The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-04-25
Won WEALTH IN ALASKA
A klOndike Forums Based on One
Hundred Newspapers.
Clifton J. Baxter, Aged Twenty,
Becomes a Capitalist i'm Three
story of His Adventures i'm the
Frozen Wiiderness-His Claims.


NEW YORK, April 25-Though only
twenty years old. Clifton ]. Baxter has
won bride and a fortune. He spent three
years in the Klondike and mas more than
quarter of a million dollars to his credit
in bank. while he expects his claims at
Cape Nome will make him a millionaire
Today he and his seventeen-year-o bride
viii sail for Europe on tie St Paul.
The young couple were married three
weeks ago in Seattle, which is the brides
home. The courtship began when they
were schoolmates. Clifton's father. who is
a prominent politician of Washington
State, permitted him to Withdraw from
school just when the Klondike began to at
tract attention. Clifton asked permits
sion to accompany a band of gold-seekers.
This was denied him He determined to
go, however, and conhded in but one per-
son-his sweetheart, Blanche Oliver
She encouraged him, and Clifton ran
away from home, promising his childish
nancee that he would win fortune in the
klondike. come back. and wed her. He
slowed away on a steamer in Seattle with
out a cent in his pocket He reached
Skagway and fought his way through the
mountain Businesses TO Dawson City. his
entire capital consisting OF 100 newspapers.
which were irEaluabIe 10 the miners who
had been shit OF from communication
with the rest Of this sphere for nearly a
year
Clifton sometimes obtained as much as
$40 for one OF the newspapers. He made
many camp happy by selling a copy OF
the paper for general circulation, TO be
handed about from one miner TO another.
Clifton also sore from the Klondike 20
Seattle the first dispatches sent TO any
newspaper from the gold country He i'm
me0iately made another trip TO the KlOn-
dixie and bore with him 1880 letters for
the miners Of Dawson. Chiikoot, and Lake
Llndemann. Arriving at Lake Lindemann-
he discovered that he could not reach
Dawson Tired and hungry. he tried 10
get food from the miners in camp there.
but every one turned a deaf ear 10 him.
All his resources were in pack train,
day behind him. and he was unable 10
buy food. Finally a miner gave him flap
jacks and coffee party OF seven meE.
two women ard two children agreed 10
take him along in their boat as guide. He
piloted the vessel-a large steam launch
through the treach zrous rapids OF Lake
Lindemaun and Lake Bennett and sue
ceeded in guiding ii safely through the
periloas gorge at White Horse. which is
the most dangerous stretch OF wafer in the
Yukon-
He admitted yesterday that he took great
chances. because he had never traversed
the river before Al White Horse the
launch plunged through the canyon az the
rate Of twenty-five miles an hour the boy
acting as navigator and pilot He did not
/ bstray his ignorance. and his achievement
established his reputation as a skilled pilot.
acquainted with all the JreacheTOus char
Rcteristics OF the Yukon
He walked back 70 Lake Lindemsnn In
twO days and FOR 50 undertook 70 guide
another boat through the rapids. This
time he was not so successful At White
Horse the piunging Of the boat threw him
into the raging waters. He was carried
down the stream half = mile. where ne vas
carried on sandbar- The boat was de-
stroyed. but the passengers escaped He
then again took charge Of the first boat
and piloted il safely 70 Dawson City. where
h delivered his letters znd 3 new batch
Of newspapers he had brought with him
Clifton bought an outfit with the money
&c realized from his newspapers and let
tiers and prepared 10 search for gold lie
--staked" out several claims for himself
snd bought others. Among them MAS the
.Hunker claim for which be paid 4 sack
Of -four and TWO shoulders OF bacon Three
months later he sold that claim for $780,
CO6
AT this time many OF the residents of
Dawson City and the adjacent bonanza dis
rrict were suffering from want OF food. and
Clifton. with a German baron. started 10
return 10 Seattle afters provisions They
could not obtain dogs. but set out with
hand sleGs. upon which were piled their
tent. stove. blankets. and provisions. Their
journey was one OF SOC miles through the
most desolate region of Alaska No white
man had ever undertaken the trip before.
Clifton and the baron endured great
hardshiBs and we're rescued by some In
dfans They ran oct ~ provisions before
they reached their destination and were
compelled to live fer ten days on two
pounds of beans Almost unconscious
from the cold and completely exhausted
they reached their destination after forty
three days OF the most trying difficulty
Clifton reached Seattle in January. 1898.
and proceeded TO Chicago to sell his claims
He was fortunate in finding buyers ana
when he departed again for the KIondike
a month later had sold cut Off S125 Geo In
May. 1898. he returned to Dawson with
large outfit and cleared S25.e90 He made
four trips between Seattle and Dawson CITY
in 1898. and four last year.
During the three years that he was ac-
eumulating wealth he vas encouraged by
his sweetheart who remained in Seattle
he saw her every time that ne came back
from his hazardous trips into the KioDdiks-
Finally they were married and came east
by slow stages. For three days they have
been seeing the metropolis
Il do not know when we shall return.
said Clifton yesterday My wife is run
. ming this show. We want TO see the Paris
Exposition. the Tower of Lendon. the
Prince OF Wales. the Pope, the Gar of Rus
sia. the catacombs Of Rome. aRd Monte
Carlo That's what everybody else sees
when they 90 over there. isn't H2 They
tell me there is a pretty stiff game going
On at Monte Carlo. bEt l have seen some
pretty big ones in Dawson City
-Of curse Il wasn't any fun out on the
Kiondi5 e. and l wouldn't want very much
more of it, bat at the same time | am not
cnrnnIaining nnN have grf my IiffIa nirn