The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-04-01
To Win Fortu mes In Gold
Fields.
HUNDREDS ARE DYING
Of Cold and Privation In Rush
For Yellow Metal In North
ern Idaho Fields--Food
Almost Priceless.

Boise, Ida, March 31.-Human be-
ings, frenzied in rush for gold to the
Thunder Mountain district, are dying
of cold and privation. The stampede
to the new Eldorado is like that to the
Klondike in the most perilous days
of the Alaskan field, and hundreds Of
men are Drawing death to cross
treacherous SHOWS and make their way
north.
Many pay with their lives the forfeit
of their haste to reach the newest camp
of mineral riches. Nearly every day
on that weary and desolate trail life
goes out Others unmoved press on
and gain the camp, and from mining
towns throughout the west hundreds
and thousands of miners are preparing
to follow in the footsteps of these
Thunder Mountain pioneers.
SOME RICH STRIKES.
Tales of rich strikes, both placer
and quartz. come back to civilization
from this land of gold in northern
Idaho, some 200 miles north of this
city and miles away from any railroad.
Every report whets the appetites Of
hundreds of gold seekers now at Mos
COW and Lewiston, Ida, Spokane,
Wahs., and Butte, Mont, impatiently
waiting for the suns of April and May
to clear the dangerous trails of snow
and death.
Lacking the daring of fearless men
who are now going over the trail on
snow-shoes from Sites, a small town
on the Clearwater extension of the
Northern Pacific. these hundreds of
wealth-hungry miners and adventurers
will swoop down on the camp the
moment the way is safe.
And 1t is well that the horde cannot
now get to the new gold camp. Food
is scarce-almost priceless-and only
heroic measures stave off famine.
Flour is selling for $50 a sack and
there is actual suffering for lack of
other provisions. which are being
forced over the trail as fast as possi-
When all the trails are free from
snow. in May and June. every trail to
tho Thunder Mountain country will
be thick with pilgrims to this miners
Mecca of yellow dirt" From Boise
and other points on the railroads near
est approaching the new camp n't big
parties will set out, and by the middle
of summer it Is estimated that 10000
men will be in the district.
SYNDICATES ON DECK.
Eastern syndicates, some in Pitts
burg, have purchased thousands Of
dollars worth of property in the camp,
and individuals and corporations are
investigating the merits of the ore.
Only one big mine has been operating
this winter-the Dewey claim. There
ten-stamp mill for the Dewey claim
is being built by the Chalmers-Allis
works. of Chicago. Another syndicate
expects to put in a 200-stamp mill.
Reports from the camp indicate that
there is great difference in the ore
and that much of it will be valuable
only when worked by costly machinery
Money will have to be invested before
this sort of ore will make money, and
1t will have to be treated on the spot,
for there Is no way of getting the
quartz out to a railroad. On the other
hand, much of the surface quartz Is
decomposed. and this appeals to the
poor man. for 1t can be worked with
out the aid Of expensive mills and
heavy machinery. 1t Is claimed that
as high as 81 100 was taken out In ten
days by one man, using only common
mortar and prospecting pan.