The San Francisco call., 1898-04-06
Rev. C. F. Cone of Han ford Goes to the Kotze-
 bue Gold Fields.
IT Successful He Is to Pay Off All the Debts of His
 Church.
During His Absence the Congrega- ton Is to Care for His Wife
 and Family.

hotzeDue Is now the Mecca toward which the goldhunters are turning. The parks Alaska, Northern Light and Mer- maid, and the barkentines Jane A. falkenburg, Catherine Sudden and Leslie ID are now on the berth for the hupuck River region, and negotiations are pending for number of other ves- sels that are to be put on the route. All the accommodation on he Alaska and the Northern Light has zen taken, the Catherine Sudden and Jane A. Falkenburg are filling up rapidly, and the chances are that every vessel now on the berth will have her full compile ment before the month closes.
 Among those who have taken passage on the Alaske. which sails April 20, are several Oakland people, viz: c. S. Barnard, S20 Eighteenth street; B. c. Skinner, Sixteenth and West streets; Robert Lee Day, the Taylor brothers, Captain Cogan's brother -in-law and his Wife, and MT. and Mrs. Calderwood. Besides these there are also Rev. c. F. Cone, Aristo Ludlow and MT. Kicker of Hanford and several San Franciscans, the others being from Eastern points.
 1t was originally the intention of Mrs. 5. M. Martin of this city, wife of the evangelist, to take passage on the Alaska. Her brother, John H. Barnes Of Seattle, also intended to try his for tune in the frozen gold fields of the north. In fact they had paid for their tickets. but when MT. Martin returned home few weeks ago he did not ap- prove Of Mrs. Martin making the haz- ardous trip at this time, and eventually she was persuaded to give it up. When her brother lea ed this he also gave up the idea of going, and thus to fully paid tickets to the Territory of Alaska were left on Rev. MT. Martin s hands.
 The reverend gentleman interested Arthur O. Garrison of the Pacific Chris t1an, San Francisco, and Rev. MT. Gardner of the First Christian Church, San Francisco, in the Kotzebue Sound gold fields. and they in turn discovered Rev. c. P. Cone, pastor of the Chris tian Church at Hanford, and agreed to grubstake him to the gold fields, pro- viding he could make arrangements to go. His church was struggling along under heavy debt, and Mir. Cone went before his congregation, told them of the proposal he had received, called their attention to the condition of the church and proposed to them that he would make the trip, and if the church would agree to care for his family, he would on his return pay off the church indebtedness in the event of his 'strik- ing pay dirt"
 The congregation accepted the offer and the Rev. c. P. Cone signed arti- cles with Messrs. Martin, Gardner and Garrison, agreeing in consideration of $700, to proceed to the gold fields men, tioned, and to pay to his three grub stake partners one-half of all gold or other ore secured during the year 1898, and such portion of 1899, or longer, as he deemed expedient to remain.
 B. c. Skinner of Oakland, a member of the First Christian Church of this city, later signed articles with s. M. Martin to the same effect, and c. S. Barnard, also a member of the First Christian Church of Oakland, signed with Mrs Martin few days ago, mak- ing three Kotzebue Sound gold-seekers in whom Rev. s. M. Martin is inter- ested.
 C. S. Barnard Is a contractor and builder and was a candidate for Oak lands City Council in 1897 on the Popu- list ticket. B. c. Skinner IS a skilled machinist.
 Mrs. s. M. Martin will likely make the trip year from aw if the above mentioned partnership proves a finan- cial success.
 Captain Cogan has been in KotZebue Sound many times and he says that the half has not been told of the gold .o be found there. He says he has never yet made a trip to the. Kubuck River region but what Indians have visited his vessel with quantities of gold nuggets, eager to trade for needles, knives, scissors, rifles, tobacco, etc. The squaws use the needles and scissors in making furs for sale to prospectors, and all the passengers are supplying them selves with these articles that they may secure cheap equipments.
 On the barkentine Catherine Sudden party of twelve San Francisco boys have secured accommodation They are going to take along their own steam launch and will thus be able to pros pect all the tributaries of the Kubuck River.
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