The Springfield herald., 1897-09-03
PORTLAND COMES In.
DIDN'T BRING A CARGO OF GOLD
Less Than 100000 In Gold Dust From the
Yukon-Not Much More May He Expect
ed This Year-Gold Hard to Get at
KInpnyke

Seattle. Wash, Aug. 29-The steam
er Portland arrived here at O'Clock
this morning. 1t was fourteen hours
after the Portland was sighted off
Cape Flattery before she arrived here.
The Portland carried thirteen miners
each of whom brought only n small
part of his stake. The total amount
of dust on the vessel is perhaps S175.-
600. The Portland was delayed by the
failure of the Il. b. Weare to arrive
at st. Michae's and by n strong
storm on the North Pacific ocean. The
miners on board, with the amount OF
their total mining profits, part OF
which was brought with them. are as
follows: ]. Rowan. $4,000; Joe Gold
smith. $4,000: w. w. Caldwell. S35.-
900: C, X. lilly, $4,000; W. Zahn.
$4,000; G. S. Lansing. $4,000: NJ. II.
Camler. 5000; Jim Bell, ST.. 900: n.
w. Powers. $4,000; w. Oler $50, 600:
+. w. Cobb. $4,000: A. Buckley. SO
600; b. w. Farnham. $4,000.
While the small amount of gold
brought from the Yukon by the steam
er Portland was II disappointment to
many, the miners who return unite in
SAYING that the country is fabulously
rich. The claims which have been
OF them give assurance of proving
very rich. All estimates of the amount
of gold which will be taken out of the
Yukon next year must necessarily be
very rough. as there is no means of
determining how much work will he
done. If men could be secured to
work the claims already located thc.e
undoubtedly would be many millions
OF dollars taken out, but the ma jority
OF men who go there prefer to pros
pect on their own account. notwith-
+ standing the fact that high wages can
be had wherever claims have been 10.
Gated and have proven rich.
Statements have been made that the
steamer Portland on her next ,rip will
bring fully S2,OOO,OOO in gold. but the
most reliable men from Dawson CITY
say that no such amount of money will
come, as it has not been taken out of
the ground. One miner who came
down places the outside figure AT ST.
100000. Ell Dorado and Bonanza
creeks, where the richest strikes were
made. have been staked for many
miles and rs desirable claims are
scarce, the prospectors are beginning
to scatter out.
When the rich strikes were made
Mt Bonanza and El Dorado. hundreds
OF miners left paying claims and
rushed to the new diggings. Many
OF them struck 1t rich. while others Sc
cured nothing and either returned 10
their old claims or went prospectlnp
anew.
1t is stated that the North Ameri-
can Trading and Transportation Com
pany brought down $4,000 of their
own money on the steamer Portland.
put 1t was generally understood thai
this money would not be brought down
until the next trip Of the Portland.
when she would be conveyed by n
United States revenue cutter.
John +. Miller, ex-district attorney
OF Seattle. writes to n friend in this
city from Dawson City, under date
of July Bird, as follows.
mere is an enormous amount of
wealth IN this country. gold by the
thousand and million. but 1t is lust
as hard TO acquire 1t here as else
where. 1t, as elsewhere. is In the
hands OF few, while the many are
hunting and searching-the same old
story. Ell Dorado and Bonanza creeks
are the richest of all in this locality
ana In fact are so far practically the
only dlggings of great value. and
can say that one might lust as we'll
Try to get in on Wall street in New
YORK city. He could do so with nc
more money than here. Men on these
creeks value their claims at enorn O,,s
neures. one. two and three hundred
Thousand dollars. and even higher
The amount taken out last winter ma
lusufy such valuation. but OF course
there are no purchasers. You can In.
form anybody and everybody intend
ing to come here that if they EXPECT
to lind gold scattered around at ran
dom or get something for nothing. n.
toionel Sellers once attempted. the,
VIII be disappointed. While 1t is true
that the gold deposits in the localit,
were found almost accidentally. it Is
no encouragement TO note the fact thai
II is the first accident of the kind In
thirty years searching.