The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-23
HIGH PRICED CLAIMS.
And Small Chance For Investors In the
kloLdike.

/ think the future of the Klondik
country is bright, provided machiner
is got In there and we can obtain SUI
plies and proper way of mining.
think it shows well for numerous for
tunes to be made in there without mod
ern machinery and skilled labor. Wha
we need the most of anything is to ge
companies to take supplies there, s.
that we can get our machinery Their
and handle this property. Under tin
present conditions the country will no
support very large population.
Men who go in there now and thinl
they are going to buy claim for 81 OO(
or so, 600 or even $4,000 or $4,000
will be disappointed. The men who
have already filed OH claims fully an
preciate the value Of their holding;
quite as much as any one who goes il
Tor speculation can possibly do. They
have better means Of knowing that a
claim will make them rich than the
spectators have who are willing to put
up one fifth of the value OF the property.
There are several men of means there
| now who have tried to buy claims for
the purpose of Incorporating companies,
but miners would not sell to them un-
less they could get their price.
don't think that any of the COM
panies organized to go there and invest
IN claims or for the purpose of explora-
ton will make any money out of it, be-
cause the men who own the property
now know they can get all the money
they want to work with. The cry is that
these men are spectators and want
their claims for song, and they are
holding the claims pretty high in con-
sequence.
Claims are held there all the way,
for an unprospected claim, from So
900 to $4,000 and the .prospected
claims much higher Very few if any
OF the claims have been incorporated.
My idea is that men who go in there
with $40, 900 or 500, 900 or 500, 600 to
buy up claims for the purpose of specu-
lation are going TO get left | am sure
that many of the companies that are
advertising that they have agents in
That country purchasing valuable
claims will never be able to buy any
that will be profitable.
They may be able to buy them OH
French creek and Skookum creek, where
there IS no water to work them in the
proper time of the year. The only time
there is water there is in the sprinp.
when the snow thaws.
II don't believe would put any of nv
own money into a scheme organized for
the purpose of taking a chance of buy
ing for song unprospected property
which is expected to yield millions
The owners of prospected property
whose value has been demonstrated will
certainly not dispose of their holdings
unless they are fully paid for them. |
Onprospected property is what we call
wild cat.
Old Companies.
l think l have told You about all I
know about the Klondike- Yukon dis.
trlct, Its history, its people and its fu-
ture
About the men who went in there
with me? Well, William Moore. who
lett Arizona with me to 60 there, is
now In Spokane Falls, Wash. as a min
ing expert. He is going back in the
spring. guess he is doing fairly we'll
he has written me since have been
mere that he is going back with me next
spring.
john McGraw, who also went with
me from Arizona in 1882, is driving a
'ta8e IN Montana. l guess he is doing
AIRY well. he has married since. John
Rogers, another member of the marty
rave lost track of. heard he was dead.
II. ii. Pitts, who was In the party. is
unning trading post for Harper and
pysen et Fort Selkirk, 1877 miles from .
lawson. He is the manager of the most
guess Pitts is we'll fixed. / think he ,
las made money right along. Robert
Ioams Is working in the TreadweIl
I'LL at Juneau. think he is one ~ !.
ne rock breakers and has been for wears /.
Inc SIX OF MS remained together for /,
'st about year. We broke up after :
making one prospecting trip in the :
pring around to the head Of Forty Mile !.
reek and down Sixty Mile creek IN the :
ukon. -Four OF them went out of the :
)untry '"o o
stopped there. broke awav from
lem at Fort Reliance. staid tbcre .
'aitine ior the steamer until she was !.
ast due: l had no supplies, so went =
own the river and found she had y
oxen down at st. Michael's have ~
orked independently and am working =
dependently now. p
am not in any position to control -
9 mines OF the Klondike region or a.
y other place. I guess that is ell :.
ere is to say. -