The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-31
SOME KLoNDIkERs' WEALTH.
Fortunes in Five-Gallon Oil Cans Which
Seriously Worry Their Owners.

California Letter in New York SUM-
"The Klondike miners will send or
bring down to the States next summer
from $l3, 900, 900 to $l6, 900, 900 in, gold,"
said Phelps r. West recent arrival from
the gold fields. THE reason there is such
a wide difference in the estimates is that
no one can tell how much gold the miners
have accumulated. George Sinclair, the
new Canadian mining official at Dawson
City, told me just before left that
Bonanza creek alone would yield So, 900, 600
this year, and that Ell Dorado, Gold Bot
tom, Hunker, Bear and Too-Much- Gold
creeks are yielding just as much as they
did the first season of their development.
Mr.. Sinclair said there were 27S claims
on Ell Dorado and Bonanza creeks and
800 men were working them. Fifty of
the larger claims will each yield $50, 600
for the year ending with the sluicing
next July. Claim 80, which was the
original there had frozen gravel pile
80 feetshigh and 60 feet long. heaped up
ready for sluicing the last time was out
that way. 1t belongs to Bill Edwards
and Tom Eastley of Seattle. They will
clean up from that heap of gold bearing
dirt fully 400 pounds (Troy weight)
of yellow metal at the next sluicing. They
have probably added to the pile since 1
was there So estimate that they will
have ready for the San Francisco mint
about sl00, 900 worth of gold by next
August. MIR. Sinclair reported to the
Canadian government, and understand
that William Ogilv1e has done likewise,
that Bonanza, Ell Dorado and Hunker
creeks will yield $50, 0O0, 900 in the next
ten years
"A great many miners have no one to
leave in charge of their claims and they
do not dare to send their gold down by
other miners to the States. For instance,
there Is Barney Flynn, who has claim
NO. 10 on Hunker creek. He had during
the season of navigation last summer,
about 800 pounds of gold dust. II was
stored about his cabin in five-gallon coal
oil cans, wrapped up in greasy old
blanket, and part Of it was kept in
pair of old rubber boots. The gold was
worth about 500. 900. Barney wanted to
come down to Frisco in the worst way
with his riches. He pictured to himself
how important he would be with his fort
une. He left the city three years ago
with about $780, and he knew the boys On
the docks where he used to work would
be tickled to see him come back mill
ilonaire. But he didn't dare leave his
claim for more than twelve hours at a
time, and seldom that long. He can't
read or write and he's afraid there's
some kink in the Canadian laws that will
give his claim to another if he goes away.
So Barney has been staying right by the
mine with the three Indians that he en-
ploys at SIG Gan ounce of gold) for eight
hours work. He has been filling more oil
cans and fruit jars with his gold dust,
and l don't doubt that he has nov $50.
600 worth of the stuff on hand. He has
his summers sluicing to do, too.
II take Barney Flynn as an illustration.
There's lots more Klondikers up there
whose gold dust has not been heard
from. When navigation reopens they will
have been saving it for two years. Mr..
Sinclair told me of six men from Mon
four claims in partnership and will have
ready next summer 500 pounds (troy
weight) of gold. The Clarence Berry
claim on Ell Dorado creek has great hill
OF gravel on it ready for the annual clean.
up when the warm weather comes. The
man in charge there told me in January
last that the dirt had run from 50 to ST.
q Pou IOT W66ks. lutU DblQG SO, 1t is
reasonable to look for at least $50, 900 at
the clean up.
Just think Of the fortune Berry has
stumbled uponl When knew him in
Selma, Cal, four years ago be wasn't
worth a bean. He depended upon his
wages Of $40 month as ranch laborer,
Two years ago this month he married
and got about $500. With that he and his
bride started for the Yukon river dig
glngs about Circle City. Berry was at
Forty Mile and joined the first stampede
TO Dawson City. He filed upon one of
the best claims up there. and he and
MRS. Berry brought down to Frisco with
ghem last August about $4,000 in gold.
he has claim that will yield him at a
low estimate an average of 500, 600 an
nually for six years longer. In one
weeks time Berry leaped from a poor
put hopeful miner to fortune of about
500, QUO. He bought some lots at Daw-
son City in October, 1886, for six ounces
OF gold (worth SIG an ounce) apiece, and
he leased four of them for $500
year each. He sold three lots for $4,000
each. There's about twenty men in the
& londike almost as lucky as Clarence
Berry