The herald., 1898-01-11

| special to The Herald.
VICTORIA, B. c., Jan. 1O.-As an ex-
| ample Of the terrible sufferings Of those
| endeavoring to pass from Dawson to
Circle City. the case Of Joaquin Miller
is cited.
The poet, who has passed his three
score Of years, had heard of the distress
by the way and although the miners at
tempted to dissuade him from entering
upon the terrible trip on account Of his
age, he would not be held back. His
duty called him to Dawson, he said, and,
accompanied by Harold Canovan of OF
tawa, he started out. En- route bliz-
zard was encountered which sent the
younger man and Miller's other COM
panions back eight miles, although they
knew that shelter awaited them a mile
and a half further on. The old man
pressed on and made the cabin in ques-
ton, although with great suffering.
From this point to Dawson the intrepid
poet was accompanied by man gen.
orally known as Montana" in whose
company he again bade defiance to the
blizzard with the thermometer at rs be-
low zero. and ultimately reached Dawson
and the hospitable home of Capt. Han
sen, where he he is now guest On the
way. however, one of his ears had
sloughed off. two of his toes were lost
and other serious injuries had been sus-
tained as a result of the exposure and
| intense cold. Miller will not again ven
ture to brave the frost king, but will. in
al probability, remain in Dawson until
| summer opens the comfortable river
road back to civilization. He has done
quite enough to prove his mettle
KLONDIKE QUARTZ
| Associated Pross Special Wire
SEATTLE, Wash. Jan. 10.-The
steamer City of Topeka, which arrived
here this afternoon from Juneau, Alas
ka, had among her passengers nine men
who left Dawson City December Sth.
They are: w. ]. Jones, Port Townsend.
Wash; D. d. Stewart. Juneau, Alaska;
A. Solder. Nova Scotia; F. c. Arnold,
San Francisco; w. G. Stenger, Colville.
w dSkl.I KhlllCis SoiNAAiSp w ehcii', ~
Cordroy, Denver, Col. George Anderson,
Tacoma. and Robert Johnson. Tacoma.
They were twenty-four days in coming
from Dawson to the coast. Their jour
ney was unattended by special incident.
The coldest weather recorded was IS be-
low zero The party brought out with
them about $4,000 in gold dust and
drafts. Dog teams were used in making
,,+x, h,.t,, Pno
lures in reference to the food situation
at Dawson. They all agree that food is
scarce, but that there Is no danger Of
starvation. II large number of per-
sons had not gone down the river to
Fort Yukon and Circle City to spend the
winter different tale would have been
told. F. c. Arnold said There Is no
danger of starvation. OF course there Is
not food enough, but that was always
true in the Yukon and always will be.
There is a big warehouse of beef at Daw-
son. Next winter will be far worse than
this because there will be many more
people there"
In reference to the proposed govern
ment relief expedition all agree that
while it is not needed to avert actual
want, 1t would be welcomed neverthe-
less.
w. J. Jones brings news of the dis
covery of what is supposed to be the
mother lode and quartz origin Of the
placers of the Klondike district. The
discovery was made within twenty-four
hours at four different points-one of
them at the Dome, high mountain to
the east of the source of the Ell Dorado
| creek by Frank Slavin, the second one at
No. 81 Ell Dorado, by A. H. Jose and
partner; the third one on Nugget gulch,
at No. 16, and the fourth somewhere in
the twenties on Bonanza creek. The
| trend of the vein is northwest by west,
westerly from the Dome. 1t Is found at
about thirty feet below the surface and
under the muck and alluvial deposit.
The ledge is about eighteen inches wide
and makes uniform width. 1t is gen.
erously sprinkled with free gold.
| Mr. Jones brings down some samples
of the ore, and every one who has seen
them says the rock is precisely the same
in character as is found in the Comet
mine at Berner's bay, southeastern
Alaska. Mr.. Jones said that old timers
| in the Klondike had made similar OBJ
servation. In no instance was the
quartz discovery made by the men who
owned the placer claims, and the lOca-
tors of the quartz ledge thus acquire a
separate and distinct title from the loca-
| tors Of the placer.
The discovery Of this ledge on No. 81,
Ell Dorado, was made by a man who was
working the placer for the owner. A
shot was put in and about fifty pounds of
ore blasted out. The greatest excitement
prevails and no man will listen to any
suggestion to sell his claim until fur
ther development has been made.
| Mr.. Jones says: 1.-THE output of gold
In the spring will be from $4,000, 900 to
SAG. .000,o 900. This opinion Is concurred In
by the transportation companies man.
ayers and Alex Mcdonald, the richest
man in the Klondike Five millions OF
ldust is now stored in Dawson, $500 .oO(