The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-25
REPORT WAS ERRONEOUS
Dan Lombard of Neihart Didn't
Die at Skaguay.
BIG CLEANUP AT DAWSON
Alaska Overcrowded With Working
People - Skaguay Is Lively A
Rush for the New Porcu-
pine District.

Great Falls, April 24.-The recent re-
port of the death at Skaguay of Dan
Lombard, a former Neihart citizen,
seems to be erroneous. Ed l.. Murphy
of Neihart has received copies of the
Skaguay Alaskan of the dl!A Of March
30. forwarded by Lombard, and also
letter from him, dated at the Occidental
hotel on March 81. His friends in
Northern Montana will be glad to hear
that Dan is still alive and will also
be interested in the letter, which reads
as follows:
Il drop you a few lines to let you
know that l am going back into the
interior of Alaska again. There are
good many going in and out all the
time. The country is at present over
crowded with working people, and
sooner or later the surplus will have
to get out. There will be big clean
up at Dawson this year. A friend of
mine Just from Dawson told me that
Frank McGregor is dead-that he
died about two months ago. His part
ner, Check, has struck very rich
ground, which he thought would clean
up for him about 100000 this spring
Jeff Tolbert died February Z. He used
to be Healey's deputy at Fort Benton.
"Skaguay is lively at present. There
are eight or nine steamers on the route
from Seattle and Victoria, which aver
age about 100 passengers each trip, and
they each make the trip in 10
II days. So, you see, there is a great
deal of travel here.
THE Atlin country is quite eXtensive;
the claims are only 100 feet square, and
good many people are going in th2re
mostly Canadians, with a few Ameri
cans. Reports from there are favor
able, but it is by no means as rich as
+ te, ,h,t l,o
termed good wages diggings." Atlin
is about 100 miles from Skaguay.
"A good many people are now going
into the Porcupine district This is on
the American SIDE about IS miles from
here. The snow in there is still very
deep-four to six feet-and the creeks
and tributaries are all staked and re-
staked There is gold there, but how
much remains to be seen. Later it will
be hard stream to prospect, as there
is too much water, with not a very
good fall, especially in the lower part
of the stream, but the smaller side
streams are better. They have not
found bedrock at any place, but the sur
face gravel prospects fairly we'll, and
it is everybody's belief that some rich
quartz lodges will be found thereabout.
I have seen some rich specimens of
quartz said to have come from there,
but you know how far float may come.
There is quite a town started at
Haynes mission and building boom
is on. 1t remains to be seen whether
the Porcupine will pan out or not. There
is lots of grub and everything that
man can think of going in from here
all the time. An abundance of supplies
is going into Dawson, and there is no
shortage of anything but tobacco and
condensed milk.
There are several boats building on
Lake Bennett, both for the Atln and
Dawson trade. Ed, if you could see
some of the outfits that are going into
the country it would make you laugh
To hear the talk of some of the would
be miners would make an old-timer
turn over in his grave, and wish he
had died so years sooner. Give my re-
CARDS to friends. Direct to Skaguay
and I will have my mail forwarded
from here. I expect to cross the range
soon"