The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-08-25
BACK
FROM
ALASKA
Come Four Argonauts With the
"YellOw Stuff"
"IN PAYING QUANTITIES" "
Miners Refuse to Pay the Canadian Royalty
and Trouble Is Threatened.

SEATTLE, Wash, Aug. 23. = The
steamer George E. Starr arrived at her
dock Saturday morning shortly after II
o'clock from Dyea and Skaguay and
was met by great crowd Of people, it
having been reported that several men
from Klondike, having made their way
to salt water overland, were ON board.
This report proved true, but the inter
est conferred in the appearance of one
passenger, Ed Thorp, who was expected
to come down on the Portland, and who
is reported to have somewhere in the
neighborhood of 100000 in Klondike
gold in his possession.
Thorp and his companions talked, but
it is impossible to get anything definite
from them. William Thorp, father Of
Ed Thorp, received letter few days
ago on the Alki from his son saying
that he had $3.50, 900 in gold. At least,
that is what Willis Thorp is alleged to
have told his friends. But now Thorp
and his three companions on the Starr
unite only on one point in telling their
story, and that is that they have $780,
600 between them.
-Four men ON the steamer are direct
from Dawson. They are George l.
Stewart, Ed Thorp, Joe Winterfeld and
Jack Ross and their Indian guide
Schwatka.
Stewart went to the Yukon in 1896,
and located claim on Eldorado creek,
a branch of Bonanza creek, aud about
sixteen miles from Dawson. When
their party left Dawson City, July 4,
nothing had been heard of the discov-
-krsixr la orfu 20
up the Yukon to Pelly river, which
they reached on the 18th of July. From
there they came over the Dalton trail
and reached Skaguay Aug. IL, Dalton
trail necessitates packing distance of
between 400 and 500 miles, and is used
mostly for driving stock over the Yukon.
1t is the intention of the party to re-
turn to their mines at once on the next
trip of the steamer George K. Starr if
they can get ready. They all came out
after supplies. MIR. Stewart said sup
plies run short in the spring, and that
Hour went up to $40 per sack. At pres
ent it is $12 per 100 pounds.
Old miners on the Yukon say that
the transportation company promises
every year to have plenty of provisions
for the next winter, but that the supply
invariably runs short.
Stewart is farmer who pursued his
vocation until he was poor for 10 years
III Pierce county, this state. Thorp,
who is really at the head of the outfit,
is butcher. Both are tenderfeet as
far as mining goes. When they struck
the Klondike Oct. 81 last, the people
did not realize the richness of the dis
trict, and claims were bought cheap.
Stewart and Thorp obtained half in
In ha ola az iafY
Eldorado, for half what they took out.
After 26 days work they cleaned up
&8, 900 from piece of ground 20 by &c.
There is $3.50, 900 in sight, the pay
streak being 145 feet wide. Their Bo-
nanza creek claims were aiken opposite
that of Cormack, the disJoverer of the
Klondike. He tried to hold the bench
ground, but it was against the law, and
Thorp's filing was accepted, Thoy have
refused $500, 900 for the four claims
Their trip out at this season was
grim dash for grub. When they left
stores were short in the camp, and they
knew nothing of what was coming.
They hurriedly left with seventy pounds
each and 100 pounds of dust. They
rowed up the Yukon 175 miles and
then struck across country through the
woods 400 miles to the Chilkoot river.
The week after leaving Pelly river they
ran out Of food.
For two days they subsisted ON small
wild ducks caught In the ponds along
the trail This was all they had, their
-four having given out They began to
feel the effect of the limited diet when
they met train of cattle in charge of
Seattle stock men. They were given
full supply Of -four
Stewart says that the miners in Klon-
dixie who organized refuse to pay the 20
per cent royalty and every other claim
which the Canadian government threat
ems to exact from Americans. He said;
"They will organize to the number of
1000, and IL will be no easy matter for
the 1875 Canadian mounted police in the
district to enforce Canada's demands.
There will be trouble if this regulation
Is enforced.
The biggest strike in the district, says
Stewart, was made by four Americans
who worked claim No. 3, ON Eldorado,
ON shares for the owners, Alex MoDon-
aid and Niger Jim. At the end Of 80
days work they took out $4,000. One
pan ran $500, the highest of the camp.
Charles Myers was at the head Of the