The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-24
MARSTEN HAD LUCK
RETURNING KLoNDYKER TELLS OF
HIS CHASE FOR WEALTH.

Since 1890 . seeker After Gold In tho
Frozen North-Evil Luck Abode With
Him for Years, Fortune Always
LavIshinE Her Smiles Cpon L~ss Likely
Peopie-But When the Tide Tuvnsd lie
Coaidn't Pick Up ,he Money - Fast As
Cams-Expects to Retire when lie
Reaches the Million Mark.
Seattle, July 23.-Among many men
who have returned from the Klondyke
fields of the northwest territory. loaded
down with geld, no one tells more in
teresting story than that which Viii
liam Henry Marstens gave 70 your cor
respondent. He returned on the steamer
Portland, and brought with him more
than 500, COO
| Marstens spent seven years in the Tar
| north without finding 800 worth OF
gold, and it was not until one year ago
/ that fortune came his way.
1t was just by chance that ne made
his winning, for seven years in the cold
north without beng rewarded had al
most driven him insane, and when the
news of the Klondyke finds reached hin
| ne was al Juneau, and, according TO his
own story. was about TO take the steam
er for Puget Sound.
He would have returned to civilization
a year before, but he had no money, was
| TOO proud to beg his passage down on
the steamer, and money which had ben
sent by a brother in England failed to
reach him.
Today Marstens is worth at least 81, 000,-
| 900. He has three claims in the north,
out of which other men from whom lie
| bought them had taken 100000.
I'm my judgment" said Marstens, Il
will have no trouble in taking out 81, 0o0,-
900 in three years. That will satisfy me,
| and will return to my home and my
people. if any OF them are left
| Marstens at one time, according to his
own story, was worth almost as much
as he afterwards took out of the soil
with his own hands. He lived near
Devonshire. Eng. He attended Oxford,
and could have graduated, but love for
travel brought him to this country.
That was IS years ago. He was then
- years Of age. He spent money reck-
Kentucky, he lost the best Of his for
tune by betting on the horses.
He came TO the coast with the inten-
ton Of spending some time with an I'M
Gle in San Jose, Cal, but when he
reached this city he found three friends
with whom he had become acquainted
in New York. They were going to
Alaska, and ne concluded to accompany
them. He wrote home for money, and
in the meantime his friends left for the
north, and ne remained in Seattle.
Marstens did not hear from nome, and
finally, to reach.the north, he agreed to
work for miner named George Hilly,
who was enroute for Youkon.
They made the trip together. 1t was
in March, 1890, that they reached Juneau
and at once started for the gold fields.
Marstens tells the story:
"Hilly was an experienced miner, but
he had been exposed SO much to the Sc
we're wea ther that he was not much
good for hard work. Hilly had never
been IN Alaska. At the foot of Chinook
pass we got lost In a snowstorm, and for
week we felt that we had looked on
humanity for the last time.
Finally, however, I succeeded in
finding our way, and then 1 was strick
en- with snow blindness. Another week
was spent there, then recovered my
eyesght, and together We continued our
journey.
"At Lake Lebarge we found others
who were waiting for the ice to break
I'D. A week later we were in our boats.
which were made for us al the lake by
an old Frenchman. We were bounti-
fully supplied with food knew how
to handle boat, and being strong and
healthy, experienced no trouble in get
ting along. I think people, in telling
the world that it is such an awful trip,
don't tell the truth. Why, after we
were in our boats i. was a pleasure
trip.
''Of course the canon is dangerous,
but I know how 20 handle boat, and
we ran the canon without accident. |
The White Horse rapids are one great
source Of danger, and while l have
known many men 10 run them, I say !
do not do It. We had an uneventfui !
trip, except once, when We encountered |
a rock and went into the water. Our |
provisions had been packed and tied in |
the boats 50 that we did not lose them |
and suffered no great Inconvenience.
con the trails from Dyea to Lake |
Linderman man has much trouble. |
His strength and his patience are taxed !
70 their utmost. but this is natural. |
Many OF the men who make the trip |
are from homes of luxury. They are !
not used to harships. and why should |
not they suffer TO some extent?
81 saw men on our trip sit down and |
weep. Others cursed their God. and |
many suffered in silence. but a few !
days of such experience puts them in a |
better humor, AMI then they are all /
right for the rest Of the trip. and they /
are ready to smile a; the next new
conner who makes his appearance.
Some fail utterly and return. but |
such are few, and are usually branded |
IS men who should have been al home
with their mothers.
The portage from Dyea 20 Lake Lin
derman is very severe. The distance is
- miles. Il Is an actual fact that one
consumes as much time in transferring
ones baggage, over this piece OF the
route as is consumed in making the re-
mainder Of the trip 70 Dawson City,
which is g bou. 200 miles.
When We 60. in the for north We
struck OF; tor a little creek which was
known as jumbo place. and where We
were :cid several men had taken out
6Thf0TEEE56