The San Francisco call., 1898-07-26
Charles Nelson Reaches Seattle From
 St. Michael.
Carries Nearly Two Hundred Miners and at Least a Million
 in Treasure.

SEATTLE, July 25.-The steamer Charles Nelson arrived to-day from St. Michael with 173 passengers from Daw- son and gold dust valued at from H,00OOOO to $1,5O0,OOO Purser M A. Tucker said:
 T believe that $1, ,5OO 900 is fair esti- mate. Of that amount I can vouch fer $500, ,000 which was turned over to me and placed in the steamers safe"
 One man, MT. Tucker said, had $175,- 900 and another s125, 900. He would not disclose their names.
 Professor T. S. Lippy, his father and two brothers carried from the steamer nine canvas sacks which weighed about 100 pounds each. This was the cleanup from Lippy's claim, No. 16 Fl Dorado. Charles Randall, an oId-timer, had SS4, 900. Other individual amounts ran from 5000 to $1O,OOO, $5OOO being an average.
 At o'clock this afternoon sixty seven passengers had deposited In the assay office about $500, 900. Four thou sand ounces was the largest individual amount This did not include the Lippy and Randall gold. About one third of the passengers brought no 6OAA' OOIAlC OL liAtlIl A1cl1 SOAlC III iclol spring. Not liking the prospects they sold their outfits and returned.
 People are arriving at St. Michael every day from up the Yukon, and the next steamers from there will be crowd ed to their full capacity. Owing to the high rates on river steamers many of the Klondikers are floating down in small boats.
 When the Nelson left St Michael there were twenty-six vessels there. Nine river steamers, laden to the guards, had started up the river. Some were drawing four feet of water, and doubts were expressed as to the heavier draughts ever getting to Daw- son. There is a large amount of mer- chandise at St. Michael which will in sure plenty Of food next winter If it can be got up before ice closes naviga- ton.
 Moran's fleet of ten river steamers was passed by the Nelson just after it had entered Boring Sea, about 500 miles from St. Michael. The arrival of the fleet was anxiously awaited at St. Mi chael, as it would enable many of the steamers to send their passengers up the river. The passengers were get ting very uneasy and discontented. Several steamers were unable to sail owing to the fact that their passengers would not disembark until river trans portation was provided for them Among the steamers thus delayed were the Progreso, South Portland and Brixham. The noted Cuban fiIibuster Laurada, with three tows, was passed by the Nelson in Boring Sea The Conemaugh was discharging her steel river steamers and they were being riveted together. The Navarro had arrived with her tow river steamer Minneapolis in good condition
 Professor Lippy who is recognized as an authority on Yukon affairs, said to- night:
 "El Dorado should not be counted when an estimate is to be made as to the value of the mines on the Yukon. It is vastly richer than any of the others that have been worked up to date. But the country is good, as an average, for S10 diggings to the man, even under the present crude condi- tions. There is no question that the diggings of the Northwest Territory are very rich, but I question whether as much work will be done next winter as was done this past year, owing to the prohibitive charges by the Cana dian officials. From the time man arrives at the summit of the passes he begins to be taxed, and he never es- capes after that. He pays for every thing.
 That system does not compare at all with the American S1de. In the hrSt place, on the American side the Gov ernment takes no claims for itself and the miners make their own laws. No royalties are demanded and there are no licenses or fees"
 One of the successful old-timers who left the Charles Nelson staggering un- der weight of gold dust was c. A. Bevans of Iowa. This evening he gave expression to his experiences and optn- ions as follows
 T left Seattle fourteen years ago, and have been in Alaska ever since. From Juneau I went north, and have prospected in almost every part of the country I was at Circle City when the Klondike was discovered and when I heard of the news 1t was too late for me to go there, as I had prop erty which I believed to be valuable.