The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-20
Facts About
90. Tbe...
Big Gleanups.

brought lumber and other building ma
terials.
Urfucky After All.
THE Claflin brothers came in July with
the steamer Quickstep. She was q very
large ffat-bottomed river boat, and had
been towed across the Boring sea behind
a tug, and arrived in safety. Her own
ers ran her up into the Snake river n lit
tie way and turned her into a hotel.
They built store with lumber they had
abroad and opened up the stock OF goods
they brought. They made money so fast
it unnerved them. One went crazy and
shot himself dead; the other died October
% of typhoid
Then the steamer Gold Hunter an
other river boat. came into Snake river.
She was turned into a steam laundry,
and made money for her owners from
the start Fifty cents for washing
flannel shirt by dousing 1t in hot water
will give an idea OF the laundry rates.
The steamer Minneapolis, built at Ia
C ma in 1888 for a party going up the
Yukon, also reached the river, and still
lies there Snake river is a small
stream. but at its mouth II forms a small
bay which is navigable for half mile.
affording a good harbor for light-draft
river boats.
Everybody there was making money.
and gold dust was plenty. But It was
not until about the first OF July that l
began 40 notice people coming in great
numbers. All the early corners were
looking for creek claims, on Anvil first.
Then they scattered to Osborne, Buster,
Snow Glacier, Ptarmigan and others. In
the district are hundreds OF creeks. No
body had yet heard or thought of such
thing as looking for gold on the beach,
and the tundra claims came into notice
still later.
Lucky After All.
AN unfortunate who had the scurvy
lived in tent by himself on the beach,
about two miles west Of town. He was
too sick to work steadily. but one day
some men passing his tent saw him dig
ging around big rock on the shore, and
asked him what he was doing that for.
He said he was looking for gold, and,
moreover. had found H. He showed
them what he had panned. II raised
tremendous excitement. Everybody was
In IT. Ships crews, walters and all,
struck and went out on the beach. The
other claims. however good, were desert
ed. Men refused to work on the creeks
for 81 an hour. The man who made the
beach discovery. by the way. got over his
scurvy and lived TO make good amount
OF money.
The beach gold is all fine no nuggets
except a very few small ones worth per-
haps 80 cents. II was all got out by
rocking, and rocker-plates were worth
more than anything else. In the lack
OF proper metallic plates pieces OF blank
cts We're used principally and washed out
into bucket OF water several times a
day-as often they became loaded with
the small gold. The rockers were built
out of odds and ends of lumber drift
wood and any old thing that the men
could patch together and use
ION an average the miners rocked out
$50 apiece per day. OF course. there
were instances that went much more
than this. / remember how two fellows
from Montana. man named Carson and
his partner, made a little bukhead out
OF driftwood to keep the water back when
the tide rose. and they took out trine
over $3.50 in one day.
Wealth and Peace.
by the latter part of the summer
when the camp had at least $500 people
a proposition for a civil organization and
a city government was taken up and car
ried out in detail 7. u. Cashel was
elected as the first mayor. Other city
officers were elected at the same time,
end policemen were appointed who drew
salary of $40 day. They could have
made more money at the beach, but po-
Icing was easier work. Still beach min
ing Is easy compared TO what miner
has to go through to get out his gold
in the upper Yukon country. At Nome
no pick Is needed Just an ordinary
shovel will loosen and turn up the gravel
as fast as a man can handle IL. And the
best of IL is he is always sure of getting
something for his labor, for the gold is
there, in greater or less quantities. all
over man would not dig on the beach
for less than an ounce a day. He clean
ed up every night. and any time he found
that he was getting less than an ounce he
would move TO another place.
Rich Dry Creek.
"At the time OF the city election there
were fifty or more frame buildings in
town, may OF them OF large SIZE and two
stories high The company warehouses
are all east OF Snake river, where most
Of the town is built, although there are
several buildings on the west ride, which
r. a long spit extending out from the main
line Of the shore First street was built
Mp for mile. and then Second. Third ana
Fourth were laid out and built. Several
business houses are located on Second
street. Snake river - i55 feet wide on
posite street, where II Is proposed 10
build a bridge.
Right back OF town Is Dry creek.
where six men took out $1,000 In fourteen
hours when the water supply gave out.
Pumping works are being put In 70 de-
velop and wash out the thousands that
remain. On Front street squAttars'
rights prevailed IN the choice % locations
ana when the city was locally surveyed
ufterward each man was allowed 10 keep
the lot on which his tent or other huild-
ing stood. Thus the lots are very un-
even in size. varying from I'VE 10 atty
feet frontage.