The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-08

Z located n Huaker ess<G and i doing
TAe TSip over che lee.
We LEFT DAwson at noon on February
: with seod team Of dosx We were
eieAed with rood weather only On the day
Ne started From the next Monday untfl
We arrived ~ the mouth Of the Hooealsn-
qua river. re had wind ana snow contin-
osiIy. making II very difficult NJ times TO
md the trail. ana necesHlsating the use a
snosshoes for days q . time.
We found the ice very soft in the Yu-
kon between Stewart river AID Fort Sell
kirk. and quite frequently We were COM
PEELED t. break new trails around open
water.
"As Henderson creek ne we're informed
by Charles Pond. . uell-known man Of
Elensburx. that on the left fork Of Hem
derson creek on claim No lE pay dirt was
being then taken out which run from IS
cents 70 s1so to the pan in the gravel and
= on bedrock. On claim No. lis they were
ketttnk $50 dirt On bedrock Several other
PARTIES were &etting equally - good pay
ana prospects were very bright for Hem
derson and its tributaries to become one
81 The rich localities Of the Yukon.
About ffty miles above Fort Seikirk
We ut Capt. Norwood. Of the Canadian
nve dog teams. hound for Dawson with
mail. Later. on the following day. We
met four other dog teams. also carrying
Canadian mail and Of course bound for
Dawsou. When these teams arrive in
Dawson they win be more welcome than
Il they wsse carrying provisions At the
old Mccormick post We met the first party
OF civilians who were going through 10
Dawson over the ice. The party was COM
posed OF Kid EAgan.. known as the Mon
ianA kid Fred Ward and John Schwetx-
er. They had q good OUTFIT. two good deg
teams, and were making good time At
this place the water had risen over the Ice
in the river from shore to shore to depth
Of eighteen inches to two feet deep. and
essAry to state that Il was anything but
pleasant TO ford the Lewis river on foot.
Quite = blizzard was raging IT the time.
ana We wished deyoufly for the AndreQ
mode Of crossing the ice. That being En-
atfainabie. We did the only thing for US
To- do. waded In and reached the opposite
shore In good order but decidedly chilly.
This WAS really the only hardship we en-
countered on the entire trip. OF course.
We had winds saq drifting snow and buried
trails TO contend with all the way. The
weather WAS at no time extremely severe
when we arrived at the Northwest
mounted police station at Little Salmon
we nrst heard Of the Walsh creek excite
ment. c. c. NcGregor. who Is In charge
Of the post at this place. Informed ~ that
or Walsh creek over 80 claims had been
staked, and that on Lake creek. which u
sixteen miles below the Big Salmon. the
entire creek was staked from mouth to
source. but the number OF the claims was
only about 100. rs this 10 small creek
Mctsreger could give US no definite infor-
nation a. to any finds having beer made
on ether Of these creeks. He had heard
Of some parties getting good prospects.
but could Eot give us any idea az 10 their
richness The only man eamped on the
Little Salmon 10 J. Bell, OF San Francisco.
He is laid up with broken ankle A par
ty OF men composed OF n. c. Ford, OF
Mount Vernon. Wash: Bertram Bridges, Of
Seattle: p. O'Brien. OF Harrington. Wash. !:
E. Favor, Of Seattle: w. II. Bacon. from
Puget sound, and Charles Bllberg. had
started up the Little Salmon on an ex-
tensive prospecting tour. After going up
the Little Salmon . distance Of 100 miles
one can 20 across the country and strike
the PeIly river. 800 miles from its mouth.
This saves 800 miles Of travel up stream.
Just above the Little Salmon we met
Mr. Wilson, Of Seattle. and party OF
FIVE who expected 10 go on TO Dawson
over the ice and who have no doubt ar
rived there by this time.
After passing the mouth OF the Hoota-
linqta we commenced TO meet the Big
Salmon stampade. and from there on
during the resi- OF our journey we were
continually meeting them, all OF whom
had innumerah,e questions 10 AK in re-
gard 10 the Big Salmon strike. 1t wa5
Of no use TO try and dissuade them from
going on as they knew for fact that
rich strikes had been made and fabulous
wealth WAS lying there waiting for them"