The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-03-16

pups small gulcbes. varying from q
few hundred yards to two or three miles
in length. tributary to these ~
streams. These properties are from ..rst
to last unknown quantities, with little
chance of any of them proving at all
rich according TO the best authorities
here. A few of the bench claims ON
these two streams are proving valuable,
but this is only in spots where the old
river or glacier bed has been left by the
present stream. and these, like all other
properties, should not be touched by in
vestors without first investigating them.
Rich prospects are reported on Hunk
er creek, and il would seem as il this
creek offers better opportunities TO the
investor than any of the many others
which are staked from mouth to source
for speculative purposes. l have not
been able to investigate these reports
from Hunker yet, but hope to make the
trip within the next few days. A good
deal of work is being done on various
claims there, but nothing certain can
be known for several weeks yet.
Creeks Theoretically Rich.
The same may. be said of All Gold,
Sulphur, Dominion and other creeks To-
Gated within the limits of what is
called the gold belt here. Aside from
the theory-a theory which has not
been well established so far or adj
vanced on any other grounds than that
of mere surmise-that all creeks having
their source in one part or another Of
the divide which lies between the Klon-
dixie and the Indian river districts, and
which is called the Dome, must neces-
sarily be rich in gold deposits, there is
nothing to show cause that these vari-
Gus other creeks and gulches are rich.
Certain it is that the greater majority
of the claims staked and recorded on
them were not stalled in good faith by
their owners "for mining purposes,
but were staked by men who arrived
here without food supplies and who
were willing to stake a claim in each
district and turn it over to a speculator
for very small sum or for a half in
terest in the claim.
Rank perjury was INDUCED in by
Vi thOoO pCOpAS, III NhilO
they took oath that they had found gold
on their claims it is known that the
only implement they had with which to
find it was small hand ak with which
TO blaze the stakes, and besides nearly
1000 such claims have been located
within the past six or seven weeks, dur
ing which time it was impossible to
G,,I nit hn IS
much time and labor, even it if is there.
1t is known positively that this time
and labor were not expended, but that
great parties OF men went on STAN
pedes, each stalking his tree and run
ming as fast as possible to the office of
the gold commissioner to record, and
this all because il was thought that
there were thousands of investors wait
ing anxiously outside to snap up at any
price anything in the way of gold
mining claim located anywhere near to
this rich region.
There is another side to this story,
but before / can be told with any de-
gree of accuracy matters must be- inves-
tigated further. | am doing that as fast
as possible consistent with the acquire
ment of facts on which the investor may
rely implicitly. The information given
above will serve TO convey to the in
tending purchaser an idea as to the
many schemes which will be worked on
the outside and their foundation.
Fortunes For Men Who Buy Wisely.
There seem to be many opportunities
to make money here by buying up large
numbers of consecutive claims and
working them by some more economical
method, but these, too, should be inves-
tigated thoroughly before much money
is expended on them. There is no doubt
in my mind that there are other methods
by which to extract the gold from the
ground here, but none can be worked
successfully on small scale. Neither
will it pay to work them under present
conditions, with food stuffs selling at
an average of 81 per pound and labor
consequently very high.
do not think it advisable for the
man of means to purchase a single claim
in any district, for if the present owner
cannot work it to advantage another
certainly cannot. 1t will be said that
the present owner has not the means to
do so. In some cases this is undoubtedly
true, but in most cases his willingness
or anxiety to sell is based on the fact
that he has little confidence in his prop
erty. Money is obtainable-at very high
rates of interest, it is true, but still OBJ
tainable-for the working of claims
which can be shown to be in district
where they should, taking all things
into consideration, be rich.
AS much work is being done now on
outlying creeks much more will be
known by spring as to the value of
properties in the different districts.
would strongly advise, therefore, that
the intending purchaser come, send an
agent or communicate with some one
in whom he has confidence and have an
investigation of properties in which he
may be- interested before parting with
the money and probably paying high
price for valueless properties.
And l think that none but those
whose means place them in position
,,.ho~a tbaxy can aTord tn lose chou III