The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-05
RUSH TO THE HEAD OF ATLIN
RICH STRIKE REPORTED IN A
NEW DIRECTION.
Many Who Left to Locate Claims
Took Very Little Food, and Are
Now Said to Be in a Very
Perilous Position.
BY HAL HOFFMAN.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

a
couver, B. c., Jan. 4).-Discovery City,
in Atlin, was at last accounts utterly
deserted except by the butcher, the
baker, the candlestick maker and a few
others who couldn't get away. Every
mothers son lit out on another STAN
pede up in the direction of the head Of
the lake. Each man took about ten
days grub only. Since the exodus the
lake has been very rough. As the SIAM
peders cannot return as long as the
wind keeps blowing their position may
by this time be peri}ous. The stampede
occurred about ten days ago.
This last strike is reported as being
over in the direction of the Taku trail
coming in from Juneau. Just where
the new strike is is not yet known here,
but the trail is up Pike River from At
ln To Pike Lake, and then over
range of low mountains. News of the
results Of this stampede will be proba
bly, known on the coast in few days.
Reports continue to reach the coast
favorable to otter Greek. A man came
down TO Discovery on Pine Greek re-
Gently with about $500 in coarse gold,
which he said he had taken out in two
weeks on Otter Creek. Bed rock on this
creek is from five to ten feet down.
One nugget he had went SIS so and
several others weighed s. so.
Considered BILE lumber is being whip
sawed for sluice boxes by men who
have claims on the several creeks.
Cabins are also being built and not
Withstanding il is almost the dead of
winter there is considerable activity
around Atlin City and Discovery River.
George Rice of Juneau is building a
Is al. i
store. buildings are being put up. 1t
Yet remains to be seen which will be
the metropolis of the Atlin region. The
rivalry between the two camps is keen.
At.iu City is on the lake shore; Dis
CgVery is up Pine Greek about eight
miles. Dogs are getting thin, which is
sure sign that grub is scarce. Whisky
is 80 cents q drink and not much to be
ldQ.at that price. Provisions are run
ming low throughput. the entire. region.
Sources of information indicate that
people are going TO rush into Atlin
though perhaps not in as great num-
berS as to Dawson and there is no
doubt disappointment ahead for many
especially for that class which. hereto
fore, has been so large-the class which
expects to come to Alaska and find gold
lying on top Of the ground The ad-
vance guard Of the rush is here; it can't
be stopped.
Part Of the caravan which left Lake
Iesln last fall has arrived at Atlin
after a terrible experience. Further
particulars are not yet Obtainable here.
They are very hungry and forlorn-
LOOKING lot Of travellers. The horses are
so poor they can hardly stand up. They
look as though they would fall over if
one. 5reathRd against them. The dogs
arf.ShadQWS. Rain and a Chinook wind
recently melted the snow in that sec
ton OF country. This was what saved
the strength Of the horses, as the snow
was deep and they did not have to paw
II up with their feet. Others of this
party We're expected in daily.
-M1RteE at Atlin is peculiar and
chahgeable, Early this month it was
twenty below zero, and on the 10th the
snow was gone. Then the low noun
~tains We're bare. Surprise Lake is open
and. the Ice IN the river was beginning
10. break when these advices left Atlin
about twelve days ago. At that time
II Locked. like a general break up. Prob
ably TO flowers have blOOmed and no
brilliant. catbird has enlivened the pros
pectOr With his squeak, for, as rule
tEaWS are shOrt-liVed and spring is
thi.ottfed in the morning in the interior
cQuntrY over the divide if they appear
before their proper time. on the calen-
daI. Lake Atlin has not been frozen
oyer this winter and is described as a
"cUrker" when. the wind blows.
Another storm is raging in South
eastern Alaska and nOrthbound ships
are greatly delayed. AS soon as the
weather moderates the first large party
Of the season Will leave Juneau for At
lin over the Taku trail. Quite a num-
Der from Douglas Island viii be in the
party. The usefulness of the Taku as
winter trail will be tested. 1t is ex-
peeted 10 be an easy one.
Wages in Dawson are down much
lower than IS a day, as at first reported.
They are as low as So a day and 500
q month III the mines, and the outlook
Is that they viii go lower before the
winter is over. Thousands are hunting
for work. The conditions there are be-
coming the same as in other thickly
settled communities where the supply
exceeds the demand for labor as it
takes pull" or friendship now in
Dawson to get work
Nearly all the bench claims have
stopped working, except the very deep
claims on Gold Hill, Skookum and
French Hill Sleighing and freighting
is oYerdone. Only dogs and horses can
make expenses, as the price has drop
ped from % cents TO cents a pound.
The latest reports from the new dig
Gings on Thistle and Carlisle creeks,
near White River, are that the ground
is rich. All the reports so far from
inns new district are faVOra Bile. Many
men could not join the stampede to
thistle: from lack Of grub and means
10 buy any. II was hard lines when
many q poor boy had to stand around
warming his pockets with his hands
ana watch others running away to
stake off riches.
Many miners believe that the interior
Alaska placer deposits are the result
or the same action and CONFUSION of
nature For instance, foot rule. If
LAD ON map in a northwesterly and
solHheasterly direction. viii be found
10 cover the klondike district, the Atlin
district and the Cassiar. though il NAV
depend TO considerable extent upOn the
map used. This is true. however 0,f
the latest official map issued nv the
General Land Office from the latest
records of the Coast, Geodetic and Geo
logical Survey. Following up this sin
gular theory the country between these
World-famous placer camps viii he
prCspected in as straight line as nos
Sble where the formation shows any
sign OF gold. It is confidently expected
by those who will follow this adventure
that good ground viii be efound.
Quartz mining has a bright future
around Dawson, at least for the months
~ the year that the water runs. There
is scarcely any doubt about ii. This
oh T1r,tt g Fr4+,