The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-16
WORTH OVER FIVE MILLIONS
HAS TWENTY THOUSAND IN
NUGGETS TO EXHIBIT.
Steamer Pilgrim, Bound From Skag-
uay to Juneau, Goes Ashore and
Is Reported Total
Loss.
BY HAL HOFFMAN.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

ship Farallon to Port Townsend, Oct.
15).-Every southbound boat is either
crowded or well filed with incoming
Klondikers, and despite the rush back
to the States the steamboats, have re-
duced the fare to Puget Sound less
than one-half.
Among the latest arrivals is Alex
ander Mcdonald, King of the Klon-
dixie He is visiting old friends over
at Douglas Island (Treadwell gold
mines). Mcdonald arrived at Juneau
about two years ago with only So SO in
his pocket from Aspinwall, where he
had been a miner and mine owner
about twelve years. He worked there
in silver mines and the depreciation in
the price of silver took away his for
tune Then he decided to try mining
in Alaska. Mcdonald was so poor at
that time that he was compelled to
ask the consideration of Messrs Odds
and Orion, proprietors of a hotel here,
and they being old miners readily
granted it. He went to work for wages
in the Treadwell mines. For several
months he had saved considerable
money and left for the Yukon Valley.
That was the beginning of McDonald's
" after the first locations were made
At the time he was mining claim
on Miller Creek, near Forty Mile. he
threw down his pick and left the CABIN
on Miller Creek as it stood, though the
ground was paying wages. 1t was MS
knowledge of mining and his confidence
in himself which brought his success
as a miner and as n operator on the
Klondike. He owns more claims than
any other man in Dawson, and only
one or two poor ones. There Is quite
a difference between the Alexander Nc
Donald who arrived at Juneau and
Treadwell two years ago and the Alex
ander Mcdonald who is now shaking
hands with old and less fortunate
friends, for to-day his fortune IS estl-
mated at close to s5,O00,G00, and all In
gold, and in about the safest bank In
the world-the earth. He is modest
and unassuming, quiet and unobtru-
siye He still looks like ninety-nlne
out Of 100 prospectors. Mcdonald was
born in Antagonist County, Nova SEQ
tia, in November, 1854 He is going to
London, England, with his confidential
man and partner in some of the claims,
Ronald Morrison. The steamer from
Dawson could not get up the river
farther than Rink Rapids, and McDon>
aid and others had to pole up the river
from that point to Lake Bennett in
small boat. He expects to go East by
way of San Francisco.
Slush ice is creating trouble on the
Yukon and Lewis rivers. The small
steamers are now afraid to attempt the
trip, as they cannot tell Wnat DAY they
NAV be frozen. The slush ice freezes
to the sides of the hulk, making naYi-
CATION very slow and laborious. This
| ice accumulateS to such an extent that
! II must be broken away with picks ana
axes. AS many of these boats as can
! will winter at Lake Bennett. in order
to take their choice of runs between,
! Dawson and the new diggings at Lake
Attn, according as the crowd goes
next spring.
Bill Gates. otherwise "Swiftwater
! Bill" is said to be on the river bound
| out.
There are reports Of rich strikes
of gold on the Stewart and Pelly rivers
but as yet they are unconnrmeQ mere.
| The situation with reference to claims
at the new Atlin Lake diggfngS is be-
coming more complicated. A large
number of locations have been jumped
and the stakes removed or changed. II
| seems that the requirement or the Brit
| ish Columbia law that two weeks Work
1
closed season begun, september 10, was
not complied with in very many In
| stances. This left the way open for
| others to jump the 'ocations, do the
| two weeks work and place themselves
| in a position to legally record them
when the season reonenS June l next
This complication will retard what lit
tie winter work may be possible to get
things in shape for spring sluicing.
There are uncorroborated reports of
new strikes. Nothing further has been
heard from the caravan of horses and
men which left Lake Teslin for Lake
Atlin a few weeks ago. The recorder
says that the Atlin City townsite Will
| be a Government reservation, and that
town lots and municipal privileges for
public accommodation Will be leased:
McKenna is the name Of the new re-
corder.
u. Brunser and wife" the latter be-
ing Mrs Francois .Pigon- Mrs. Magal-
Ian, nee Reiffel of San Francisco, who
failed to secure a divorce here, sailed on
the last southbound steamship City of
Topeka, probably on their return to San
Francisco.
The steamer Pilgrim. bound from
Skaguay to Juneau, went ashore in a
storm last Friday on the Seward City
reef near where the Clara Nevada was
lost last winter, and is reported to be a
total loss. No lives were lost.
! Il
about eighty Klondikers, who, notwith-
standing the slush ice and the heavily
falling snow, succeeded, after consider
able delay, in getting up the river. Alex
Mcdonald takes this ship south. be,
Ronald Morrison and others represent
a total Klondike value of ten million
dollars Mr.. Mcdonald has with him
certified checks for $1500O0, and one
hundred ounces of gold dust, worth at
Dawson at a valuation of SIG an ounce,
nearly $40 600. No finer specimens of
nuggets or purer fine gold ever came
out of the Klondike. Mr.. Mcdonald
takes this weight of gold with him
simply as sample to exhibit to the
very curious while en- route to London
and in the worlds financial center
when he arrives there. The general
comment about this financially regal
parsonage as he was seen on the streets
and In the hotels here tonight was:
HE looks the least like any kind of
King that I ever saw" and he does.
This newest of the new millionaires is
not less than six feet tall, nearly SO
years of age and rather slow and UNI
! bending in manner-unbending not