The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-06

900. This is distributed as follows:
Fldorado creek claims .............. $1,000 600
Bonanza creek claims ................ 30O0,O0O
Klondike river claims. ............... 100000
Bear creek claims. .................... 100000
Skookum creek claims. .............. 100000
All Arber claims (many small
creekS) ..................s....... o,UV,UUU
Total .............,.... .$14 900 900
These figures are given in round numbers
only and there may be variations when the
exact totals are announced But the
changes will not be of very great extent, for
this estimate Is based on the most trust
worthy data. In the course of months, de-
spite the efforts at secrecy made by the
mine owners, the average daily output OF
the various claims has been generally
known, together with the number of men
at work and the other circumstances that
determine the size of the final cleanup. 1t
is safe to assert, therefore that the esti-
mate given above is accurate, and can be
used with confidence as basis of specula-
ton for the future. 1t must be remem-
bered however, that all these millions rep
resent work on only a small proportion of
the mining claims located in even the rich
districts. Most of the claims have been
taken up with view to future development
or for speculative purposes, and only enough
work has been done on them to secure the
title to the original locators. When the IN
dustry becomes universal and all the claims
are made to yield their proportionate har'
vest this total cleanup will jump to $4,000
600 or more at once.
have laid particular stress on the con-
sentative element of these figures because
conservatism is one of the rare virtues of
this country. There seems to be some sub
tie influence in the air of the Yukon valley
to noursh Munchausens. The average man
OF unimpeached veracity, who has been
accustomed to hold his word as good as his
bond, comes here and blossoms forth
full-fedged prevaricator in d month And it
is all done with such consummate frank
ness. A miner will come rushing into town
after an absence of a few days and make
a bee line for the saloon. He will be sur
rounded Immediately by crowd and will
proceed to reel off the most astonishing
pipe dream about a million-dollar strike in
the mountains. Not an essential detail viii
be lacking. And every mothers son in that
crowd will beam on the narrator in adj
miration and interrupt with encouraging
comments, although not a single listener
is in the slightest degree deceived by the
story 1t seems to be understood that only
glowing visions of inordinate wealth will
be tolerated, and perhaps the plan is not
a bad one, for it raises a barrier against
all hard luck stories. And the condition
of the people here Is not such as to make
sales of woe very welcome
HARD-LUCK STORY.
But there is one hard-luck story that
couldn't be suppressed, and it is worth
permanent place in the history of the dig
gings both because of it's own interest and
the moral precept it carries with it. Dick
Benson, who owns to small town in New
Mexico his native place, is the hero and
the victim. Dick came up here in the early
rush last spring and located well on Bonan-
"a creek He had luck from the start in
finding plenty of pay dirt, and he stuck to
the ground until he had more gold dust
cumulated than he had ever seen before at
any one time. When his pile grew to the
$4,000 figure his energy weakened, and with
the first touch of cold weather he struck
his camp and came up to Dawson to take
life easy during the long winter. He had
always appeared to be a pretty level-headed
fellow, and for time he lived along calmly
without tasting many of the excitements of
the rather rapid life of the sporty ele-
ment. But the long nights began to grow
heavy his hands and he fell to dropping
into the Excelsior gambling joint to watch
the play. A couple of squaws got hold of
him one night, and his efforts to be enter
tanning outran his discretion. He landed at
the gambling layout at a late hour consid-
erably worse for bad liquor. In his condi-
ton it was easy to persuade him to try his
luck At first the little ball rolled his way,
but the turn came and, excited by his early
success and frequent libations, his play be-
came reckless. When day daWned at about
8 o'clock the next morning there wasn't an
ounce of dust left in Benson's possession
and he was a ruined man. Two days later
he returned to the claim he had lost, to-
gether with his savings, and now he Is TAX
ing out gold in rich pans again, but it all
belongs to the other man. Benson gets $40
a day wages, just enough to keep him.
The gambling mania is naturally very
general, but there have not been many
"clean-ups" like that Of Bensons. Most of
the players have sense enough to tempt for
tune in moderation, and, as there isn't any
thing but square game in town, the
honors are about even between the keepers
and the players. But the winter is young
yet, and probably by spring there will be
the usual story to tell of hard earnings or,
rather, hard dug, wealth sunk into the
pockets of the smooth professional gam
blers. AS one miner expressed it when
commenting on the gambling situation:
ooh, the gamblers are just toying with
their prey now. They will clean UP in the
spring, when it will be easier to get out of
town, if necessary
DAILY MENU IN CIRCLE CITY.
Daily life in Circle City is varied, natural
ly depending, as in other places, on the in
dividual resources of the inhabitants But
the actual physical hardships of the people
are not as severe as most of them antici-
pated before coming into the country. /
will give you the details of an average
household. There are three members of the
party and they share one fairly COM
modious cabin. 1t is partiIioned off into
two sleeping rooms and one general living
room, which serves the triple purpose of
parlor kitchen and dining room. The sup
plies brought in by each of the three men
are combined into a general fund, to be
augmented from time to time by such arr
ticles as can be purchased to advantage in
the town. On the same day of which l am
giving the details the trio arose at
o'clock and it was barely daylight.
For the first hour they had the candles
lighted. One of the party is a good cook
and in half an hour he had the breakfast
ready. 1t consisted of fried fish, fried evap-
grated potatoes, warm biscuit, hot cakes
with maple syrup, coffee with evaporated
cream, butter. sugar, etc. BY the time
breakfast was disposed of, with CONVERSE