The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-08-24
Freaks OF KlOndlke Fortune.

Wneu FTHUk EDlSChlOT, WIN Chluo
out of the Klondike country with about
$4,000, first went there, not many
months ago, he staked claim on Ell
Dorado Creek. At that time Ell Dora
do Creek was unstaked, and he was the
first to try its merits or dement's.
From the first he struck gold averag-
ing from fifty cents to $3.50 pan. For
six days he had it all to himself. Min
ers would pass him and they would
say, "How much are you making2"
and he would reply, truthfully enough,
"Oh, from fifty cents to $3.50 pam"
Then they would scott at him and
would say, eff you want to stake a
moose pasture, you CHICAGO (Which is
Klonkike for tenderfooD, this is all
right, but if you want gold, you would
better 90 where there is some." Thus
it was that the Ell Dorado diggings
which have PANIED out so bountifully
were opened with scott and sneer
from those who "passed by on the
other side." AS for Mr.. Phiscator,
he stayed with his claim and grew
wealthy. For instance, he took $110,-
600 royalties included) from claim No.
2 on Ell Dorado and $4,000 from claim
No. Ii below Bonanza.
Another instance of striking it rich
is that of D. B. Davidson. He heard
somebody say that he had seen
some signs of gold in dragging wood
downhill on French Gulch by Ell Dora
do Creek. Hundreds knew of this
statement, but refused to try their luck
in French Guch. Mr.. Davidson con-
cluded to see what he could do on the
indicated spot, 30 he staked out claim
last March, and in short time he had
taken out $4,000 and sold the claim
for $4,000. He secured $4,000 from
a claim that many another man had re-
fused to have anything to do with.
But, to show how utter lottery is
Klondike gold mining, it should be
said that after Mr.. Davidson was sue
cessful hundreds of claims were staked
out on French Gulch, and only eight or
ten of the hundreds have paid.
The boys who make their money
easily blow it in with equal facility.
An illustration of this fact is found in
tn. Pavilion, dance hall which was
opened in Dawson City a month or two
ago. On the first night the manage
ment took in $4,000. One man spent
$4,000 for champagne, at $40 bottle,
representing a total of seventy-five bot
ties, and one of the girls, who made
her money by percentage on the wine
she sold, received $3.50 as her first
weeks salary. But $3.50 is not, in
Dawson City, 30 much as it seems. To
illustrate, the first eggs received there
last spring sold for $1S dozen, while
lemons and oranges were retailed at 81
to $3.50 apiece, and it required $3.50 to
buy two-pound can of butter. But
prices were higher last winter than
they were in the spring. For instance,
sack of -four that cost $50 to 1925 in
the winter could be bought for $15
even before the first boat came in this
spring.
As a general proposition it may not
pay to get hilariously full, but the case
of "Charlie" Anderson demonstrates
that it sometimes pays. One night
he looked upon the wine when it was
red, and three of his acquaintance
took advantage of the occasion to sell
to him for $500 a claim which they
considered worthless. The next morn
ing, while his head was still with him,
he tried to get them to retract the con-
tract, but they would not. 80, for lack
of something better to do, he worked
the claim. To sum it all up briefly, he
struck it rich, and before the gold seek
ers now in town left the Klondike he
had been offered and refused $750,000
for the claim for which he paid $500.
And it is a solemn thought that he
never would have secured this bonanza
if he had not walked in the broad and
easy way which leaves ones head I'M
duly large on the next morning.
Another kind of luck was that of the
"Lucky Kid" who may have had an
other name, but it has been forgotten.
In the first place, he staked out claim
on Ell Dorado, grew weary Of working
il very soon and sold it for 800. 1t
since has yielded to its owner more
scores or hundreds of thousands of dol
lars than person with regard for his
reputation for veracity would like to
mention. Then the "Lucky Kid"
went to Bear Creek, staked claim
there and sold it for $1,000. This
sounds like pretty fair price, but
when it is considered that the claim
now is valued at large fraction Of a
million dollars, it will be seen that the
Kids own peculiar kind Of luck was
still clinging to him. 1t is confidently
believed along the Klondike that very
good way 10 acquire wealth would be to
follow along the Kids trail and pick
up his leavings at his own price.-San
Trancisc0 Examiner