The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-26
KING OF THE KLoNDlKE.
PenniIess Four Years Ago, Now Worth
Millions.

Penniess Four Years Ago, Now Worth
Millions.
Alexander Macdonald, known as the
king of the Klondike, who was married
in London a few days ago to Margaret
Chisholm, has wealth variously esU-
mated from $10,000,000 to five times that
sum. Mr.. Macdonald passed through
| Tacoma last October Ell route from
Dawson City to London, and it was
stated then in various dispatches that
he carried with him for expense money
fully $2,000,000. 1t was also related by
| The press that four years ago he passed
| through Tacoma practically penniless,
headed for the Klondike with the
avowed purpose of pulling out his
stake" His mission to London was for
the purpose of selling out his Klondike
possessions to syndicate. Whether he
sold out is not known. If he has not
disposed of his property it is a safe
guess that he has arranged matters so
| that he will not have to return to the
Yukon in person. Mr.. Mcdonald has
| led a rowing life for so many years and
has been away from home comforts and
civiiizing influences so long that now he
| is married it is not improbable he will
begin a well-earned rest. 1t remains
to be seen whether his native instincts
are stronger than the ordinary ties of
home
The king of the Klondike is a simple
and unpretentious man, says the Chi
cago Times Herald. He is sturdy and
blunt Scotsman, whose word is known
| to be as good up in Dawson City as
long-winded written contracts. He
came from Nova Scotia Early in his
| life he prospected in Colorado, saving
about $4,000, which he lost, and then he
turned his face toward the new Eldora-
do. At first he did rather lowly work
up there. His partners-and he has a
myriad of partners in Dawson now
remember when he was working a
windlass for Frank Conrad. He re-
ceived SO day for this very tedious
work. But Alec Macdonald was never
anything if not a giant in physical
strength long-armed, long-legged and
| long winded.
! One day he threw up his job with
Conrad and said: Il amt going to work
any more. I'm going to get rich" That
was just after the bonanza strike.
| While working a windlass Macdonald
had been keeping his eyes and ears
open, He scraped together 5000 or S4O0
and bought No. 30 Eldorado. Every
body said Of him that he was light
weight, but the lightweight had a
| strong enough pull to take S250000 out
of No. 80 the first season. And No. 80
was good for a million during the next
year.
After that there was hardly a big
strike made that the king was not
found to own a good bit of it or prop
erty mighty near it. He carried his ac-
counts in his head, and though he took
partners here and partners there he
never made a mistake. If he went to
any Klondiker and said: TN give you
100000 for your claim one month from
today" the man knew well enough that
he would have $200 900 80 days from date.
In the summer of 1897 he was a poor
man, and a year later he was worth
100000. He bought everything on his
word, and never had any trouble either,
for he never forgot an obligation.
| Macdonald is not yet So years old He
was never particular'abou his dress in
Dawson, and this kept him close to the
men he could use to his profit He is
feet inches high-a bonny lad in his
day, and not the less bonny now that
he is king, and, what is more-a hap
by bridegroom.