The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-18
ECHOES FROM THE
KLONDIKE REGION
Accommodations OF Mail at Dyea apd
Sksguay TO Be Handled.
STORIES OF RICH GOLD FINDS
J. r. Crum, Special Commissioner Of
the Postofiice Department., Arrives
at spokanr--Orders for the Gov.
ernment Exploring Expedition--A
Rich strike Reported on the stic-
keen River.

Spokane, Wash, March 17-John p.
Crum, special commissioner of the
postofflce department is here en-route
to Alaska. G. L. Wayland, postottlce
inspector, whose district includes Alas
ka, will accompany him north. The
authority vested in Mr.. Crum. as far as
postohice matters are concerned is al
most unlimited. He may establish Of
fees, appoint postmasters and clerks,
fix their salaries and approve bonds.
He announces that it is the depart
ments intention to give Alaska ade-
quate postal service. Offices are to be
established at all the settlements which
are likely to be permanent. His first
official act is to be the appointment
of clerks to handle the accumulated
mail at Dyea and Skaguay. Aided by
the reindeer expedition he is to try to
establish an all-American postal route
from Tidewater to Dawson.
Portland Ore, March 17.-Orders have
been received at Vancouver Barracks
from the war department for one of the
exploring expeditions to start for the
interior OF Alaska for the purpose OF
establishing a route to the gold fields
of Alaska through American territory.
l. ne tNpeulllOn Is 10 De CODlIlldIlueu ny
Captain Rogardus Eldredge Of the
Fourteenth infantry, Second Lieuten-
ants Elmer Clark and Robert Field,
and is to consist of twenty enlisted
men of the Fourteenth infantry.
The command Is to proceed from
Skaguay in time to meet the reindeer
train at Pyramid harbor not later than
March "a, and is to go via Dalton trail
to Dawson. Two hundred reindeer un-
der charge of Mr.. Kjeltmann are to be
selected for transportation of the eX-
pedition.
Seattle. Wash, March 17.-Major J..
r. Hayden. a well known banker of
this city, is in receipt of a letter from
his son, who writes Of a rich quartz
and placer discovery on the Stickeen
river about ten miles from Telegraph
| creek. The quartz ledge is from 500 to
1000 feet wide. and assays as high as
$3o@ in gold.
Victoria. b. c., March 17.-Dr. Wag-
ner, of Seattle, has returned from
Nimpkish river, bringing news of large
finds, both placer and quartz, on the
banks of that stream. He says that a
large crowd of prospectors is hurrying
to the new diggings. and already twen-
ty-two claims are being worked with
| success. the dirt, it is said, returning
an average Of IS to $40 a pan.
BEN ATWATERS BURDEN.
Skaguay, Alaska, March -, via Se-
| attic, Wash, March 17.-Ben Atwater
arrived here last night from Circle City
| and Dawson, N. w. T., bringing 100
pounds Of mail from the above places.
Atwater's former home was in Morri-
son. III. He went to the Yukon coun-
try in 1886, and has resided there ever
since. Atwater says that there is food
| enough in the Klondike country to last
the present population two years. AS
consequence Of the food scare the
output of the mines is likely to be cur
tailed. He estimates it at about $S,-
000. 000
Atwater says that many claims which
were considered to be only wildcat
| properties on various creeks are turn
ing out well. Dominion is paying fine
ly, and is to have a big cleanup next
spring. Sulphur and Hunker are also
good. and so is Indian. Quartz lodges
have been found on the latter creek
| which look well. There is quite a set
tlement at the mouth of the Stewart,
but no reports have as yet been re-
ceived from the prospectors who went
UP the river early in the winter.
On Walsh Creek, five miles below the
Big Salmon dirt has been found which
| yields rs cents to the pan.
A stampede from Circle City to Amer
| lean Creek took place about Jan. 10,
! about 300 men leaving. Atwater met
300 or 400 men from Dawson making
their way to the creek, which is fifty
miles from Forty-Mlle and about twen-
| ty-five miles below the international
boundary on the Alaskan side.
A courier from Minook arrived at
| Circle City just before Atwater left that
place, with about fifty pounds of mail.
| That Atwater brought out. The cour-
| Ter had a quantity of gold from Minook
and he said that the prospectors had
struck it rich there.
ktwater says there are but few cases
| OF Tcurvy at Dawson. The general
| health of the people is good.