I understand that the discOverer has
more rights than in the case OF squat
ters. II is my intention to push this
matter and IL am successful will d.
vide with the heirs OF the Glave estate.
The last thing Glaye said to me before
going to Africa, where he contracted a
fever and died, was that II he returned
to this country he would go to Alaska
and pass the remainder of his life there,
as 1t was the richest country in mineral
deposits on the globe"
A government claim usually is $50 feet
by 1900 feet, or altogether 225. 900 square
feet. According to Mr. Arkell's mathe-
mates he and the members of his ex-
pedition are the possessors of 55S0OC
claims Usually the government insists
that to obtain patent to the claim the
claimant must spend 800 year on each
tclaim in order to hold 1t, or $500 in five
years TO obtain ownership. Mr.. Ar
kells 55S, 900 claims would mean an an
nual expenditure of $55, 0,000 a year tC
hold them. or $279, 100000 in five years
to obtain the patent.
Steamer Portland Leaves for Alaska.
Seattle, Wash, July 23.-Two Thousand
men, fully provisioned for Alaskan win
ters and bent on seeking a fortune in the
golden placers of the Klondyke, will b'
scattered along the routes between thi.
city and Dawson City in the next II
days.
Many will be fully outfitted for the
trip across the mountain pass by way
OF Dyea, while others will take easier
routes up the Yukon river to Dawson
City. The rush to Klondyke's ricf
placer fields was formally begun with tn,
sailing of the steamer Portland, ladenet
to the guards with men and supplies.
One thousand men, women and chill.
dren crowded Schwabacher's dock yes
terday afternoon to witness the sailing
of the Portland. 1t was a sight exceed
ing even the scenes In California dur
ing the gold excitement Of 40.
More Millions Coming.
San Francisco. July 23.--When tn,
steamer Excelsior returns from her mex
trip to st. Michael, which will be abou
Sept. 5, the present Klondyke excite
ment Will be cast into the shade. From
private letter which was received her,
by the last steamer from trustworth,
sources, II Is known that the Excelsio
will bring down on her next trip between
$5,0O0.000 and $6.O0O,00O in gold dust
which Will represent the clean up o
all the miners remaining on the Yukon
WIN qppd their fpoppv hy avprass