The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1898-10-07
HONEST MINERS.

Gold Dust u Left Lying Around Care
iessiy Ia the Kiondiko.
Much has been written OF tho Won
dct OF the Klondlkc sold fields. a cor
respondent writes. but practically
nothing has been said OF the almost
phenomenal honesty OF the miners
What amazed me most during my hrat
few days Ia Dawson City was the reck-
lees way In which miners left thou
sands OF pounds worth OF gold expos
ed In empty cabins and tents. a. II In
Wiling the first conner 10 help himself.
There were millions lying about with
out any one looking after them. and
90 far as one could see. they belonged
10 nobody. | explored many OF these
cabins during their owners absence.
and In the very FIRST cabin 4 entered I
saw n dirty, tntterod blanket careless
y thrown over two maekerol kits. I
llficd the blanket aud found that tho
kita were almost full TO the brlm with
gold dust and nuggets to the value OF
at least $4,000. The miner was out
prospecting ON Bear creek. and had no
moro anxiety about his pile than n
II were safely housed In tho bank OF
England. II was the same In nearly
every cabin / entered Gold greeted
me everywhere. There were shelves
full OF oil cans. meat tins fruit Jars.
aud buekadn and walrua bags. packed
with the precious metal, all az unpro-
tccted as II they were full OF potatoes.
One Norwegian miner on Hunkor
creek had made o strong box OF a
pair OF canvas oyoralla. the legs OF
which he had sewn up. lifted the un-
canny SAFE" and found that Il weigh
ed good 100 pounds. every ounce Of
which was virgin gold. and the least
value | could place on these dirty over
alla was $4,000. There were fyo-gal-
lon oil cans full OF gold oarolcssly
pushed under the miners bullss, every
one OF which held fortune, for which
most men Htrovo lifetime. Out on
Eldorado creek there IN settlement
OF minors who have no fewer than IA
rich claims, and are washing out gold
NJ tho rate OF many thousands OF
pounds a week. Their strong room IN
common galvanized washing tub. and
when l was there IL was threo-quar-
ters full OF gold, and much too heavy
for two strong men TO lltt. Had |
been inclined might have plnched
thousands OF pounds worth. Gold
abounded on every side which seemed
10 belong to nobody. Even n miner
leaves his cabin for a week or more he
limply leaves a notice 10 this effect
attached TO the walls. lie never thinks
Of putting guard over his pile. OF
course there have been attempts az
theft, but the perpetrators have been
Invariably detected. In one recent
case the thief managed TO carry hk
booty a distance OF ten miles. when
cold and exhaustion compelled him 10
take shelter at the cabin OF one OF the
minera. His hosts suspicion was
aroused by the mans conduct and by
the bags OF gold, for which he could
not satisfactorily account. The miner
detained his guest. communicated with
some OF his fellows; and fifteen OF them
assemblod In the hut, and sat In judg-
ment on the thief. lie was found gull
IT, and half dozen bullets put sud
den end 10 his career. Such cases.
however, are very rare. and II speaks
/ volumes for the honesty OF the 10000
men who are now gathered In Dawson
City. and they can see hundreds OF
| thousands OF pounds worth OF gold
/ wing about. without even thinking OF
/ LAYING hands on Il,