Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-18
MUST HAVE MONEY.
Obstacles Which Confront Inde-
pendent Prospectors in Alaska.
A. E. PARK TALKS OF GOLD COUNTRY.
Another ottumwa Man, Member of
the WaIsh-Starbuck Party, Has Re-
turned-Has Claim interests But
Did Not Make Big Strike.

A. E. Park, of this city has returned
from Alaska where he has been for
the past two years and eight months
in search of wealth in the cold fields
of the frozen north. Mr. Park left
Ottumwa with the Walsh-Starbuck
party, and while he found some gold
and acquired the title to some claims
in Alaska, Is frank to admit that he
returned with less money than
he had when he left. John Emerson,
who also left Ottumwa with the same
party, is the only one left in Alaska
out of the entire number, and he ex-
poets to return soon. Mr.. Park says
he does not intend to return to Alas
ka, unless perchance, he receives some
very flattering reports from his claims.
He left st. Michaels September 10,
but was delayed at Nome five days on
account of severe storm. He stopped
at Seattle, Wash, week, and then
came direct to Ottumwa, taking his
friends and even the members of his
family completely by surprise. They
had no intimation that he was within
a thousand miles of them until he
walked in, unannounced.
Prospected Eighteen Months.
To Courier reporter Mr.. Park
said: Il prospected for eighteen
months in various parts of Alaska,
remaining on claim No. IA on Clear
creek the winter that DR.. Bonham and
other members of the party left there.
The next spring, after finding that
there was nothing in the Clear creek
district,>I went to work for the Alas
ka Commercial Co., between st. Mich
ael and Dawson on a steamboat MAX
ing twelve trips up and down the river.
/ was included in the party that went
up Hogatzakakat river about the same
time that DR.. Bonham and other mem
hers of the Walsh Starbuck party went
up Clear creek. No gold was found
in paying quantities. altho, at first,
como prospects were found on Clear
creek.
Last winter while at Andre Afsky
/ bought a dog team with the inten-
ton Of going to Nome. but was taken
sick the next day after making my pre-
parations to start, and was laid up for
four weeks with lung fever. When
recovered it was too late to start
When finally got to st. Michaels af-
ter making trip to Dawson l found
the conditions at Nome such that it
would not pay me to go. My partner,
Joe Twogood, of Tacoma, who had pre-
ceeded me, advised me also not to go
to Nome. He went there last spring
and took one claim and a fraction of
another but found nothing that would
pay. He was there the first time a
year ago last summer, and took the
claims. He worked there that sum-
mer on the beach, taking out $500 in
three weeks. He took sick and was
compelled to return home. The beach
was washed out last year and one
cannot make to exceed So per day
now, which is not enough to pay ex-
penses.
Future of klondike.
"The great future in Alaska is in the
Klondike or Dawson region. 1t is rich
without question. They have taken
out twenty-five million dollars worth
of gold there this year and there is
an abundance of it yet. Steam thaw-
ers are necessary to get the gold in
paying quantities. The thawers are
simply large steam boilers from which
a jet of steam is forced into the gray
ell This work is done during the win
ter and the gravel stored until the
spring time when it is washed. 1t re-
quires large capital to conduct these
thawers, but nothing compared to the
old method of thawing the ground by
building large wood fires and main
tanning these fires until the ground
was thawed sufficiently to permit ex-
cavation in the gravel.
Claims at Auction.
"All of the ground in the vicinity of
Dawson has been taken long ago.
Some of the claims, however, have re-
verified back to the crown or govern.
ment, and the latter. it is said, will
soon place these claims on sale to be
knocked off to the highest bidder
These claims are considered not worth
working, owing to the expense attach
ed thereto. There is gold in some OF