Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-12-07
THE KLONDIKB
Filled With People Who Are
Dead Broke.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
And Sharks Rob the Nervy
Prospectors of Property.

The following letter from Andy
Russell, a former we'll known oper-
ator in the West Virginia oil fields,
will doubtless be read with consid-
erable interest by all.
Dawson City, Oct. IS, 1898.
AS this is my last opportunity to
send letter out by boat, 1 mast
avail myself of the opportunity of
sending you a few lines and to let
you know that l am alive. Well
Charley the northwest territory
does not look very bright this even
ing, as one of the Alaska winters
has set in, and it appears to be CON-
ing jim good earnest. suppose
you have heard considerable about
the country since 1 left, or perhaps
in war time it may have been for
gotten. Be that as it may, 1 will
give you some idea of the country
as I have seen it.
In the first place, there are more
poor people here than I ever saw
in any one place in my life; more
people utterly broke; without a
dollar. Thousands of these people
came in here thinking they could
pick fortune in a few months and
60 back home, but ye gods Pick
up fortune here! Not on your
life. You can't find the nuggets
in the street, nevertheless, this is
one of the richest countries in the
world. There is no disputing this.
This country has produced some of
the richest placer diggings the
world has ever seen or ever heard
OF. Such creeks as Eldorado and
Bonanza have been equaled. will
tell you what 1 have seen myself.
I have seen $Ieo. 900 taken out of
ten feet square of ground. This
claim is on Eldorado creek,
This is one of the richest claims on
the creek. 1t will seem like a very
large story to you when 1 tell you
1 have seen twenty-five horses
loaded with the gold from these
creeks coming in to Dawson, and
each horse loaded to his fullest ca
pacity, but, nevertheless, it is the
truth. Heretofore the most of the
mining has been confined to FL
dorado and Bonanza creeks. Now
they are turning their attention to
Sulphur and Dominion creeks.
These creeks are about fifty miles
from Dawson. and lie on the other
side of the divide. They are known
to be very good, as there have been
some claims opened up there lately
that went as high as $500 to the
pan. A gold pan is about the size
OF a very small dish pan, and will
hold two ordinary shovels full OF
gravel. There are no claims for
sale on either OF these creeks at
any price. If you live until next
year, and 1 hope you will, you
will hear of the largest ship
ment of gold from this country
that has ever been shipped yet;
but, Charles, this is the bright side.
What has all this got to do with
me? Nixey. A man here with.
out money is-well, l will say a
ninny. II had had $4,000 the
day I landed here the 9th day of
June last I could have had some in
vestments, but let me say to you
here that man without money
here had better be at home. Now,
on the other hand the laws of this
country are very rotten The gold
commissioner rules supreme here
in regard to titles, etc. If a new
strike is made the books will be
closed on the creek, and you can't
get a claim recorded until the
thieving officials get their pick of
the claims. This is very hard to
stand, but everybody here seems TO
be completely cowed under. 1 am
almost ashamed sometimes to ad-
NIT that I am an American. To
think that they will stand idly by
and see their rights and property
stolen from them.
don't think the Canadian gov
ernment Is so much at fault. This
country is so far from the seat of