The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-22
STILL THE KLONDIKE KING.
STORY OF ALEXANDER MACD0N~
ALD,S FAILURE NOV DENIED.

bNth "Oiu-NoHlub out ~
Continue His Interrupted HoneymdOns
SEATTLE. Wash. Aug. 13.-Alexander Mao
Donald ia still king Of the Kondike "NiR
spite OF the fact that Jealous mining rivals have
announced that no made application beforea
Dawson Judge. on June ~. for papers OF ins
solvency. Klondikers have arrived here who
left Dawson since the date Of the alleged fdils
ure and they say that nothing Of the kind evee
took place. So far as they know. Alexander
Macdonald comes nearer being a ten.tlmo
millionaire than ever before. His pack train
has been busy for weeks carrying In gold from
his many mines in various parts OF the dis
trIct. and a great deal OF the gold that has been
sent out was turned over to the banks by the
richest man Ia Alaska.
1t was an interesting yarn that MacDonalds
enemies todd when they reached the outside.
n few errors IN the tale gave MS friends Srtew
later arrivals came with a denial it was 81.
Eeeed Jealousy and 5eshaps , desire %
the announcement OF the failure. The stoty
has again drawn attention. to the most remark.
able man that the kIondiko has produced.
II. Aher announcing thH alleged failure with
certain value ih gO men rssronsibIe Tor the
story told how Macdonald had again 81 a rtsd oat
Titha pick to win another fortune They. quoted
Mac Donald AS saying that his interests wef0
worth 500 100000. hut as they would have tohe
saeTGed tnSre W9H %n not no be enough TO 90
Sn BY his sq w Ghqnss Of GS
was left behind in Dawson with the. creditoEA
As a matter Of fact Mrs, Macdonald is ,now.h
never been to.Dawson, and has no intentfohtef
going there, Her husband refused 70 take hss
Der to Join her for another honeymoon. theiR
first one having been cut short by a demand for
None :" II" mcps !" wh @wfe et Dawson On
August 2 heard of the failure. Had Il really
%SHa have T b
aid will bring out princely fortune this
Alexander Mac Donnds rise from hard work
ing poverty Is interesting. Ever since he came
from Scotland 20 years ago he has worked hard
fortune has smile on him In 1880 he crossed
the Atlantic, full Of energy and hone He went
he sta rted the search for gold that ended years
later in the KIondike by finding tho biggest .ppt
orado he experienced ali the ups and dow1s
that usually como to n miner Mac Donald
IN eooS n # the
the panic OF 1904. which caused the big silve1
mines to shut dowp and brought poyerty,to
Mac Donald was tired Of silver and concluded
to try his luck in land where the white metal
he first set loot on Alaskan soil. landing that day
at Juneau. The clothes on his back and $3.50
OF hard work In Colorado. His massive build
attracted the, attention Of the mine boss at
lHc 1 TpduWtll mines on DOURIHS lHIHHu. mHO@
Donald is over ak feet in height, straigh as m
tao %na hs fa1s thfR bis
ex q rem po made him valuable man n'
But Macdonald had not come to Alaska to
work for WAGES Ho was looking Tor fortune.
pioneer gold camps on the Yukon. about which
very little was known a. that time. As so9n 40
Ints in &prl, 1856 he lett Dysa Tor the dam
boat on tie shores OF Lake Bennett and all
the way down the river kept a sharp lookout
rea! d that his rssoprces We're not spicisss
to do anything with that sort OF mining. He
~ ha ns
the upper Yukon. IN which quartz discoveries
o. priceless value nave recently oeef cen m M no
panions had set heir hearts on Forty Nile and
would go no other way. SO Macdonald went
At Forty Mile creek a thorough system 9f
prospecting was introduced by the Soiprntio
miner which resulted In some very rich discov-
cries Thtsattracted the attention Of the Alaska
commercial Company officials. and Macdonald
thing he, considered yaluable. He had Just
when news came down the Yukon that GeorsS
Carmack had discovered gold on EldoradQ, o
branch Of Nondike. This naturally caused7a
Men threw ur everything, and rushed of to
bcnn s % Ro rf Ss m%g T eH Ss Ir
Creek claims He remem hered his responsf-
billy to his hackers. and he was the only man
partners went of in hurry. but Alex' re-
manned until he had squared everything with
III He reached Dawson IN September several
months after the dtsIG9Iyery His fret m9 I'VE
even then his gigantic plan OF securing and
combining ENORMOUS holdings was beR!nnigG
him go miles ur the Kl9ndike river. He took
careful notes and found Indications q Rnld
HiErnynrpi N lnlppl thar N
| has been working this summer, ,..n
He returned late in the fall from his re-
joriy Of the miners believed that ali the good
PPo1sa that %eboaa t ds a" " much sSsss
| faith in BONANZA Creek, and ussi what money
be lad iH buying out issatijslled miners E9s
be s@sh Ia all o G Gn Eorna sSa
He Ind another rich EIdorado claim hargsinsd
for at 5000. but failed to raise the money. He
chased that he might buy more. But was
laughed at FOR his enthusiasm. He at last do;
" We r@t"rned to Dawson on Oct y and found
worth almost that many thousands and Ire
one OF tn" lots before starting out to the creeks.
which rented for enough to enable him To tuv
His first actual mining in the Klondike was
| done on claim ~ and the pay streak WIS Woll
| lined with gold. Macdonald could get no Ona
| to work for wages, as every man was afterTh
claim of his own. II was then that he invented
| the LAY" system on which most OF the mining
| work in the klOndiko il done to-day. He gave
| the miners 30 per cent. OF the gross r"cetIts
| with the understanding that wages werG 70
| be Uaid to them II the pay strrnk was not
| found. MlcDOnald's LAY" men were lucky.
| Two men on claim 30 BONANZA, uncovered the
| pay streak ut once and In fOrty-lye days took
| out $4,000. Two men on claim 81 cleaned up
| $4,000 in forty days, In the meantime Mao
| Donald had taken out $1,000 from ieR
| promising claim. All Of this money WAS speht
| Tor additional claims and MncDonald's rtpu-
| tation as n lucky speculator was soon madS.
| Bonan2n Gains and the following year sold Out
| for 1915. 900 cash
| At this time Macdonald could have left tho
| Yukon with "A half million In cash. viii oh II
| more. perhaps than any othcru one man hasAuSp
| ceedcd in getting oven NJ to the present He
| was not ready tn leave. however. and continued
| buying properties until he owned II clalrTfA
| and interests When he finally came our fatt
| fall. MANY ri these he stil has. and huntrpdS
| of men worked for him act winter, He has
| used over 100 pacGhotseS this summer, carry
| Inv supplies To III" mines, and trngiCg back
| gold. His check viii lie cnshrd Ht Dawson
| banks Tor almost any amount. He one" ,,aIa .
| check for 5000 GOO. il l. saih for cluimS so and
| 81. Eldorado. His friends inrmHtrb tint Alex,
| was crazy. hut he properties have since paid