The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18
TON ANDONE-HALF0FG0LD
6s MINERS ROM KLoNDIKE BRING
WEALTH HOME.
Nuggets and Dust-A Happy HAND Whose
Arrival Has hnkcn the Pacific Coast
The Value or the Gold brought Iinrk Este
mated MT from $500. 600 to 81. 900. 900.

hHhN NUtAH'h NV
The Value OF the Gold brought rinrk Este
mated mt from $500. 900 to 81. poo
SEATTLE, Wash. July l7.-SiXty-cight pnssen-
gers on tho North American Transportation and
Trading Company's steamship Portland reached
Seattle and civilization this morning at q O'Clock
direct from st. Michaol's, at the mouth OF the
Yukon River in Alaska.
The passengers were mostly miners, and they
came direct from the Klondikc placer mining
districts. from which more than 81 100000 gold
was taken last winter. The men brought back
one and onc.half tons OF gold in nuggets ana
dust. II is worth in round numbers 81 100000.
From san Francisco 10 tho furthcrmost point
in Alaska the Coast is wild with the excite
mcnt growing out of the fabulous finds In
the Klondikc. which is n river cmptying
into the Yukon, in the Northwest Terri
tory. 1t is fifty miles by river from Forty
Milo, on the Alaska boundary. to tho scene OF
tho recent finds and about forty miles In q
straight line. The discovcrcr OF the klondiko
placer aigsings was George Mccormack, a poor
miner, who was known as Siwash George. The
first claim was stakcd on Bonanza Creek. empty
ing into the Klondiko. Aug. Il last. Since that
time 400 claims have been located and the pop
ulation of the camp has grown from nothing to
1000. Reliable estimates made by Canadian
officers and experienced miners give the prob
able output Of the district during tho next five
years at over ten millions.
These are the Argonauts: William Stanley OF
Seattle, Clarence Berry OF Los Angeles. Frank
Phiscatcr of Barod. Mich; c. Anderson, British
Columbia; c. A. Branan. San Francisco;
o. Finstead and Henry Anderson. Los
Angeles; Richard Blake. Dungeness. b. c.;
William Sloane, Nanaimo, British ColumbiaI
Jack Horne, Tacoma; Frank Kellar. Los Angeles:
w. J. Kelly, Tacoma; w. X. Simrns. Senttlei
A. Menzies. Arizona; John Wilkinson, Mana
limo. b.. c.; J. f. Boucher, Madison. wis.i
Patrick Cotcland, British Columbia; j. Clements,
Los Angeles; Harry Olsen. San Francisco; II.
Grathir, Port Townsend; J. Dorc, r. J. Des-
roche, Ira McNulty. Purcell and J. H. Moffatt,
all OF San Francisco; Victor Lord. Olympia,
Wash; William Murcher. Shelton, Wash;
Joseph Caylas. Montreal; Charles Ambuscher.
a Swiss: Henry Proteau, Mount Vernon, Wash:
c. II. Loveland, C.. Silverlock, F. Bellinger, and
James johnson.
When the Portland pulled into the harbor this
morning. the Sun correspondent went on board
of her and obtained a number OF interviews from
the returned miners. Stacked up in plain
pine boxes in tho corner Of the shippers cabin
were piles Of buckskin sacks bullying out with
coarse gold and nuggets. A small safe con-
tanned the sacks of a number of the more sus-
picious miners. Altogether, the sacks of gold in
the safe and the boxes amounted to at least
three-quarters of n million dollars in round
numbers.
More than a fourth of the miners on board pro
ferred not to trust their wealth to the skipper
and carried 1t around with them or else left 10
in their staterooms, where they stood guard
over 1t with revolvers. Here are some of the
biggest winners:
William Stanley Of this city, formerly a black
smith. went into the country two years ago LASH
spring. To-day he returned with $115. 600
in gold nuggets and dust. His claim Ii
on the Bonanza Greek. emptying into
the El0ndike five miIea ahoya naw-
son City, the headquarters of the camp.
Clarence Berry, formerly q farmer of Fresno.
Cal. brought back seven sacks containing
1885,. 900. Berry went to the Yukon in 1894
To THE Sun correspondent this afternoon he
told the following story Of his fortune huntinRs
My luck was bad for three years. Last fall
l came out and married, and when I went back
heard of the Klondike. I was early on the
ground. locating with other parties three claims
on Eldorado Greek. We struck it rich. That's
all there is to tell.
Last winter I took out $3.50, 900 in thirty box
lengths. A box length Is IL by 10 feet, and
in one length 1 found $4,000. Another
time the second largest nugget ever
found in the Yukon was taken out Of
my claim. 1t weighed thirteen ounces and was
worth S213. I have known men to take out
81. 900 q day from n drift claim. OF course, the
gold was found in pockets, and those finds. You
can rest assured, were very scarce. / would not
advise a man to take in an outfit that would
cost less than $500.
He must expect to be disappointed. and the
chances are that he may prospect for years with
out finding a paying claim, and again he may DO
lucky enough to strike it rich. Tho country IL
Wild trough, and full OF hardships for those I'M
used to the rigors OF Arctic winter. II q man
y makes a fortune he is liable to earn It BY severe
hardships and sufferings, but then grit, perse-
verancc and luck will probably reward hard
i. work with a comfortable income for life"
j.. Henry Anderson, a native of Sweden and well
Z known on the Lound. sold a one-half interest In
his claim on Eldorado Creek and has como back
to Seattle with $45. 900 spot cash. tho proceeds
ofthc sale. T. J. Kelly and son Of Tacoma went
in last year and made $4,000. The son Is In
charge OF the claim and the father is among the
> Portland's passengers.
Frank Keller Of Los Angeles is one OF the Port
lands passengers. lie went in last year, mined
during the winter. and last year sold the claim
, for S35, 600. William Sloat. formerly a dry
, goods merchant of Lanimo, Il. c.. sold
his claim for So. 900. and with the gold he took
, from the mine is hack on the Portland. Another
r man named Wilkinson OF the same city sold
2 his claim for $40, 900. and is back 10 stay.
i Jack Horne. a pugilist, OF Tacoma. dug MP
r ST, 900 and is here to stay. Frank Phiscator OF
a Baroda. Mich, is here with $4,000 tho result
of his labors in Miles. Capt. Strickland OF the
Canadian mounted police, who Ia On route to
Ottawa on official business. is among the ar
. rivals. He says:
I when ! left Dawson City n month ago there
n werc about 500 claims stakcd ont and between
= 1000 and 5000 people, We can safely say that
there was 81 300, 900 IN gold mined last winter.
q Wages in mines were Sl5 n day, and the sawmiu
. paid lnborers $40 n day with claims now staked.
but will afford employment for about 5000
men. | believe. II a man is strong and
healthy and wants to work he can lind
cmnloymcnt at good wages. Several men
" worked on an interest. or what IA termed n lay.
and during winter realized from 5000 10
$4,000. The mines are from 81 TO 100 miles
from Alaska boundary
The Captain is cautious AMI conservative In
" his statements. Tim Krlly, IN OF citizen Of
Snnitlc- hninp nnn,tionel us 20 whom he pro-