The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-03
DETAILS OF THE YUKON
Johnny Iseman Writes a Lengthy
Letter to the Standard.
IT is FULL OF INTEREST
He Gives q List OF the Prices Which Pre-
vail in the Gold Fields of Alaska.
Some OF the Rich Strikes
That Have Been Made.

I John lseman, who for many years was
a resident of his city, has been in
Alaska for three years. and he has writ
ten a letter to the Standard, which has
just arrived. Mr.. Iseman's letter Is
lengthy and very thorough. He gives
an account of the country and the con-
ditions in detail. and the letter will be
read with interest by many. MIR. Ise-
man, during his residence in this city,
was well known. He was a member of
the police force for a time and was aft
erwards connected with the fire depart
ment. He is a man who is careful in
he writes and the details which hi
gives of the Yukon may be relief upon
TO be correct. Mr.. Iseman accompanied
his letter with a map prepared by him.
self which must lave taken months in
drawing. The map shows every creek.
mountain, gulch and settlement. 1t
would be impossible to secure a cut of
the map within less than two weeks and
for that reason 1t is omitted.
Mr.. Iseman's letter is as follows:
Dawson, N. w. T., Aug. 81, 1897.
Gold has always excited those who
are of a roaming disposition and finally
the Arctic region has became one of
the fields for treasure seekers and has
been amous for gold finds, especially
the past year. On the 18th of August,
1895, George Mccormick, with several
Indians. crossed the east divide of the
Yukon p~rospected for gold on a
creek which now is famous and known
as creek. Mccormick got very
good prospects in every pan and knew
fhnf IL xrnG hattar sl-- -.
ever had been found in the Yukon coun-
try. He therefore staked off 500 feet of
a claim and. being the discover, 500 feet
more were allowed, and as the indians
on the entire Yukon are self-supporting,
McCormicks companions were each en-
titled to 500-foot claims. Mccormick at
once made for Forty Mile post, which is
about 40 miles down the river from
the mouth of Klondike river, and in
formed the miners at that post of his
find. Strange as it may seem to the
reader. nobody seemed to believe or
have any faith in reports tina came
from Bonanza creek. All through the
mining camps of the Yukon people
doubted the rich strike, and it is the
first time where the fact was that the
nearer one got to a camp the larger
the reports grew, and when one got to
where he could see it still looked larger.
creek is about 80 miles in
and empties into Klondike river
about three miles from where the Klon-
dixie empties into the Yukon. The Klon-
dixie itself has not been found to con-
tain any gold as yet. and it would be
almost out of the question to prospect
the river OF account of it's size.
Near its mouth Bonanza looks to be
only a small ravine of short length.
Last fall QS96) the miners, one by one,
with partners, would come up to and see
il Mccormick knew what he was talk
ms about, and upon their return would
c~orroborate his story. soon a STAN
pede was on hand and Bonanza was
staked from its mouth to its source and
all its tributaries. More miners came
from Miller creek and from the head of
Forty Mile river and when they got to
where gold went from % cents to 81 to
the pan everything was taken but the
Moose ranch, now known as Eldorado
creek. which was left untouched. The
only chance for the poor miners at that
time was to stake them or else go back
TO Forty Mile as poor as the day they
left for So Ii was agreed upon
to stake in the Moose flats. Although
laughed at the idea, one man took
his pan n was well rewarded. He
told of what he had found and the lit
tie stream was staked to it's head. A
was called and the gulch was
named EldOradO, and has since prove
TO be the richest gulch yer found on
the globe. Old miners from Alder gulch,
Montana, and from the Caribou country,
British Columbia. all agree that they
saw the like. although il is a well
known fact that Alder gulch, Montana,
was very rich. and also the Caribou
country of British Columbia. Eldorado
creek has not one blank from the mouth
to No. IS. although some claims are
richer than others. Nos. 2. 6. Z, s, 3, 10,
IL, 10 and 30 are the very richest so far
as known. Sales were made all the way
to s 10000 for claims and 500, 900
would not buy them now.
Most Of the ground has to be mined
out in winter by burning. fire being used
to thaw the ground before it can be
and taken from the drifts. The
word drifting" is used for this method
Of mining. Drifting in ummer is al
most out of the question, although some
1t, but 1t is very unhealthy. as the
foul air from the daily fires is indeed
very bad for the lungs. A person. after |
the fumes in the summer, ex-
to h extreme cold in winter and
poor living combined, can not expect to
be alive long, and some of the most ro-
bust men die quickly. The ground tina
Is not too deep to bedrock is opened
the top and worked out in the
summer time. At such claims men get
in the summer at SIS per
day. or $3.50 per hour. and as there is
no darkness in the summer, two shifts
are employed. To work on these claims
a tent and a little sheetiron cook stove
Is required. The miner must pack all
his provisions on his back to the place