The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-29
GOLD FROM CLONDYkE
ARTHUR PERRY TELLS OF SOME
WONDERFUL FINDS.
His Letter 10 Regarded by Pref. Lip
py and Others m Absolutely Re-
cIu4aea Men Who Returned ON the
Portland and Excelsior.

One Of the most authentic letters that
have reached this city from the Yukon
was published IN the Post-Tateiiisencer
Sunday July Is II was written by Ar
thur Perry. a well known and reiiaale
Seattle man. who is now at Dawson CITY.
Prof Lippy and others WHO knew Perry
and are acquainted with the ClonotAe
country say the letter - "iAa most re-
liable Of all Il is dated Dawson CITY,
June Is. and reads in full as follows
The first discovery of gold on the
Clondvke was made the middle of August.
1885, by George Ccrmack en- a creek emp
tying into the Ciondyke from the south.
called by the Indians Bonanza. he found
slso TO the pan on high rim, and after
making the find known al Fcrty-Mile
went back with two Indians ana took out
s. 400 in three weeks With three siuiee
boxes. The creek was soon staked from
one end TO the other and all the small
gulches were also staked and recorded.
About September 10 a man by the name
OF Whipple prospected creek emptylnS
into bonanza on Mo- T. above discovery
and named I, whipple creek. He shortly
afterwards sold out and the miners re-
named IL Eldorado. Prospects as high as
81 to the pan were found early in the fau-
Many OF the old miners from Forty-Mile
went there and would not stake, saying
the willows did not lean the right way
and the water did not taste right. and
that IL was a moose pasture, IL being vice
and fat. Both creeks were stakea prsn-
capally by ''chee chacocs" new men IN the
country. and early as they could get
provisions, about go men went there and
commenced prospecting. by sinking holes
TO the depth of from nine to twenty-four
feet. doing SO by burning down. as the
ground was frozen solid to bed rock. No
vember q man by the name OF Louis
Rhodes located on No. q. above on b.
nanza, got as high as $3.50 to the pan.
This was the first big pan Of any impor-
lance, and the news spread up and down
the creek like wildfire. This news reached
Circle City. 800 miles farther down the
Yukon river. but nobody would believe 1t.
Soon after large pans were found on both
Bonanza and Eidorado. and each creek
was trying to outrfval the other, until
man by the name of Clarence Berry got
500 to the pan. From that time on FL
dorado held high position. Many claims
from the mouth up for a distance OK
three miles got large pans-until they
reached as high as $50. About March Is.
1897. l reached the ..ggings from Circle
City. having hauled my sled the whole
distance without dog. The importance
Of the new strike had become too sig
nificant to be overlooked, and about 800
men from Circle City undertook the jour
ney In n1fdwinter. Such an exodus was
never known before in the history Of the
Yukon, but not a man lost his life. all
though several had their faces and toes
nipped at times. Even some of the most
resolute and dissolute women made the
Journey in safety. Fancy prices were paid
for dogs by those who were able 20 pur-
chase. and as high a. Sis and even $500
were paid for good dogs. Almost any
kind Of dog was worth $50 and S,5 each.
When I first reached the new camp
was in led by the butcher boys-Murph
Thorp. Of juneau. and George Stewart,
from Stuck Valley Wash.--to go down
In their shaft and pick pan OF dirt, as
they had just struck the rich streak. To
my surprise 1t was &2S250. In fourteen
pans of dirt they took out Sl.565 right in
the bottom OF the shaft. which was AXIS
feet.
March 20 Clarence Berry took out over
$500 to the pan. Jimmy MacLanie took
out over 500 to the pan; Frank Phiscater
tok out 3l35 to the pan. The four boys
from Nanaimo took as high as $le5 to the
an. They were the first men to get
,le down to bedrock on Eidorado and
nd good pay. They had Nos. IA and Is.
In fact. big pans were being raken on
learly every claim on the creek, until
500 and $500 pans were common. April
10 Clarence Berry took In one pan 80
ouncas-349o-and in two days panned out
over 800. April IA We heard some boys
on No. 80 Eldorado had struck II rich
and taken out $500 in one pan. This was