The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-10
BACK FROM KLONDIKE
HARRY HOLLOWAY, OF THIS CITY.
RELATES HIS EXPERIENCES.
He Was ''HeId Up by the British, and
Played Fireman When Duw-
son City Burned.

Harry Holloway, who went to Alaska
during the first Klondike boom in 1897, has
returned and is staying at the home of
Mr.. Winters on Nordyke avenue. Mr. Hol-
loway is young man of twenty-eight or
thirty years and shows no evidence of the
hardships which he encountered during his
stay in Alaska To a Journal reporter he
talked interestingly of his experience there
THE greatest need in the Yukon gold
regions" he said, lis the enforcement of
proper laws in regard to the ownership and
privileges of claims. Thousands of men
who have gone in there and staked good
claims have been defrauded and compelled
to quit. Some go to work at something else
or leave the country penniless. This is true
only OF claims in the British possessions.
One-tenth of all gold taken out of claims
on British soil goes to the Queen and is
known as the Queens royalty" Original
ly no foreigner was allowed to stake a claim
on British soil, but an agreement was
reached whereby this rule was waived. But
1t is practically impossible for an Ameri-
can to hold good claim there; he is al
most sure To be defrauded of it in favor
OF the Canadian government or of some
British subject. Four men and myself
staked out claims together on a hill con-
tanning seven and one-half claims, each
man paying $50 for the survey. Each man
took one hill claim and this left two and
one-half claims unoccupied. A hill claim,
you understand, is 2Joxl, 900 feet, while
creek claim is 800 feet up and down ON either
side of the creek. Three British officers
whose terms had expired came and occu-
pied the remaining two and one-half claims
on our hill, and this made it necessary for
to move down hill the distance OF one-haif
of a CAIN, or about lbs feet. My claim was
last in the line and this move put me off
of my pay streak. The man next to me,
who was one OF our party, got my pay
be defrauded out of Ii in some way or other
he sold Ii for $1,000. Our survey amount ed
to nothing, for the Canadians said 1t was
not Official, although We had been assured
that II was all right when ii was made.
Il prospected all over that country and
along the whole length of the Yukon for
TWO hundred miles on each side. You can't
go a mile without finding dozens of holes
made by proSpectorS. 1 was In the steam
laundry business for a while and owned a
dogs cost $500. The wagon. with wheels
made of boards and with gas pipe axles
cost 800, and ! was glad to have It at that
and were bought of the Indians
When Dawson City bur3ed the first time
town M seemed soomed. new fire d ' engine inc
had just arrived from Cincinnati and was
still packed in a box. l am mechanic and
fireman by trade and so 1 knocked the box
of, got up steam and we managed to ex-
tnguish the fire. The authorities promised
me anything l wanted, but failed to keep
their promise. The town burned again, and
as / was the only one who happened to
know anything about firing an engine they
coaxed me TO run 1t again: This brought
forth more promises, but ii ended there
The next time Dawson City caught on fire
/ let her burn and the town was destroyed.
some pleasure also Like hundreds of
others. i was the victim of British hold
up But considering the number who died
from exposure and whose health was de-
stroyed by the hardships, / feel reasonably
contented to return home as / have, in good
health"
Mr.. Holloway brought home some inter-
esting relicts. one of which is a watch fob
made of fiat gold nuggets beaten on to a
common brass chain.