The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-11
CARRIES HIS IN A CHECK.
Returning KlOndiISer Who Has
Made a. Fortune

j. E. Kelley, one of the passengers on the
steamer Corona. which arrived in Seattle
few days ago from Alaska, passed through
the city yesterday en- route to New York
with a certified check for s4S, COO, which rep
resented nine months work on the Bonanza
creek. which empties into the Yukon river
about six miles from Dawson City. Mr. KEEL
ley in speaking of his venture in Alaska last
evening at the Ryan, said: There was quite
a large party came down on the Corona,
most of them men who had cleaned up consid-
erable during the year One man with his
been in Alaska several years prospecting I
do not think that Alaska has deyeIoned
enough to receive the great numbers who are
81 e. 10 seek gold in the country tributary
to the Yukon river, that Is, they will not be
able to handle that many people Why 7
understand people are going from all parts
OF the country. | saw several today who were
gong IN the spring. and although the coun-
try has bright prospects for becoming the
greatest placer mining country the world
has ever seem it will be very hard for so
many people to get along in so new q conn
try. 1t is hard country to travel over and
there are many hardships to endure We made
our passage over the ice in very good time
we used the Esquimau dog team, which cost
us $LO00 IN Dawson City for team of four
1t took just twenty-seven days actual time
as we stopped three days on the trail on ac
count OF the extreme cold weather. My part
n ne, and myself own three claims; we located
the first one Just after the rush to the famous
bonanza creek began, and have since bought
another near Dawson City. The gold which
we took out filled three sacks. We had it
exchanged for check by the Alaska Trading
company before leaving Dawson City
There is plenty Of food in Dawson. such as
IL is, and L do not think anybody will starve
this winter, although If the miners were in
eminent peril Of starving the government
would be able to do nothing to relieve them
as there is no way of getting a large amount
or supplies over the passes during winter.
AT Eldorado creek there are nearly 500
prospectors at work now and I think this
creek will prove as rich as the Bonanza has
been. On the Bonanza creek there are about
$50 people. There is no room for any more
on either Of these creeks. People going in
this spring. if they want to locate on these
tributaries to the Yukon, must purchase their
claims. and pay good price for prospect,
engaged in thawing out the ground and
throwing up the dirt, which will be washed
next summer, when the sun comes out No
matter how deep you dig in Alaska, you
never reach such a depth where the ground
Is not frozen. After digging about six or
eight feet you come to gravel formation.
and 1t is from this that the prospectors wash
the gold in the spring. The weather there
has been very cold; in fact it was so cold for
about ten days that we could not work out
doors. There are very few deaths in Alaska
that Is, comparatively few, when you con-
slider the hardship and the long trip of eco
miles over unbroken country. You have such
ravenous appetite that you can eat almost
anything. I gained a good deal in flesh while
in Alaska. and II you not doing too
is very invigorating.''
Mr.. Kelly left last evening over the Mill
waukee for the East. where he will spend a
work his claims. He expects to take out
fully much this year as he did last wear