The Dickinson press., 1897-09-25

yy.diias5sss'
personal and real property, is
S463,216. whereas it had been
hoped that it would not be less
than $4,000. Last year theyal.
uation was $4,000. 9fS 4
Mr. Prentiss Home From KlsnAike.
Geo. NJ. Prentiss give his family in
Dickinson q pleasant surprise on the
evening of September 10, arriving i.
rect from the Klondike country. hay
ing been absent from home just 223
days. Mrs. Prentiss had been looking
for y letter for several days. but was
much better pleased to hear from her
husband in person-to know that he
had been we'll and that he had bright
prospects of making a comfortable
fortune out of his venture.
MI. Prentiss is a bright active man,
IS years of age, who had had expert,
once in placer mining in South
America in 80, and believing moth.
ing ventured, nothing have" he start
ed on. the 9Th of last February for the
gold fields of the far north. He had
very little money vt this time but
lots of determination. He landed in
Seattle with only Is cents in his
pocket. On the 2Sth of Feb. Mr..
Prentiss was bound for juneau,
thence via Dyea, still 600 miles from
the Klondike region. Destination
was reached June LIST. For the first
IL days Mr.. Prentiss worked at SIS
per day which gave him some ready
money to live on while prospecting.
On the 10th of June he staked out the
FIRST bench claim ever taken in the
country. The claim is recorded at
Dawson City rs "Bench No. 4, but
ting Placer Mine No.6."on Ell Dorado
creek. This creek empties into Bo.
manga creek and the latter into the
Klondike river.
About this time the prospe,tors
found that the bench claims were
rich in gold and there was y grand
rush. Clarence Berry, whom the
papers have said SO much about as
having taken out the largest quantity
of gold in the Klondike region, has
his claim there, and MI. Prentisi
staked q young fellow on a claim ad'
joining his so as to have two claims
1.-THE laws of the land allow a person
to take only one as an original entry.
He had found paying dirt and EN-
ployed two men. Mr.. Prentiss had
an offer Of $500 for a quarter inter
est in his claim purchased of the lad
and sold. He went down to Dawson
City to see about winter provisions
and found a great scarcity. Flour wal
selling at $47 per cwt. and not enough
to 90 around. He was told that the
next ship. the "Bella," would bring
sufficient supplies, but instead of edi.
bles there was on board a large guam.
tity of wet goods" bar fixtures. etc
Mr.. Prentiss was not pleased with the
prospects and rather than take
chances of starving, he let his claims
to be worked on a forty per cent lay
and set his face homeward on the 18th
Of August, arriving in Seattle on the
18th Of this month and in Dickinson
on the 10th. The fare from Dawson
City via St. Michaels, at the mouth
of the Yukon, to Seattle is $40.
From Dawson City, down the Yukon
to st. Michaels, 1850 miles are trav.
ersed, thence to Seattle. 5000 miles.
At Mlnook, four miles from the
Yukon, the nearest mining camp to
this great river, MI. Prentiss bought
m interest in a mine in q gold region
Of quite recent discovery.
MI. Prentiss estimates the stand
ing population of Dawson City at
1000. and, including the floating popu-
lation, 5000. 1t is tho principal town
Of the Klondike region, being the
headquarters of the North American
Transportation Co., also the Alaska
Commercial Co. The former compa.
pany does a business Of $4,000, to
$4,000 per day. During the month Of
June, July and August there is!no
night there, and during the winter
only about four hours of daylight.
The ground is frozen to q great depth,
and, being covered with moss, dnsa
not thaw out during the SUMMER,
though it is quite warm in the mid.
die Of the day in summer.
When asked whether he would I'd.
wise people to go to the Klopdjke
country, Mr.. Prentiss said thatsIll
could not; there were hard4t3&k
no person could realize until he
up. and many would come avail,
appointed. However. he said 1ttN.
depended on the person. He witifSt
back early in the spring before.th
boys have washed the gold out ofsthe
dirt that they will throw out during
the winter. A number of capitalists
are considering q proposition Will
Mr.. Prentiss and the chances are tina
he will return we'll equipped to taP
idly develope some Of the most prom
Using claims in the northern gold re
gion. At any rate he has q snul
sum Of money already taken m
what are considered very rich claim!
and will be able to take care Of him
self very nicely in the future.
A white Siberian fox skin, hsea
skin boots, native clothing. the firn