The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-07-19
II READS LIKE A FABLE
The Marvellous Riches of the New
Klondyke Gold Fields.
WAS FOUND BY AN INDIAN
Every River in Alaska Filled With Gold
Millions Waiting for Miners to
Come and Dig 1t Out Richest
Placer Ever Known.

ment over the Clondyke mines is on
the Increase and hundreds of people are
preparing To sail for Alaska. The
steamer Portland, which brought down
over 81 .0OO.0 in gold win start ON her
return trip tomorrow and viii be
crowded 10 her utmost capacity Con-
seTyative men who have been in the
country claim there Is room for hun
dreds OF more men in Alaska. They
admit that all of the fields in the vici-
nifty of Clondyke have been taken. but
every river In Alaska is, In their judg-
ment. filled with gold, which can be
secured IL the men are willing 10 risk
the hardships
Inspector Strickland of the Canadian
mounted police, who came down on the
Portland says: When | left Dawson
City. a month ago, there were about
500 claims staked out and there were
between 1000 and 5000 people In there.
| can safely say that there was about
sl5OO,000 In gold mined last winter.
The wages In the mines were SIS day.
and the saw mill paid laborers $40 a
day. The claims now staked out will
afford employment to about 5000 men.
! believe II man is strong, healthy.
and wants work. he can find employ
ment al good wages. Several men
worked on an interest, or what is
termed lay and during the winter
realized from $1,000 To $4,000 a piece.
The mines are 55 To 100 miles from the
Alaska boundary"
A detachment of mounted police of
the Northwest territory which passed
through Seattle two years ago struck
ii rich. Five of the twenty guards re-
turned on the Portland with gold
amounting to $500 900 The other fifteen
remained in Alaska to engage in min
ing.
Mrs f. A. Gage. wife of the son of
the secretary of the treasury. Lyman
Gage, came down ON the Portland. She
went north on IL at st. Michaels. She
said in an interview: This country is
I enormously rich. The present gold
dggings are only a very small part of
| IL. and there is little doubt that there
are millions only waiting for the mi
ners tn come and dig II out. The men
from the Clondyke are not the men to
exaggerate. for | have talked with
I people whom l know to be truthful"
IL is declared that there Is no danger
of food giving out, and reports To the
contrary are not honest. The North
American Transportation a. Trading
company viii not allow man To take
any food north on the Portland, but il
viii guarantee tn furnish him food for
n year al less than Sl0o. He can secure
such "A guarantee before leaving This
city, SO that starvation will not be one
of the difficulties to stare men i'm the
face.
A letter received from Dawson City
under date of June Is. contains many
interesting facts. The writer. Arthur
Perry. q well known citizen of Seattle.
says: THE first discovery OF gold on
the Clondyke was made the middle of
August 1896. by George Cormack, on a
creek emptying into the Clondyke. ON
the south, called by the Indians, Boz
nanza. He found $l.60 to the pan on
a high rim. and after making the find
known al Forty Mile. went back with
two Indians and took out 81 400 in three
weeks with three sluice boxes. The
creek was soon staked from one end to
the other. and all the small gulches
were also staked and recorded. About
Sept. 10th man by the name uf Whip
pie prospected "A creek emptying into
the Bonanza on No. I. above discovery.
and named IT Whipple Greek. He short
ly aftcrward sold out and the miners
renamed il FL Dorado.
When ] first reached the new camp
Murph Thorp Of Juneau and George
Stewart from Stuck Valley. Washing
ton. to go down in their shaft and pick
pan of dirt. as they had just struck
a rich streak. To my surprise u was
s2S350. In IA pans Of dirt they took out
sl.565 right In the bottom of the shaft,
which was four by eight feet.
March 10th. Clarence Berry took out
$500 To the pan. Jimmy McLaine took
out over 5000 to the pan; Frank Phis-
eater took out sl35 10 the pan. Four
boys from Nanaino took as high as
sl25 To the pan. They were the first
men 10 get hole down to bedrock on
the III Dorado and get pay.
In fact big pans We're being taken
out on nearly every claim on the creek
until one and two hundred dollar pans
were common. April 18th Clarence
Berry took in one pan - ounces. 1896.
and In Two days panned out over
$1,000. April lith we heard that some
boys on M. 30 Eldorado had struck 1t
/. rich and taken out $500 In one pan.
This was the banner pan of the creek
and Charles Myers. who had the
ground. told me that IL he had wanted
Ia pick the dirt he could have taken
uut iu0 ounces just as easy
Jimmy McLaine took out sll 600
the dirt. Clarence Berry and his part
ner. Anton Strander, panned out about
the same in the same manner. Mrs
Berry used to go down IL the dumps
every day 10 get dirt and carry 1t tt
the shanty ana pan il herself she has
over $4,000 taken out In that manner
Mr.. Lippy from Seattle has a rich
claim. and his wife has sack OF mug.
gets alone Of $1,000 that she has picked
up on the dumps.
When the dumps were washed In
the spring the dirt paid better than
was expected. Four boys on a lay In
Eldoradu took out $4,000 in fouI
months Frank Phiscater. who owned
the ground, and had some men hired
cleared up $4,000 for the winter. Mr.
Lippy. so ] am told has cleared W
$4,000. Louis Rodss. Bonanza. has
cleaned up $4,000. Clarence Berry and
Antoine Strander have cleaned up $780,
100 for the winter This is probably
the richest placer ever known In ths
world They took II out So fast and 50
much Of u. that they did not have time
to weigh il with gold scales They tooi
steelyards and all the syrup cans wer,
filed.