The San Francisco call., 1897-08-22

pounds of gold dust Is the latest returns
from tue Upper Yukon gold fields. 1t
was brought out by four miners and an
Indian who came from the Klond ke
River overland to Dyea. There they took
the steamer George E. Starr, which
brought three of the prospectors into
Seattle this morning shortly after 10
o'clock. By name they are Ed Thorp of
Seattle, George Stewart of Stuck Valley,
near Tacoma, and Joe WinterhoIm OF
Juneau. The other mem Der of the party is
Jack Ross. from Douglas Island, and he
left the steamer at Juneau. The Indian,
Familiarity known as Schwatka, piloted
them out and also manned at Juneau.
Ali of the gold dast, valued at about
$50 600, was brought to Seattle, with the
exception of $4,000 that Mr.. Ross had in his
possession. The men came out to lay in
a supply of provisions. They left Dawson
City on July 4. each with seventy pound
pack, and came over what is known as the
Daulton trail, reaching Dyea on August IL
and taking the Starr the following day
for Seattle. They ali expect TO leave again
for the north in the course OF q couple OF
weeks, hoping to reach the Klondike be-
fore October 20 after which time they fear
the streams may be frozen UP. Last year
the river jam occurred on Novem Der 9.
Although these returning miners were
not successful in aping very rich har-
vest of golden nuggets. yet they have in
Ierests IN claims which they believe may
yet mean fortunes to them. They report
that up to the time they left Dawson and
since the miners departed to return on
the first trip of the Portland and Excelsior,
no big strikes were made. Considerable
dust that had not been cleaned up as a
result of last winters prospecting will be
brought down in few days on the Port
land, but they express the belief that not
until the September return OF the vessels
via ST. Michael will the greatest excite
ment be caused in the bringing out of
dust valued possibly up in the millions.
Ali are united in the opinion that next
winters work will net from SIC, 900 900 to
SIS 900, 900 in dust and nuggets. Last win
ter's work was started late, while this year
it will commence early and the mum ber of
prospectors will be many times greater.
All three men talked freely to THE CALL
correspondent this afternoon at the home
of Ed Thorp. Thew have great faith in
future big returns from the Klondike land
think Stewart River and other streams
will show up equally as well. Up to the
time of their departure there had been no
authenticated reports of big strikes on the
Stewart River, although many stampedes
had been made and considerable pros
pecting will be done. Ed Thorp and
George Stewart first went into the Yukon
country last fall with party of nine, tax
ing thirty-seven head of cattle with them.
They left Seattle about July 1, and set out
from Chilcoot River over the Daulton
trail on July 8, reaching Dawson City Oc-
tober 81 That night the first big strike
on the Klondike vas reporied by Rhoades.
But three head of cattle were lost. The
balance were butchered and sold at Daw-
son for 80 cents per pound. However, as
financial venture the scheme was not
successful, as the cost of transporting the
cattle was too great. After wintering on
the Klondike Ed Thorpe set out over the
ice for Seattle on the 22d of February last
to report to his father the result of their
cattle venture.
He reached here the latter part of April,
and on May ID again turned his face
toward the north, landing at Dawson a
rev Gays DeIOIe ue JOlneu the present e4-
pedition on July for Seattle. Just why
he prefers to come and go so often is hard
to understand. He explains it by stating
that be wishes 10 familiarize himself with
the trail. On the return trip, however,
the party will go from Skaguay via the
White Pass. They were at Skaguav last
Saturday and learned that the trail was
still IN an almost i'm passabIe condition. A
pack train with seventeen horses had
started over it, and but nine horses re-
turned. They say, however, that there
was serious talk of calling The 5000 or 1000
miners together and in mass-meeting de-
eide that each man shall give four or five
DAYS, as may be required, 10 improve the
trail so as to make it passable.
Mr.. Thorp. who is young man but 20
years of age, states that with George
Stewart; his brother W. L. Thorp, and
cousin, George Bounds, they own half of
claim A, which lies between Nos. and
4 on Ell Dorado Creek. They have also
taken up bench claims Nos. /, 2. and 4
on Bonanza Creek, opposite the Discovery
claims. The bed of the creek where the
channel runs is from soto 30 feet wide and
freezes dry in the winter. These claims
were all located last fall.
Siwash George Cormack originally To-
Gated the gulch claims on Bonanza Creek.
expecting to hold the side hills, but the
Thorp crowd filed on them as bench