The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-26
McKELVEY WAS
NOT ON THE
MARY GARRETT
MOurned as Among
the Dead.
A DISAPPEARANCE EXPLAINED
WENT TO THE KooTENAI AND
NOT THE KLoNDIKE.
A Wealthy Oakland Mining oper-
ator Given Up as Lost Returns
to His Friends and Bust
ness Associates.
A DISAPPEARANCE EXPLAINED
WENT TO THE KOOTENAI AND
NOT THE KLoNDIKE.

After being mourned as dead for nearly
a year John McKelvey, the wealthy Oak
land mining man, has come back among
his friends and business associates on
this and the other side of the bay. and is
being kept busy explaining his mysteri-
Gus disappearance of eleven months ago
Through all these months McKelvey has
been remembered as one of those who
went down on the Inflated Mary Carrot.
the Klondike boat that turned turtle and
sunk with nearly all on board last May
when on her way to st. Michael. His sud
den temperance has brought joy to a
host of friends he has made since his res
ldence in California in this city and Oak
land.
McKelvey came to this country from
Mexico some five or six years ago, and
since that time has been heavily inter
ested In mining properties on both the
northern and southern sections of the
mother lode, and a number of them he
has had under successful operation He
had the Unborn shrewdness of the canny
Scott, and his success in~his mining VEN
lures made him many influential bust
ness associates.
When the Klondike fever was at it's
height he bought interests in four of the
best claims in that district and started a
couple of experienced miners on their way
there to manage his new properties. They
took passage on the schooner Mary
Carrot
He made his plans known to few of his
friends, but those who were informed
understood that he was to take passage
on the same vessel. At the time she
sailed he also disappeared, and when the
news came back from the Alaskan coast
that, with others of her class, the Mary
Garrett had sunk with nearly all on
board McKelvey was given up as one
among the lost. Then came the list of
drowned. and the name John McKelvey'
appeared among them, and it was an
nounced that the only ones saved were
a minister and his wife. The minister has
since been confined in a madhouse as a
result of his awful experience.
McKelvey's name appearing among the
list of lost settled his fate in the minds
of his friends, and they were about ready
to set about arranging his estate when
he came back to arrange it himself He
got back on Wednesday last, and his
surprise was great at learning his obit-
uary had been already written
He had simply started off on one of his
periodical prospecting trips, and it had
taken him into the Kootenai district Of
British Columbia. He had not thought it
worth while to announce his trip, and
following his usual custom he had started
off after saying nothing.
1t has developed since that there was q
John McKelvey on the passenger list of
the lost Mary Garrett and that he lost
his life with others who went down with
her, but he was not the McKelvey who
was mourned for so long a time and all
the search possible has failed to find any
one to mourn for him. No trace has been
found of his relatives or acquaintance
and so far as the history of that III
advised rush is concerned he will be
known as simply one of the many who
gave up their lives to it.
The right John McKelvey has returned
to life, and back from the Kootenai he
has brought the title deeds to some of
the best promising properties of that dis
trict, and just now he is busy receiving
warm congratulations, by telephone and
otherwise, from his friends.