The record-union., 1898-03-28


to the Pan and This Continues
to Be the Average at Swedish
GuIch - Prospectcrs Enduring
Great Rardships and Many Of
Them Have Been Severely
Frozen.
VICTORIA B. c., March 27.-John
Piche, special dispatch bearer of the
Dominion Government who left Daw-
son City on February Goth with ofti-
cial reports of the progress of affairs
in the Klondilze District, covering the
period from August last to date, dur
ing which 5000 claims have been re-
corded at Dawson, arrived in Skaguay
Sunday last, March 20th, and reached
Victoria by the Ningchow Friday.
With regard to the contents of his
dispatches, his lips are, of course,
sealed, but he gives the most important
and authenticated information of the
wonderful strikes in the gold country
that has come out of that region dur
ing several months.
Piche does not cOrroborate the re-
ported finding of the $1,000 nugget in
the FL Dorado. Indeed, having heard
and investigated the tale at La Barge,
while on his way down, he has reason
to believe this royal lump of gold is
purely imagination. 1t has substance
only in the fertile brains of two young
men camped at the foot of the lake,
the story having been originated for
the purpose of booming certain prop
critics in which they are interested and
which they are endeavoring TO work off
on a tenderfoOt syndicate. Piche visit
ed the authors of the great nugget fa-
bic in their cabin and thoroughly sat
isfied himself that it was a fake, pure
and simple, although it was not diff
cult for the pair in question to con-
vince many who are over anxious for
just such news that it was genuine.
The new diggings on the Big Salmon
and on Jim Walsh Greek were also in
vestigated by Mr.. Piche personally,
with the result that he pronounces the
reports concerning them overdrawn. al
though the prospectors have unques-
tionably got gravel that elsewhere in
the Yukon would be considered re-
markably rich on the Big Salmon it
average pan. He was permitted to pan
for himself, and three trials returned
So. 81 - and 30 cents, respectively On
Jim Walsh Creek good money is also
being taken out, but nothing sensa-
tiOnal.
More recently discovered than either
Of these camps and more promising of
rich returns are Swedish Gulch and
Lake Creek. The former is a dry bench
digging six miles above Dawson on the
opposite side Of the river, and at an
elevation of 300 feet above the river
level. The discovery here was made GU
February 18th by two prospectors who
had started out for the Big Salmon but
becoming disgusted with the outlook
We're trying desultory prospecting by
the way. They were on the point of
returning to Dawson when their luck
veered. The maiden trial Of the dirt
went 50 and since then, although this
has in numerous instances been largely
exceeded it remains the truly wonder
full average.
No sooner had the find been reported
than the customary stampede set in,
Mr. Piche on the Goth seeing no fewer
than 200 men waiting in Dawson to
record claims on the new ground they
had already been to and staked, him
self among the number
Three days before that rich finds had
been made between Little Skookum
and Big S1ookum Gulch, the overflow
of miners promptly finding the way to
Swedish Gulch and Lake Greek in four
distinct stampedes. The Lake Greek
discoverers We're Willis Connolly of
Pittsburg, Pa; John H. Platner of
Chicago and Ernest H. Bothman of By
ron, Ont. This creek is about seven
teen miles below the Big Salmon. 1t
is panning out from So to 81 30, and it
has every indication of permanency.
Here, too, Mr.. Piche has been permit
ted to pan for himself and his investi-
cations satisfied him abundantly of the
great value of the ground. The gold OF
both Lake Creek and Swedish Gulch is
as large as No. shot and of fine quail
ity standard.
In the course of the stampedes here
referred to many cases of indescribable
hardship were recorded, as we'll as in
cidents of suffering and privation that
could only have been endured under
the eXhilaration of the gold finder S
lever. some were so severely frozen
that it Will be many weeks before they
are restored even to normal health. AS
sistant Postmaster Corporal Carter of
the Northwest Mounted Police had his
feet so affected that amputation was
necessary. Others lost toes or fingers.
or both but live to laugh over their
hard experiences and will. as surely as
they live. be ready to start again at
the first sign of a rush One fatality
only was recorded in connection with
the stampedes spoken Of and of this
tragedy q well-known British Coluna
bian was the victim.
L. B. Hamlin, civil engineer of Vic
toria. was last year sent into the Yukon
country by the Provincial Government
to report upon the most advantageous
avenues of ingress. He was directed
particularly TO ascertain as to the navi-
2ability at low water of the HooAalin-
qua River. and to this work he devoted
most OF the late summer and fail. his
eport being forwarded 10 the Govern
rlent under date Of November last At
that time he was in Dawson City. and
2 D. 9