The times., 1898-08-17
FoRTUNE's FREAKS.
Good Luck and Hard Luck stories
From the Gold Diggings

Good Luck and Hard Luck Stories
From the Gold DiEgings
When Frank Phiscator who came out
of--the Klondike country with about
sl4a.oe0. first went there. not many
months ago, he staked a claim on Ell
DoraCo Creek At that time FL Dorado
Creek was unstaked. and he was the
first TO try its merits or demerits. From
the first he struck gold averaging from
50 cents to $3.50 a pan. For six days he
had it all to himself Miners would pass
him and they would say. How much
are you making?" and he would reply,
truthfully enough, "Oh. from 30 cents to
$3.50 a pan" Then they would seoff at
him and say, IF you want to stake a
moose pasture. you CHICAGO (Which is
Klondike for tenderfoot), this is all right,
but if you want gold. you would better
so where there is some Thus it was
that the FL Dorado diggings which have
panned out so bountifully were opened
with a scoff and a 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
$4,000 royalties included) from claim
No on FL Dorado and $4,000 from claim
No. l3, below Bonanza.
Another instance of striking it rich is
that of ID. b. Davidson He heard some
body say that he had seen some signs of
gold in dragging wood downhiI on French
Gulch. by FL Dorado Creek Hundreds
knew OF this statement. but refused to
try thei- luck in French Gulch. Mr..
Davidson concluded TO see what he could
do on the indicated spot so he staked out
claim last March, and in short time
he had taken out $4,000 and sold the
claim for So, ,010. He secured So, 900 from
claim that many another man had re-
fused 10 have anything TO do win. But,
10 show how utter a lottery is Klondike
gold mining, il should be said that after
Mr. Davidson was successful hundreds
of claims were staked out on French
Gulch and only eight or ten of the hun
dreds have paid.
The boys who make their money easily
blow il in with equal facility. An illus
tratiOn of this fact is found in the Pa
yition, dance hall which was opened
In Dawson City month or two ago. On
the FIRST night the management took in
SlS009. One man spent 5000 for cham
pagne al $40 a bottle. representing a total
of seventy-five bottles, and one of the
girls who made her percentage on the
wine she sold. received $3.50 as her first
week 5 salary. But $3.50 is not. in Dawson
City. 80 much as il seems To illustrate
the first eggs received there last Spring
sold for SIS a dozen, while lemons and
oranges were retailed at 81 to Sl-50 apiece.
and il required $3.50 to buy a two-pound
can of butter But prices were higher last
Winter than they We're in the Spring. For
instance a sack of flour that cost $50 to
SIS in the Winter could be bought for SIS
even before the first boat came in this
Spring.
As general proposition il may not pay
TO get hlIaraousiy full, but the case
OF Charlie Andersen demonstrates that
II sometimes pays One night he looked
upon the wine when it was red. and three
OF his acquaintances took advantage of
the occasion to sell to him for $500 ella m
which they considered worthless. The
next morning. while his head was still
with him. he tried to get them to retract
the contract but they would not So, for
lack Of something better 10 do. he worked
the claim. To sum il all up briefly. he
struck il rich and before the gOldseekers
now in town left. the Klondike he had
been offered and refused 900 for the
claim for which he paid $500. And it is a
solemn thought that he would uever have
in the broad and easy way which leaves
ones head unduly large on the next
morning.
Another kind Of luck was that of the
Lucky Kid" who may have had anoth-
er name, but il has been forgotten. In the
first place, he staked out claim on Fl
Dorado, grew weary Of working it very
soon and sold it for $780, II since has
yielded to its owner more scores of hun
dreds Of thousands OF dollars than a per-
son with regard for his reputation for We
racity would like TO mention Then the
Lucky Kid went 10 Bear Creek, staked
out a claim there and sold il for s., 800.
This sounds like pretty fair price, but
when it is considered that the claim now
is valued at large fraction Of million
dollars il will be seen that the Kids own
peculiar kind Of luck still was clinging to
him. Il is confidently believed along the
Klondike that a very good way to acquire
wealth would be to follow along the Kids
trail and pick up his leayings at his own
price.