Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-20

ing posts for dog meat. Mccormack, who
was known as 'Siwash George was a typical
squaw-man, with all the peculiarities of
that type OF men. When compelled to do SO
by necessity he rustled any old job, but
managed to get along with as little labor as
possible. When he went down to the Klon-
dixie to catch salmon he was accompanied
by his squaw and all her relatives. and
they were many. They believed that Siwash
Georges determination TO work was such a
laudable one that they would all go along
and see how it agreed with him and all
looked forward to a pleasant summer out
ing, as the time of their departure was early
in July, 1896. One of the brothers-in-law
Skookum Jim, an Indian term meaning Big
Jim, had that turn OF mind peculiar to the
prospector, and he took a trip up the klon-
dixie river in search of gold. His mission
was successful, for he discovered the precious
stuff on a tributary of the Klondike, known
as the Last Chance. The report reached
some white men who were prospecting
around in that neighborhood and there was
an immediate stampede thither, but Jim
doubled his tracks and came down to a
more favorable looking creek called the
Bonanza. Here he discovered the famous
klondike mines and located his original
discovery right on that creek.
"Skookum Jim rushed to the mouth Of the
creek and informed Siwash George, who re-
paired to that district with all of his family
and relatives and they began active work
Immediately. In two weeks Mccormack
took out over $1,000 and came down to the
settlement at Forty Mile with the gold dust.
His statements of discovering the gold on
the Klondike were not credited by the old
timers, as he had the reputation of being
the biggest liar in the Yukon region, and had
been the cause of several ~fruitless stampedes
in years gone by. His story was believed
by some of the newcomers, contemptuously
called tenderfeet by the old-timers and
dubbed as chechakoes, meaning practically
the same thing, by the Indians, and these
men accompanied Siwash George back to
Bonanza creek, where they located. Later
they returned to Forty Mile and reported
McCormack's find to be genuine and this
caused a general stampede to the new fields.
Everyone endeavored to get locations either
on Bonanza creek or it's nearest tributary,
Adams creek, and these were soon covered
with locations. Many of the men were COM
PEELED to locate on Eldorado, though they
did SO with great reluctance and many
curses on their luck. However, within two
months Eldorado was proven to be one of
the richest gold mining districts ever dis
covered. After Eldorado was entirely taken
up the later corners turned their attention to
the upper end of Bonanza creek and here
again was shown the luck Of the placer
miner, for the upper end OF Bonanza, which
was formerly looked upon with disdain,
proved to be second in richness only to
Eldorado.
THE winter Of 1867 promised to be
fraught with considerable want and suffer-
ing through lack of sufficient provisions, but
late in the fall a quantity Of beef was driven
in and averted starvation, though many Of
the men got through the winter with but
one sack Of flour and fresh beef, minus fat,
grease, and with but little baking powder.
The men all had to live in tents. Fortu-
nately the winter was not very severe.
Rush to the New EIdorndo.
THE people OF the Yukon district were
unprepared for such a rich strike as has
been made, and few would believe that the
claims were as rich as their owners prom
ised until ~sluicing began in the spring of
1897. The sluicing was wonderful. One
claim turned out gold at the rate of an ounce
a minute. In June, 1897, the first large ship
ment of gold was sent out and reached San
Francisco on the steamer Excelsior. This
set the world on fire. Immediately a large
number of men started on a pilgrimage for
the new gold fields, attracted there by the
highly colored reports which had been sent
out. and there was great suffering on the
trails which led to the Klondike in the fall
of 1897. Many of the men went unprepared
by reason of their physical condition to
stand the rigors of the journey; many were
insufficiently equipped with the necessary
outfit, having overlooked this important pro-
vision in their wild attempt to reach the new
d~iggings first. The new town of Dawson
was located on the banks of the Yukon and
that was the Mecca toward which all the
gold-seekers directed their steps. The jour-
ney was up the inside route from Seattle to
Dyea. Then the gold-seekers had to pack
their provisions from Dyea over the noun
tain pass to the head Of Lake Bennett, where
they built boats and COATED down the lake
and the Yukon to Dawson City.
'Such an influx OF men, arriving short in
their supply of provisions, threatened an
other period of suffering from want of food.
A quantity of beef came in, however, and
; relieved the situation materially, and many
of the men who had arrived during the sum-
mer and fall either became disheartened or
afraid of starvation, sold what provisions
they had, and went out. Prices were aston
ishing. Nothing in the way of provisions
: could be purchased for less than 81 a
pound, and many things were much higher,
FlOur reacnen ~ per pounu, peel @l'oO, anu
other things in proportion. However, active
work ihegan in spite OF the difficulties, and
a good deal of additional prospecting was
carried on which resulted in the discovery
OF Dominion creek. This equaled in no way
the older discoveries, but still was quite
rich. The result of the work OF the winter
OF 1878 Appropriated $12, 900, 900, though
some reports have 1t much larger.
THE spring of 1898 witnessed an immense
influx of people into the Klondike region.
1t is estimated that between 25 900 and 30
600 crossed the Dyea trail and the newly dis
covered White Pass or Skagway trail, on
which the own OF Skagway sprung up. The
town OF Dawson was overcrowded and a
great many men who had been attracted
thither by dreams OF the discovery Of vast
wealth went out again, sorely disappointed.
Last fall saw probably $4,000 people in sore
distress. Still there was an abundant supply
OF provisions of all kinds and at reasonable
prices, but the trouble was that many of the
men were without money to purchase even
the necessaries OF life. The output Of gold
for the season of 1889 will probably fall
short Of the year previous, because the
richer part of the gold fields had already