The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-02-04
Mrs. Patterson has been confirmed bv
the Senate as postmaster at Bismarck.
Back From K|oDdike
An Old Pembina Resident Turns
up After an Absence of Ten
Years in Alaska.
Is One of the Lucky Ones-Re.
turns After a Week Visit, Ac-
c0mpanied by Family.
From Dawson City.

From Dawson City.
Last Thursday Mr.. Joseph DeLorge,
a former resident of this city, returned
from Alaska on visit to his wife and re-
latives here. Mr.. DeLorge has been in
Alaska for about twelve years. He re-
turned here for a short visit some ten
years since. At that time he brought
back his wife and boy who had been with
him there and they have since resided
here, making their home with Joseph
De'oria, vino is Mrs. DeLorge's father,
while the son attended the public school.
Meantime Mr.. DeLorge returned to Al
aska where he has prospected for gold,
travelling long journeys, suffering many
hardships and at times working at what
he could get to make a living. AS an
instance of mis- life, he states that four
years ago he travelled g. 400 miles with
dog trains to diffent points during the
cold of all Alaskan winter. He is tall,
heavy-set man, of fine physique and Just
the sort of a rustler for rough and rug
sed country like Alaska. Mr.. DeLorge
is very entertaining talker and on the
way home and since he has been here,
has been almost constantly surrounded
by eager questioners and listeners who
through curiosity or interest are anxious
to learn of the new Ell Dorado. At the
request of the reporter, Mr.. DeLorge
called at the PIONEER EXPRESS office
and gave us a two hours interview.
Much of Mr.. DeLorge's information was
like tale of fancy, as he spoke OF men
who in few months or weeks went from
poverty to affluence, from poor, day labor
ers to miilionaires. Mr.. DeLorge does
not claim to be one of the very fortunate,
he says II am very far from being mil
lionaire, but have more than / ever ex-
Ipected to have"
We have too little space to attempt to
give but little ofthe large amount of
incident and information told us by Mr..
DeLorge, but will try in brief to give
few OF the points of particular interest to
the persons who think of going there.
First, Mr.. DeLorge confirms the accounts
of the rich finds ofgold. He with part
ner dug $5S, 700 worth of gold from
mine last winter on shares. Many others
did much better, others not so we'll. On
the Same claim, two other shafts were
worked on shares in the same way, the
total cleanup netting the owner of the
mine for his half, SlO7,, 90. This mine is
now valued at 81, 900, 200 and year ago
the owners wife was taking in washing
for living in Seattle. Mr.. DeLorge
has prospected in many of the creeks
and branches of the Yukon during the
years he has been there and found gold
in all ofthem. He believes richer fields
will be found than on the Klondike. He
attributes the finding OF SO little gold pre-
vious to last winter, to the fact that the
thousand or two prospectors who have
been in that country tor ten years, were
looking for surface mining. Some few
mines of this sort were found in paying
quantities but not very rich. The Klon-
dixie field was first told to white man
by an Indian. They went there and
found nothing on the surface, but there
was place where the bank had
slid in towards the river exposing the
lower strata of pay gravel, and thus it
was discovered that the gold was IA to
20 feet Below the surface. These mines
are now valued at from $4,000 to 81
OUJ,OOo claim. Each man is allowed to
take $40 feet up and down the stream,
but only one claim in district. The
ground remains frozen throughout the
year. No one has yet dug trough the
frozen earth; it is at least 70 feet deep.
The miner digs hole about three by
seven feet. The ground is so hard that
picks make but little impression. The
usual custom is to thaw the earth with
fire. Wood is plenty and convenient and
a permit is given by the Canadian gov
ernment for small sum, to cut wood for
the miners use. As the work progresses
the shaft is divided into two parts by a
partition SO that there will be draft for
the fires. The air coming down one
;side and the smoke end heat up the other