The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-06
wasD
Its Pastor The Church's Pastor.

they would have been imprisoned in the
Yukon during the whole OF last winter.
The Abbott party is Quitting In Seattle
and will spend between 5000 and SO 600
here for supplies clothing. lumber etc.
They will take with them a steel steamer
OF 40 tons burden. with strong engines
and light draft. especially constructed for
business on the iittie-known stream that
empties into the mighty Yukon near M.
lato.
The members OF the party now here
are: f. g. Abbott. OF Charter Oak, Ia. !:
+. A. Benjamin, OF Marshalltown, Ia: r.
T. Barbour. OF Charter Oak. and e. NJ.
Joined later by +. w. Foster. Of On.
tarso. Ia.
The first four were members OF the Star
buck party, Of which Charles Walsh, sec
rotary of the Democratic national com.
mttee, was a member, and which left
here last spring. Walsh and a portion Of
the party OF forty men were left at Daw-
son. The remainder, on the steamer
Iowa. built at Lake Bennett. proceeded
down the Yukon TO Nuiato and there
assembled the Koyukuk a distance OF 400
miles.
Abbott benjamin. Barbour and Vail
were all on the Iowa when she cast anchor
in the stream at the mouth OF a creek
which they later named Clear creek. They
had prospected every river bar on the way
mp stream, being the second steamer In
the history OF the country TO ascend the
river. Theirs was the first party to camp
at the mouth Of Clear creek.
They found the waters OF this stream
too shallow for them to navigate with
the steamer. With small boats, laden
with provisions. they poled up the creek
the current Of which was go swift that
they were unable TO make more than five
10 six miles per day.
They prospected the bars and benches
until they finally struck coarse gold Bar
bour tells the story OF the find. saying.
1--WE found long bench on the creek
side. In which we nanned from % to 70
cents per pan on the surface. At the
mouth OF the stream we had found colors
iu plenty. but IL: big bench In a bend
OF the stream we found the first coarse
geld. The discovery nearly drove US
frantic and we s,aked everything in sight.
First we staked joint claim Of leo acres
on the bench Of the stream, and then we
took individual claims OF twenty acres
each along the guich. Before We left.
panning in the guch claims had yielded
an average Of - cents 10 the pan before
bedrock was reached.
There ~ no doubt in my mind but thar
the Koyukuk country viii prove 10 be
wonder. For the iirst 10 miles up the
stream the country Is rolling. After that
the Traveller encounters mountains and
steep. rrscieItcus cliffs. This is the ideal
ground for the nrospeotor. Every sand
bar shows eolors. The same causes that
brought geld into the streams of the
kloudske made the craveis Of the creeks
| tributary Ia the keyukuk rich In gold.
| More than that. the gold which has been
| taken from Clear creek and other streams
| in the district weighs sis 80 per ounce
which Ia considerably better than the
/ kiondtke gold. Ii II in Alaska too and
4 re for bs
not rather nsisa under the Stars and
| stripes than In British territory"
! Albeit ard his companions left the koy~
| Hk0k August % las. year. and came on,
| by way Of s.. Michael. The Iowa Is a,
/ the latter place. The party will take a
| two~ysars outfit for fifteen men. which
| has All been purchased here. besides con.
| siderable lumber and a sawmsn Their
| steamer has steel hun. is 50 feet Iona
| by IS feet beam and depth OF hold "a
| feet. She viii cost when set up al st
| Michael $ii .upa