Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-07-29
Purcell Talks About Alaska.
FORMER MEXICO MAN TELLS OF
THE WONDERS OF THE
GOLD REGIONS.
Left High Hill Broke Fifteen Months
Ago, and Is Back Burdened With
Riches-Facts About the
Klondyke Country.

Riches-Facts About the
Klondyke Country.
B. Frank Purcell, formerly of this
city, whose home is now at High Hill, |
Montgomery county, returned last
Monday from the gold regions of
Alaska and fully verifies all the re-
ports about the wonderful yield of the
mines in that far-off and frozen coun-
try.
The Globe Democrat OF July 2s con-
tains a three column interview with
Mr.. Purcell from which the LEDGER
extracts the following interesting par
agraphs:
"The Klondyke gold field is a three
ring circus, and the California and
Montana mining regions but side
shows in comparison. Nowhere else,
unless it be in the golden streets of
Paradise, a gold be found 30 easily
or In such abundance. There is no
place on earth to-day where a man
can take one pan of dirt from the
dump which laborers have worked all
day to pile up and in fife en- minutes
extract from this two shovels full of
precious mud enough pure gold to pay
off his men at the fabulous rate Of $15
a day. Yes,that is what Is being done
to-day in half a dozen of the creeks
that feed the swirling flood of KIon-
dyke River"
A year ago last February Mr.. Pur-
cell was conducting general mer-
chandise business at High Hill, Mont
gomery county, Mo-, rs miles from st.
Louis. One night fire destroyed his
store, wiped out his books and left not
a vestige of a prosperous business. He
was insured for $4,000. The company
refused to pay the loss. Mr.. Purcell
employed Senator @. E. Peers and W.
L. Morsey, of W~arrenton, and sued
the company. He secured a compro-
mise Judgment for $4,000, but Chicago
creditors tied up the money and left
him without a cent. One day in April
last year Mr.. Purcell walked into Sem
ator Peers Office.
"I'm going to Alaska" he an
nounced, "and I want $780,"
His note, secured by a lien on the
insurance judgment, was taken and
the money was forthcoming. For 10
months the prospector toiled in the
heat Of summer and biting cold of
winter.
Mr.. Purcell's partner in the journey
and in the properties they subsequent
ly picked up was Jacob Halterman, of
Hardin, Ray county, Mo. They went
to Tacoma, WASH, and from there
sailed to Dyea, went through Chilkat
Pass to Lake Linderman, and then
down the Yukon River to Dawson
City, 1880 miles in the interior. MI.
Purcell started on his return June 10.
He and his partner traversed most of
the Yukon and Klondyke fields. When
they arrived there wer nc more than
600 people in the gold field. At the
time of the Klondyke strike they were
in the Birch Greek district. All the
choice claims were taken when they
reached the Klondyke, but they got In
early enough to make several pur-
chases at what have since turned out
to be ridiculously low figures. They
sold a half interest in claim No. % for
$21 900, and SO rapidly do prices jump
that before Mr.. Purcell left for home
the property was quoted at 800, 900.
They still retain claim No. 6, below
Discovery, in the Bear Greek district,
and several properties on the Ameri-
can Creek.
"The ground has prospected WE'LL"
said Mr.. Purcell, speaking of the
property, "and I think rs well of it as
of the claim we sold. There is consider
able dirt on the dump, but it will not
be sluiced until in August. Oh, 1 don't
know what the property is worth, but
I would not take $50, 900 for my inter-
est"
"Last winter" continued Mr.. Pur-
cell, "was a mild one, yet the spirit
thermometer mercury freezes in the
bulb up there) registered as low as 81
degrees below zero. Most OF the time
it was from 20 to 40 below, and tina,
we considerd pretty good working
weather. OF course, the men DOM
} work all day in that temperature, but
when properly attired they can &C.
complish considerable in the course Of
a week. For outdoor work W. put or
as many pairs of socks as we could
then slipped on wool boots and tied
the whole up in hay. Over our head
and shoulders we wore what is called
a sparquet.' 1t is a n~ondescript sort
of a garment which tightens with
strings like a woman's skirt, and GOV.
ers all the face but the eyes, nose ant
mouth. 1 generally moisted a piect
of rabbit skin and stuck it on my nose
This kept that member from freezing
Very few people up there wear beardt
or mustaches. When it Is 40 below
zero ones breath freezes and the hail
on ones face becomes a q of ict
that is decidedly uncomfortable Il
carry around.
:. "But the winters are not the onl.
climatic drawback. In summers VI
were beset with flies and mosquitoes
, The torture inflicted by these pests |
something no can do justice to il
a descriptive way. Ihave seen stroni
, men lie down and cry like babes as
result of the bites. There is seldom
/. a breath of air, and the heat is 81
intense that to wea a cheese-cl
:. protection for the head Is undesirable
Last summer scurvy became epidemi
3 and that added to the troubles OF tn
! camps.
"When / left Dawson City there wa
: no such thing as a boarding house
a Every man was his own cook, an
every man had to provide his owl