The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-04-19
Honolulu Will Be Represented in
a Kl0ldiEG Expedition.
Ed. Won SCHMIDT is CAPTAIN
Engineer johnson A. F Hopke
Writes to w. II. Cornwell A
Steamer to Pump Golden Gravel.

fortunes, leaving by the Zealandia TO-
day with the Klondike gold fields as
mis- destination. Some Honolulu peo-
pie are already interested in this pro-
ject and it is likely that others, when
the enterprise is presented, will have
shares, if stock can be obtained. Aug.
Conradt will accompany Billy"
A. F. Hopke, who is very well known
here, writes from San Francisco to
Colonel Cornwell quite an extended
note in regard to this company
Among other things Mr. Hopke says:
Although l have the gold fever
do not like taking the responsibility
Of advising anyone else TO go. l will
willingly give you a few of my ideas
about il. i have given the matter a
good deal of thought and have gained
q lot OF information from various
sources. l have had personal inter
views with miners who have returned
from there and who had been very
successful. l would not myself or ad-
wise anyone to go by way of any of the
passes or overland routes. This is
where the danger and suffering are
encountered. However, thousands
have gone these ways and it is said
without much more difficulty than
could be expected or stood.
I should advise going by way of the
river route UP the Yukon. / send you
by this mail two prospectuses of an
expedition. The little books are self
exploratory. No. is for the intend
ing investor who will join the expedi-
zion and No. is for the investor who
stays by his freside and awaits the
big fat dividends. I send you only one
Of No. l as there is only one place left
vacant On the crew list. But there is
vet about $4,000 of stock to be had and
you may know someone who wants a
slice
I saw the manager, Mr.. Leonard and
the attorney, Mr. Naylor, today. The
one vacant place they have promised
me TO hold open till l can hear from
you and your son. 1t will cost 81 800 to
join the expedition as one of the crew.
Mr.. Leonard is a builder and contrac-
tor in Alameda and has amassed
considerable fortune in Alameda real
estate. He is the promoter of the
scheme as well as the manager. You
are acquainted with the Captain and
lots of other Island people know him
well He is Ed. Won Schmidt, who was
the first master of the schooner Claus
Spreckels when that vessel was put in
to the line between San Francisco and
KahuIui in 1880. He has been in
charge Of his fathers dredgers here
since leaving the Spreckels employ.
You may also know the engineer
Johnson. He was formerly at Male
hu plantation.
Leonard is averse to taking men
who are too young and has refused
several applications on that score.
His own son, a boy of 20 is the young
est in the crew. The next in years
is a man of 20, a dentist, who with one
other member is now taking a course
in assaying so as to be able to take
care OF that part of the business. Leo
naTd is a shrewd business man. He is
a carpenter by trade. In going he
leaves wife and daughters and a
beautiful home to seek fortunes in the
gold fields and he feels certain of sue
cess. One of the crew is a returned
miner who has claims in the Klondike
region.
This is, 1 think, the best manned
and equipped expedition, leaving here
and l think they will make success
of the venture. You see it would cost
as much for a man to outfit by him
self as to buy into this crew. The
man who goes with them will have as
sociates of good judgment and business
ability. They will have a home and
will not be exposed to any of the hard
ships that may fall TO the lot of the
lone miner set adrift with his outfit.
The steamer is nearly completed
and viii be launched on the 21st of
this month (March). 1t will then take
but a short time TO put in the machin-
cry, which is all ready for placing.
The marine inspectors have passed on
the steamer for the sea trip and say
they would give her license to go
round the Horn. She will have an
1S-inch false keel to make the voyage
from here TO st. Michaels. The keel
will be taken off on entering the river.
Leonard was the promoter and presi-
dent of the e Lueno de Orc Trans
portation and Mining Company, in
which I am interested, but gave it up
IN favor of Captain McCulloch to go
into the new scheme. The E. Lueno
expedition is wintering at St. Michaels
and will proceed up the Youkon as
soon as the river is open for naviga-
ton. Billy Coffee, who was once en-
gineer at Spreckelsville is with the FL
Lueno expedition.
. Leonard says frankly that he would
like TO nave the Islands represented
in his company and with the steamer,
for the reason that if they do well a
lot more capital will be required for
more dredgers and he has the idea
there is available capital in the ISL
ands. He talks of ten more dredgers
to cost $4,000 each. He would ship
them up and mount them on barges
to work. the rivers"
1t will be admitted that Mr.. Hopke