The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-01-12
Home from klOndike.

Mr.. }. A. Clough, Ex-Commodore of the
Lynn Yacht Club, Gives an Account of His
Experiences.
On Sept. 10, 1897, the schooner A bbie
M. Deering left one of the wharves of
Lynn, bound for the klondike regiops. 1t
contained 16 persons, many of whom were
well known residents of Lynn, who had
organized themselves into the Lynn Min
ing Company, for the purpose of visiting
the gold fields and making their fortunes
AT midnight, Monday, one of the party
returned to Lynn. He was J. A. Clough
ex- commodore of the Lynn Yacht Club
and one of the originators of the prospect
ing company. Yesterday he appeared
upon the streets, and about ) O. clock in
the afternoon, when a reporter for The
Herald discovered him, he was holding an
impromptu reception with number of his
friends, who were exceedingly glad to
greet and welcome him back home, and
who listened to him with rapt attention as
he related some of his experiences since he
started on his expedition, II months ago
Mr.. Clough would not advise anybody
to go to the klondike. Like large num-
Der of others who have expended time,
money and effort to get to these regions,
he says that the klondike is not what
some reports lead one to believe, but
rather the reversal good place to keep
out of.
Mr.. Clough did not reach the Klondike
regions, because he was convinced, from
reports that be received when he reached
Cook Inlet, in southwestern Alaska, that
he had better return.
The A bbie NJ. Deering sailed from Lynn
to Freeport, n. s., later going to Bahia
al +Io+
for San Francisco. Going through the
straits of Magellan they had terrible
experience, running into a terrific gale,
which lasted three weeks, compelling
them to lay to most of the time The
party finally reached San Francisco, where
it dsbanded, and the Abbie NJ. Deering
was sold. Here the original party sepa-
rated, some of them going overland, and
Others taking passage on steamers from
that port
Commodore Clough, in company with
Howard NJ iced, d. j. Hight, George
Benson and Daniel McFadden of Lynn
and Charlie Mack of Rutland VT, took
passage on the schooner Nellie G.. Thurs
ton, leaving San Francisco on May ID,
1898, and reaching Cooks Inlet on June
9Th. Here the party came in contact with
large number OF prospectors returning
from the Klondike, and in nearly every
instance they reported that for every
dollar in gold that was taken out of the
mines there it required an expenditure of
from SIS to SIS. Those who had estab-
lished claims there were deserving them
and trying to get home. They were dis
posing of their kits and other parapher-
MALTA for song, and some who had gone
there with good sums of money were re-
turning impoverished.
These reports disheartened Mr.. Clough
and his party, and they gave up all de-
sire of reaching the gold regions. Mr..
Clough remained about Cook Inlet for a
short time, later going to British Column
bia, Spokane and other places He be-
lieves British Columbia and the State of
Washington afford far better opportun :
tiles for mining than Alaska.
Last evening Commodore Clough, who
is we'll and popularity known in Lynn, was
given reception by his friends at the
rooms of the West Lynn Yacht Club
Boston Herald, Jan. 18th.