The San Francisco call., 1898-04-24


 the vastness of this region than that question.
 This Klondike River, with which everybody is so familiar now, Is in fact itself an unknown quantity only a lit tie above Hunker Creek. A party of prospectors took a years provisions and went up the river last fall and have not since been heard from. They will probably come down this summer, whisper a few minutes to their friends, caution them not to repeat what they tell them and then another big stam- pede will take place. That is the way most of the stampedes are started. Somebody gets a tip, pledges eternal secrecy, and in an hour the news has spread over the entire camp. A stam- pede is as interesting to watch as is a volunteer fire company getting into action. It generally takes place at night that it may be the more thrilling and picturesque. Every man engaged in it is as mysterious as he may be while laboring under great excitement. He rushes into restaurant, calls the cook to one side and asks him to put up a lunch for him "Quick!!" While the lunch is being prepared he runs at speed into the bunkhouse or cabin, where his next friend may be asleep, haulS him out of bed by the legs and tells him that a stampede is on, and unless he is willing to miss the chance of his life to get up and come on. The friend hurries into his clothes and joins the scramble. Within a few minutes, lilly dressed and scantily provided against the weather and against hun ger, hundred men will leave town all at top speed, going they scarcely know where following somebody, who may lead them for days over mountains and through wildernesses that are hardly marked by a trail. Once started they go on regardless of the weather and every other circumstance. These stam- pedes have brought prosperity to a large hospital and have transferred to many a doctors name numbers of gold claims.
 One of the odd things that one en- counters in the big country is the state of feeling existing between the old timer and the ''techarco' or new conner. The old timer despises and sneers at the techarco and the techarco laughs or sneerS at the old timer. Most of the big claims are held by compara- tive new corners and nearly all the prospecting this winter has been done by them. This, to be sure, may be ac- counted for by the fact that they great ly outnumber the old timers. Two years ago the census of the two big commercial companies that supplied the inhabitants with food, and so had the names on their books of almost everybody from Fort Selkirk to St. Michael, placed the entire population of the Yukon Valley at 1500 people. In those days outfits for that number were brought in by the boats and the company's agents apportioned out the supply. The whereabouts of every miner was known, and if he did not come in in the summer with the others his outfit was set apart for him until he did come. Old Jack McQuesten, for years agent for the A. C. Company at Circle City and other camps along the river, IS almost revered by the old miners for the careful manner in which he used to look after them. In those days every man willing to work had credit for years outfit and the money in hand was not a condition at all But the rush of techarcos has changed the old system and cash down and plenty or It IS now necessary in every trans action. It is not such a great wonder therefore that the old miner believes himself to be very charitable in that he tolerates the new conner at all, and on the trail or in his own cabin extends to him that hospitality that is a fixed custom ot the cheerless land-just as 1t is among the Indians.
 But what amuses the new conner with regard to the old timer is the persist ent refusal of the latter to believe there IS anything in any of the creeks, the names and location of which he has Known so long. He has in years past pushed his solitary canoe against the rapid current of this and that stream. has had stirring adventures and per haps almost lost his life here or there and, having dug a little under the LI and retired. Here comes some mex perienced youth, fresh from the orange groves of California, who stays a little longer, digs little deeper and gets an ounce to the pan. The old timer is disgusted, tries to think it is some ac- cident, mere chance pocket, and re- mains deaf and blind and stubborn just as long as he can in face of the per Sistent facts.
 But it is true that these newcomers also get discouraged, some of them too early. They put down a hole to bed rock, perhaps two or three, and, finding nothing, give up the search often. when the next conner, still having faith, put ting down still another hole. finds rich pay. This experience is repeated over and over in the history of even Ell Dorado and Bonanza creeks. The min ing and the wash up may be said to be done but slovenly and carelessly at it's best. Only the richest dirt is taken out and dirt that few years ago would be rated as very rich is now thrown aside. Especially is this true where the mine Is worked on lays. The average lay agreement runs out July and the laymen will not waste time on any but the richest dirt It is safe to say that fortunes will be taken out of the ground upon second working-af- ter the claims on most of these creeks have been given up as exhausted. h. deed, extensive plans are now being formed by practical, scientific miners for the working over on an extensive scale of the ground in Fl Dorado and Bonanza creeks.
 Following is a brief sketch of the creeks and mining divisions of the Yukon.
 BONANZA CREEK is a tributary of Klondike River. The Klondike River is small stream and not navigable except for canoes but little distance The pay streak is wide and deep in Bonanza, but it's direction changes. and it has given some of the claim-h holders considerable trouble in finding it. When located, however, the reward has al- ways been rich. The greatest develop ment has been made within the limits of 43 above and 65 below. The greater wealth has been taken out above dis covery There are long intervals be- low between the working claims that