Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-10
SHERLOCK IS 1T HONE
Return Of One Of the Marshalltown
Party That Wintersd In
Clear Creek.
Disguised With the Whole Country
and Has No Faith In the
Gold Stories.
Says There's Some Gold in British
Territory, But That 1t is
Hard to Get.


Creek. arrived home this morning, after
nineteen months spent In the far north.
Mr.. Sherlocks coming was somewhat
Of surprise to his family and friends.
for although he wrote few weeks ago
that he was coming home unless he
found something very rich at Cape
Nome, he had not since been heard
from, and as number Of other mem
bers OF the company were known to be
in San Francisco it was supposed as
was stated in these columns Tuesday,
that Mr.. Sherlock had decided to re-
main longer.
He has had enough, however, and
says he can say, with the little boy,
I'm no hog" and SO ne came home. He
landed In San Francisco on Aug. Sd, af-
ter trip of 1000 miles by sea. A few
days We're spent in California before he
started for home with the intention OF
his coming being q surprise. Mr.. Sher-
lock Is as tanned as harvest hand and
is looking we'll, although in the winter
he. along with the three others in his
cabin, suffered a slight attack of sour
w. Marshalltown looks pretty good to
him and he does not hesitate to say the |
Alaskan boom was a fake. He says
there Is undoubtedly some gold at Clear
Creek, but he does not care to UNDER
take to get It. When asked concerning |
the rich strikes at Cape Nome Mr.. Sher-
lock said he heard just before leaving
that one claim, worked twenty-one days
by twenty men, yielded 200 pounds of
gold, but nobody believed the story, un-
less the man who told it did. There are
only four claims at Nome which are be-
ing worked. The Klondike region prop
er, Mr.. Sherlock said. is rich one, but
Alaska is, as Kipling would say, anoth-
er story. Prospectors can not now stake
claims in Klondike. but must either buy
of some miner. who desires to sell, or
buy directly from the Canadian govern
ment. Mr.. Sherlock says it took ex-
perience to teach him, but he is salts
fled now that the whole boom was
scheme of the transportation companies
and they made a good thing cut of 1t,
and they are about the only ones who
have. He says the next boom will be
an agricultural one and it Will be no
more successful in a land where all that
asked concerning the other Marshall
they We're at Cape Nome, but he looked
for them all back in Marshalltown be-
fore winter. The trip as mere pleas
ure trip, to the lover of fine scenery,
would be delightful one, Mr.. Sherlock
says. but as for him. he has taken it
once and that once Is enough.
I'm answer IL, &, oI1esfinp IN the
amount of gold taken from Clear Creek
Mr.. Sherlock answered that he thought
about Is cents would cover it all right,
although one pan. at one time, did reach
80 cents. The prospects, he said
were very good at first and that ex-
plains haw the great splurge was made
here by the returning members of the
party who spent last winter in this city.
When the company members reached
Clear Creek the bench of a certain
ledge. when first examined, worked out
| 5 or 10 cents to the pan. 1t was then
nearing cold weather and the fellows
were anxious to return home. Instead
lof waiting to find out whether bedrock
was as good as the outer crust of the
Hedge, conclusions were Jumped at and
1.-THE great excitement followed.
To him and few others who
|stayed there all winter was the truth
known, and Mr. Sherlock says he thinks
1.-THE men We're perfectly honest In their
claims here, for when they left the
prospects were fiattertrg.
Mr.. Sherlock says the great trouble
with the Clear Greek country is the wa
ter The burning and freezing process
has to be INDUCED in in sinking prospect
holes, and it is burn and freeze over and
over again and only a depth OF from
/ twelve to fourteen inches at g time. The
\ country there is one large glacier in the
winter time, and from the overflow ice
formed from three to twenty-five feet
deep all over the ground, while under
meath 1t the ground was frozen about
four feet deep. This was when the
thermometer was at "a degrees below
zero.
/ The members of the party will not be
able to winter at Cape Nome, Mr.. Sher-
lock says. owing to the scarcity OF
wood. Therefore Cape Nome is sum-
mer digging. 1t was the plan when he
4 left the party that the members would
winter at Golovon's bay, which will be
made the winter diggings. Mr.. Sherlock
left St. Michaels on July 20. and the day
previous to his leaving all the party, ex-
cepting Mr.. Benjamin, left for Cape
Nome Mr.. Benjamin is at Golovon' S
bay to look over the claims for the Win
ter dlggings.
Mr.. Sherlock says he is feeling very
well and had the best of health in the
north. barring his little attack of sour
Wy. which resulted in his losing six
teeth. He is about ten pounds heavier
but little grayer.
WHERE is FULLER?
A Soldiers, Home Veteran MEAN.