The San Francisco call., 1899-03-24
WILL CLEAN Up
TWENTY MILLIONS
Riches in Sight for a
Syndicate.
Special Dispatch to The Call

TACOMA, Wash, March 23.-The Nc
Donald Bonanza KIondike Syndicate,
the new corporation formed IN London
to work out six claims on Bonanza and
Skookum creeks formerly owned by
Alexander Mcdonald and Henry Fer
guson, is expected to make $4,000, 900
profit during the next few years.
Mcdonald and Ferguson arrived here
tonight. They have purchased six
carloads of boilers, pumps and other
hydraulic machinery in London and
San Francisco. This plant Will be
shipped to Skagway next week and
hurried over White Pass and as far as
possible on the ice. 1t will reach Daw-
son in May, and by June will be in op-
Grafton. To facilitate the transportation
over the passes the entire plant has
been put up in packages weighing 200
to $50 pounds each. One part OF the
machinery alone will do the work of
400 men.
Sixteen mechanics are being taken
along, headed by G. T. Coffee, mining
engineer Of California, who spent a part
of last summer at Dawson in the inter-
ests of the London syndicate, which
was then prospective purchaser Of the
claims now 10 be worked. Steam pumps
will supply the force, and streams OF
water will be directed with terrific force
against the frozen earth and gravel.
/ Twenty-four horses have been pur-
/ chased to haul the machinery When
/ water transportation gives out. The
/ transportation will be under the per
/ sonal supervision of Ferguson, while
/ Mcdonald will hurry in over the Ice,
/ starting next week, to take charge OF
his millions at the spring cleanups.
1t will take several years to slulce out
/ the six claims transferred TO the Lon
! don corporation, which are believed to
! be the richest claims in the kiondlke
/ district They are claims No. l, 2, 3,
and on SkoOkum Gulch and claim NO.
/ 2 above on Bonanza Creek The latter
/ claim was purchased about a year ago
! by Mcdonald and Ferguson for S125.-
/ 600. Within a month thereafter they
had taken out $135, 900. Ferguson esti-
mates this claim will produce $1,000, 900.
! Claims l. and 3 on SkoOkum are
scarcely less rich, and it is here that the
( hydraulic machinery VIII first be placed
| in operation. Wood is plentiful on
| Skookum Gulch, and the only possible
| trouble foreseen is that water may be
scarce at certain seasons. Fumes will
be built If necessary to supply this
need.
The Mcdonald Bonanza Klondike
Corporation is composed of some of
Londons richest men, including Mr..
! McKillop, NJ. P, who is chairman of It's
/ Board Of Directors. His son will ac-
company Ferguson to the interior. Fer
guson went to London with the expec-
tation of selling out his interests and
retiring from Klondike mining The
syndicate refused, however, to accede
to his request, believing that his init
mate knowledge of the Klondfke coun-
try was Indispensable TO the successful
consummation of it's plans. Mcdonald
and Ferguson left their wives in the
East. The formers bride will go to
Dawson in June via St Michael. and
come out with her husband next fall.
Mcdonald has reports from his part
ners at Dawson dated late in January.
/ These state that the claims on Dornin-
ion Creek between the two discoveries
were turning out as well as the average
/ FL Dorado claims. Two miles of Sui
phur Creek below discovery were also
proving rich. At that time no Iaymen
had thrown up their work Mcdonald
believes the development of the Yukon
gold fields has scarcely begun