The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-06-29
TIN CANS FULL OF GOLD.
THE KLONDIKE'S REMARKABLE
RECORD FOR HONESTY.
Them Uu.uarded without Loss.
Real Est ate Speculation at
Dawson CITY.
Dawson City.

hSdA Isl Ate SpSGu4a1ioif az
Dawson City.
Lyman A. Gregory, a native of Pough-
keepsie. " Y, and for ten years lesi-
dent of Trenton, n. j., returned from
Dawson City this week and has much to
say of the richness of the Klondiks gold
fields.
"What do base my opinion upon?'
he said in reply to a question on the sub
ject. "When, in travelling from cabin to
cabin, one sees fivegallon coal oil cans
filled with gold dust and nuggets under
the miners hunks and sees loads of 500
and 600 pounds of the precious yellow
stuff brought in BY parties OF miners
from remote camps and deposited with
one of the two rich commercial ana
transportation companies that have quar-
tiers at Dawson, one very nlturally comes
to believe that there is something IL the
stories of the richness OF the Klondike
diggings.
"Our on Ell Dorado Greek twenty miles
southeast from Dawson, there is a settle
ment of miners who came from Seattle
and Spokane. They have among them
about fourteen claims, and | have seeo
out there literally a galvanized washtub
two-tbirds full Of Id dust and fakes.
A number of the log cabins of miners
out there ia that natural storehouse Of
gold have in them dozens of tomato and
fruit cans hidden under the hunks and
buried in the dirt floors of the cabins
and filled with gold. One Norwegian
miner, who can't read or write, and has
a claim on Hunter creek, showed me last
fall pair of heavy canvass oVeralls that
were his treasury He had sewed and
oveIapped the legs of the garment SO AS
to make two great heavy bags. | THINK
he must have had 100 pounds ayoirdu-
pOis of the yellow metal on hand when |
was at his cabin. That was worth ST.
600 Miners on the Klondike creeks
have utilized rubber boots, kerOSine on
cans, coffee cans, fruit jars, salt sacks
and buckskIn and walrus hide bags for
the keeping of their golden wealth.
have seen several times in one day in the
cabins along such creeks as Bonanza. Ell
Dorado and Cold Bottom 500 900 worth
of gold, and [ was not out trying to see
the stuff, either
"Ybu probnbly wonder why such
land of gold would not make a thieves
paradise, Three men have been put to
death up in the Klondike for attempted
robbery among the mining cabins during
the last seven months. Two were shot
to death by the miuers on Dominion
Greek, and another was hanged.
81 never knew such honesty as there
is among the Klondike miners in their
cabns-mark you, l am n speaking
now of affairs IN Dawson, 1t is common
Tor a miner t. 20 on visit of a day in
winter a few miles from home and leave
his cabin unbarred and inhibited tp any
one who comes that way. You hear
true stories in Dawson all the time of
men who, travelling among the gold dig
gers, cutter cabins and tents LETT open
while the owners have gone miles away
on business or a visit, and see trs and
cans standing on the shelves Of the place
with pounds OF pure gold in them. \
friend of mine was out prospecting on
Gear creek last summer when he stopped
at the cabin of an acquaintance, The
owner had gone fifteen miles to Dawson
t. grub mp, after the weeks of siuIcing,
AID had left notice to that effect pinned
u the or. My friend went in and saw
two wooden mackerel kits in one corner
OF the cabin well filled with gold dust.
Ills Dawson CITY grOWlng?
AT the rate of 1000 a week, now that
tha thousands of people who braved a
journey over the mountain passes and
900 miles across the most deSOlate and
auIlen country man ever looked upon
have begun to reach it, Dawson will
have fully $4,000 population before the
summer is over. Two years ago it had
y total population of five white me n
and eleven half breed Innuits. The
whole site of Dawson might have been
bought for $40 or $500. Today the
same area is worth abnut S2,000,000
One cannot find spot in all Dawson
whers the moss and earth may not be
cleared to a depth CT l or II inches and
cake of frozen ground or ice be found
The real estate market at Dawson is as
fruitful of speculation as gold mining is.
Lots 50xl0O feet sold a year ago for
$1,000; last fall for $4,000, last Deem
be" for IS 600, and a month ago sold fOl
$4,000. l know two lots on Front
street that together sold for 81, 00O
last August. They were recently sold
Tor SIS, 600. Last year logs sold for 81 &C
apiece, and row they command IS and
81, Most of the buildings are construct.
ed OF logs hewn on three sides and
Chinked with heavy moss. About 13C
log cabins and some 500 or 900 tents con
sHtu!e the improvements If DAVIS 4
City. Tue buildings are on the streets,
and wide avenue separates the city
from the river bank
Mechanics get an ounce Of gold fol
nine hours' work, and many of them a1t
earning from $40 to $25 day Com
pared with prices in the states, the
prices at first glance seem exhorbitant
hut when the prevailing rate of wage,
OF from SO to SIS a day is taken into