The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-29

teen months ago. They had but little
capital. but they had two hearts that
were full of determination. They took
the boat to Dyea, the head OF navigation.
The rest of the distance-and distances
In Alaska are long-was made behind
team of dogs. They slept under tent
on beds of boughs Mrs. Berry wore gar
ments which resembled very much those
of her husband. They came over her feet
like old-fashloned sandals, and did not
stop at her knees. They were made of
seal fur with the fur inside. She pulled
gum boots over these. Her skirts were
very short. Her feet were in moccasins,
and over her shoulders was a fur robe.
The hood was of bearskin. This oil made
most heavy garment but she heroically
trudged along with her husband, aver
aging about fifteen miles each day. They
reached Forty Mile Creek year ago in
june three months after they were mar
ried. They called It their wedding trip.
Klondike was still a good way off. and
1t was thought at first that the claims
closer at hand would pay. One day a
miner came tearing into the settlement
with most wonderful tales of the region
further on. His descriptions were like
fairy tales from arabian Nights"-ac-
counts fitting actually the scenes In spec
tacular plays. where the nymph or queen
of fancy land bids her slaves to pick up
chunks of gold as big as the crown of a
nat. Berry told the tale to his wife. She
said she would stay at the post while he
went to the front. There was no rest
that night in the camp. Men were rush.
ing out pellmell, bent on nothing but get
ting first into the valley of the Klondike
and establishing claims. Mrs. Berry
worked with her husband with might and
main, and before daylight he was on the
road over the pass. There were fifty long
miles between him and fortune, and he
worked without sleep or rest to beat the
great field which started with him. He
made the track in two days. He was
among the first in. He staked claim 40,
above the Discovery, which means that
his property was the fortieth one above
| the first Aladdin 1t was agreed that
each claim should have 800 feet on the
| river.-the Bonanza. This was the begin
ming of Berry's fortune. He then began
| to trade for interests in other sites. He
secured a share In three of the best on
Eldorado Creek. There is no one living
who can tell how much this property is
worth. 1t has only been worked In the
| crudest way yet five months netted him
| enough to make him rich man the rest
| of his life. There are. untold and inesti-
mable millions where the small sum from
| the top was taken.
Berry wanted to bring his bride to him
| from the settlement and he proceeded to
build himself a house. 1t was made OF
| logs. He built 1t solid and then sawed
| holes for the door and windows. This
was late last summer. The thermometer
| was getting accustomed to standing at n
| degrees below zero day In and out. Mrs
| Berry trudged through the nineteen miles
of hard snow and took her place in the
hut with her husband. There was no floor
| but the snow bank. 1t cost the couple
| ~
| hauled, and there was but little chance
| to use fuel save to thaw out the moos,
| and caribou which the Indians peddled
| The bride and groom kept warm by cud
| dling-a thing somewhat unknown II
| civilized communities, but absolutely nee
essary with the mercury disappearing ir
| the bulb and wood worth its weight r
| gold. They endured all the hardships
without complaining, since by this time
| they knew they had reached the colder
| pot at the tip of the rainbow.
This new gold king and queen made
| the first strike of year ago in Novem
Der. They We're working along EldoradC
| Creek, a branch of the BonanZo, which
empties into the Klondike about two
miles above Dawson City. Their site wa:
| the fifth one above where the first dis
| covery had been made in this particular
| region. 1t took nearly a month to ge
| into paying dirt, but when the vein wa:
| opened it was simply awful. The frs
prospect panned 81 and SO to the pan. /
| grew suddenly to $25 and $50 pan, anC
| kept increasing. 1t seemed they haC
| tapped mint, and one day Mr.. and Mrs
Berry gathered no less than $595 from
single pan of earth. This they hav,
| saved in a sack by itself, and the peopl
| who have listened to the strange storie
| of the young man and his young wifi
have no fear that they have been mis-
taken. They have left no room to thinl
they are not telling the truth-trutl
which seems probable in the face o
sacks and Jumps of gold which the,
have not yet had time to send to mar
ket They have it piled up in their room
in the hotel in San Francisco.
| Berry and his men worked five month
at this claim They thawed and washe
thirty box lengths of soil. This brough
him S13O,OOO. out of which he paid $22, ,OC
for help. He then put fifteen miners a
work in his best diggings and starte
home to get some coin. He has acquire
| five claims, all of which are being work
ed. He has not the slightest idea hoy
much he is worth. He has been ava
from the fields for two months. II
guesses that he has at least $1,000 OF
more ready for him by this time. 1t ma
be twice or three times that amount. II
has a good wagon load of the yellow stu
in the safety deposit vault. Mr.. and Mr.:
Berry have one of the best rooms at tn
best hotel on the coast. They have leape
from poverty to wealth in a single twelve
|