The San Francisco call., 1898-07-01
KLONDIKERS
 OUT OF LUCK Vessels Held for Lack
 of Money. A BOSTON COMPLAINTS WOES EXPENDED OVER FORTY THOU SAND DOLLARS IN VAIN. One Wealthy Member Accepted a Commission in the Army and Left His Companions in
 the Lurch.
EXPENDED OVER FORTY THOU
 SAND DOLLARS IN VAIN.

At least a dozen Klondike ventures are tied up here for want of funds and the outlook for any of them reaching the gold fields this year is not good In some of the ventures the promoters had little to lose, in others everything that the gold hunters possessed in the world Is tied up in the scheme.
 In the latter category is the expedition that was to have sailed on the schooner Laura Madsen for St. Michael on May 15 last. Over s4o,O00 has been sunk in that venture, and as the indebtedness of the party in this city is over s15,000 the chances of the vessel getting away are very slim.
 Tn March last thirty-four business men and mechanics got together in Boston, Mass, and formed the Mutual Mining, Trading and Transportation Company of Boston. pr. w. s. D. Hitchcock was elected president, Edgar fsanks treasurer and George Miles general manager. All the work was to be done by the members of the company and 1t was to be share and share alike, So far there has been nothing to share but hard luck.
 The first thing the new company did was to have built for use on the Yukon river steamer. This vessel is 160 feet long, 40 feet broad. draws feet when loaded and Is to carry 200 passengers. She was christened the Florence E. Miles. Then a complete sawmiIl and an electric light plant was purchased and everything was shipped to San Francisco. There were six carloads in all of things belong ing to the Mutual Mining, Trading and Transportation Company that came here f,~,Id when they were landed at the rail- road depot there was not a cent due on them.
 The next movement was the charter ing of the schooner Laura Madsen from Captain ". H. Madison. The vessel was docked at Lombard-street wharf and the men or the party went to work and put all their machinery and outfits aboard. The next thing was the purchase of two years supplies and the thousand and one things necessary for an extended stay in the arctic.
 Then came the first setback. The war broke out and one of the party, whose father was to put Sl0,000 into the scheme, received a commission in the army and is now with his company in Florida. The father refused to have anything to do with the Klondike scheme and the $10,0 900 3n which the company was depending was not forthcoming. Then committee was sent back East to raise funds, but nobody had any thoughts for the gold fields and everybody was intent on buy ing war bonds and would have nothing to do with the Alaskan venture. In conse- Quence the Laura Madsen is tied up at Union-street wharf and no one knows when she will get away In her hold there 45 an OuLnI Nalueu dl S9UiVOVi put Oil IL pdil Francisco merchants have lien for about Sl7 900, and until that is paid the members of the Mutual Mining. Trading and Transportation Company will remain in San Francisco.
 The venture that was to get away on the steamer Dirigo Is also detained by the want of money. When Swiftwater Bill s company chartered the Dirigo 1t an- nopneed that the sternwheel steamer City of Dawson was to be lowed up by the Df- Tlgo, and the passengers would be trans ferred to her at St. Michael. The Dirigo and the passengers have been ready to sail for over g week, and every day the gold hunters have been told that start would surely be made mat night. The City of Dawson was not ready, however. and when she was at last in a condition that her engineer considered her seawor- thy the trouble oyer the money began. H. zadig claimed the vessel, and Birch & Co., the builders, refused to give her up,