The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-04-06
RETURNED FROM KLONDIKE.
j. f. DENHAM TELLS OF HIS
EXPERIENCES.
There is Plenty Of Rich Ground on
the American Side, as Well
as in Canada.


| reached this city yesterday, and was
seen at his home, 907 L street, by a
'Record-Union' reporter. Mr.. Den
ham looked rugged and as hard as
nails, and evidently felt no evil effects
from his winter in the northern gold
| belt
Il have been interviewed so often"
said Mr.. Denham, that l doubt wheth-
er l can say anything that l have not
already said, but if you would like to
hear about my return trip and my i'm
pressions of Dawson City and the sur
! rounding country, you shall have them.
Myself and four companions left
Dawson for the south on February
10Th, and reached Dyea on the 18th
| day of March. When we reached the
Stewart River, a week after starting,
we encountered a cool belt, and the
thermometer ran down to 81 degrees
below. l may say that before our ar
rival there we had no idea how cold it
| was, but the thermometer staggered
US and We laid over a day.
When we reached the Pella River,
2OO miles up from Dawson City, there
was a remarkable change in the tenn
perature, and the weather was COM
paratively warm. The sun shone much
stronger than at our starting point, and
the days were an hour longer.
AT the juncture of the White and
! Yukon Rivers we met the first Cana
dian Government mail for Dawson City.
1t was composed of nine dog teams,
and was accompanied by several Off
Gals, among whom were Mr.. Wade,
Judge Mcclure and Mining Inspector
McGregor, who will have headquarters
| at Dawson City.
From the Pella River to Five Fin
gers we found hard travelling. All of
| our journey, to the foot of the pass,
you understand, was made on the ice of
| the river, and between these points we
found it badly broken and very rough
| We met the second section of the Gov
eminent mail at Hootalinga River. Five
dog teams were drawing the sledges,
and with the party was Mr. Herdman,
timber inspector of the Yukon district
AT Thirty Mile River we found the
| river open for eight miles, and the ice
was breaking up rapidly, SO that we
had to use great care even along the
shore. We found the lakes in good con-
dition for travel and the ice solid, and
there we met crowds of people going
in. Most of them We're busy building
boats in which to drop down the river
as soon as the ice broke up.
We stopped at Little Salmon, at
which point there is a Government post.
and received courteous treatment at the
| hands of the mounted police stationed
there. We also stopped a half day at
the mouth of the Big Salmon River,
and while there first learned of the dis
covery of gold on Walsh and Lake
| Creeks, six miles below. l saw the
man who made the discovery at the
| first named creek, and he told me he
| got good color seven feet below the
surface, but did not indicate the rich
ness of the section. l also met Con-
molly, who made the find on Lake
Creek, and he said he had washed SD
worth Of dust from one sack of gravel.
Our party was not ina position to
get conclusive and substantial reports
of the new diggings, but there was a
stampede for that section, mostly of
men who had wintered on that side of
! the pass, and mounted police
AT the lakes we met George Billou
| formerly an employe in the railroad
shops rolling mill in this city. He was
in the best of health, and expected to
get through with the first batch.
| MANY GOING IN.
| I'VE met throngs of people on the
| Chilcoot Pass, and between the Sum-
NIT and Sheep Camp we passed at
| least 1000 men. Some were using the
! cable tramway to get their effects to
the top, While others employed the
rope and pully process, but all We're
| bound for the region where gold
| abounds.
I'VE found good Shedding to Canyon
City, but there the snow disappeared,
and wheeled vehicles were being used. -
| Dawson City" continued Mr.. Den
ham, lis perfectly orderly town, and
| it would be hard to find a more peace
full, law abiding village in California.
Crime is of rare occurrence. and all
| talk about laWlessness is simply untrue.
Throughout the coming season there
will be much stampeding for new gold
bearing creeks, and as there the pros
Epect for securing a rich location is bet
ter than in the old Districts
"All of the creeks located last year
are rich, especially Hunker, Sulphur,
Dominion and Henderson, and of late
promising locations have been made on
several new creeks, notably Baker,
Rosebud and Nine-Mile, and all are
said to be rich.
PLENTY OF FOOD.
"The food supply at Dawson City
during the past winter was ample.
though none was offered for sale AT
no time was there a scarcity, though
there might have been had not those
who went out last fall sold their stock
Of supplies to those who remained, at
flat rate of from 81 to ST 80 per
pound. The food the outgoers left re-
lieved the situation.
LAS for myself" continued Mr. Den
ham, Il came out earlier than I ex-
pected when I left, but I may say that
I accomplished all that / expected, and
had no reason for staying longer I
secured several valuable pieces of
property in the diggings, and was of
fered neat sums for them before I left
Dawson, though they Were undevel
oped
AT Seattle Z disposed of one claim
for $4,000, and have several others
left, and 1 can say that I am entirely
satisfied with the result of my trip.
"Ahern and Jackson, whom every
podS III 1dCIdiIlGlllO hllONS, dIc
ing a claim on Hunker Creek jointly,
and will have a good round sum to
clean up when the wash-up is made.
They both were well when I left, and
were working like beavers.
Ben Billiard wintered at Circle City.
He ran short of grub, and had to so
there to stock up, and concluded to re-
main there.