The sun., 1903-11-15

POMONA, CAL, Nov. 1o.--The most sur
prisinR thing discovered In the Nome
and Nondike gold fields during the last
summer" sold former Sheriff George B.
Summers, who has just got back from tho
north, sis tho way 30 many OF the once
famous rioh men up there have become
poor again. I know personally nine men
In the Kondike, and almost as many IN
Nome, who ranked a. millionaires several
wears AGO and are now almost as hard up
ss they were before they leaped into the
lap Of fortune.
Eighty per cent. OF the men who suddenly
got very rich through gold mines between
the fall OF 1895 and 1899, and stayed there
trying to get richer. have got poorer. Prac-
tioally the only people who acquired sudden
and largo fortunes in the Nondike and Nome
districts and kept them intact are the ones
who left the north two or three years ago,
when tho boom was In Its height, and In
vested their money conservatively In tho
States.
Gambling, fast living, reckless e1trava-
gance above all. poor business Judgment
and theidea that they were favored creatures
OF luck. have been tho chief causes OF the
shrinking Of the wealth OF the Kondikes
rich men OF several years ago. Most OF
the men who were famous six years ago
because OF their picked-up wealth had
not had a particle Of business experience.
Some of them could not write even their
own names.
There are the young Clancys, George
and Joe. They were among the pioneer
Yukon River miners, who rushed into the
Klondike In that earliest stampede. They
wore salmon flshermen.
Tho four Clancy claims on Snow Creek
vere known all over the English-speakng
world fve years ago, because OF their won
derful richness. When Joe Clancy came
down tho coast to San Francisco with the
arst years output, In the summer OF 1897.
hs brought sos pounds Of gold. that sold for
S7s, 900. For weeks he Lived like potentate
at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, and
capitalists from all over the Pacific Coast
hocked to talk on financial subjects with
him.
"The next year tho CLANCY claims yielded
moro eold than ever. The Clanoys de-
olined $3.50 900 for tho property at tho height
Of tho boom that year.
Tho two brothers spent the winter OF
lSos-oo in travelling about the United
etates. They spent money like princes.
and when they went back to the Klondike
for the spring clean up they had dropped
moro than $50, 900 In poker and faro alone
during their winter vacation.
Their claims began to peter out along In
the summer Of 1893. They bought for large
sums other and improbable placer claims
on adjacent creeks. Their real estate in
vestments In Dawson also turned out poorly.
L. thAv aid thA GnnU CrAok
~ elsins, for which they once declined $780,
90. for $4,000.
s0eorse and Joe Clancy have been enemies
for . long time. AL last summer Joe
Clancy was clerking in . Dawson mer-
ohandise store for . petty salary. while
George was working for wages again on
Yukon steamboat.
Along in 1897 and 1898 Henry Raymer
vas reokoned ono Of the millionaires OF
tho Klondike. He was the original locator
on siwssh Creek. and he had the sirloin OF
the plaoers of that rich locality.
4 hAve seen fve-gallon tin kerosene
can In Raymer's cabin brimfu Of gold dust
tho partial product OF his claim In the
olean up Of 1893. He used to report that he
averaged 81 500 clean profit for every
day from May to September, and guess
he did.
He might have sold out once for some-
thing big, probably more than S4oo, 900.
But, Like most Of them. he held on too long.
'Raymer was q reckless gambler. His
wagers Of hve pounds Of gold dust in faro
are still told about in Dawson. One night
he was In some S1s. 900 in gold, and by noon
mart day hs was out $4,000.
'Raymer got Into litigation over . claim
and b. paid an extrsvagant fee to Van
oouver lawyer to come up to Dawson and
take the case. That lawsuit cost time
and lots OF money. and ended adversely
to Raymer.
Meanwhile he had let other people run
his placer mine. had dropped many thou
sands Of dollars on the green table. and the
value Of the Klondike claims grew less
every day. Raymer mortgased bis prop
srty for something like $4,000. and when
thatwss gone hs was poor again.
Hes gone back to fishing. and saw him
two months ago living in q native camp
at Sitka.
when went to tho Klondike, in tho
summer Of 1898, the brightest and most
shining success In mining pointed out to
me was Peter Dennis. He has been re-
Serred TO as tho richest miner on Hunker
Creek. and the story told Of how he rose
from Q deckhand on tho Yukon steamer
weare to tho possession Of fortune away
above Q million dollars, was enough to
mako the most cautious Of men wild to
got to digging gold.
Everywhere went In tho Klondike
heard Of Pete Dennis and the vast fortune
he was piling up. He owned two rarely
yioh plaoers on Hunker Creek. another on
E1dorado. and was . partner Of Clarence
Berry In . big claim on some other creek.
Dennis certainly did get out over $500 900
worth Of gold In the nrst year Of the Ron-
dixie diggings. One shipment Of his to
the San Francisco mint amounted to SOS 900,
and there were several moro about as large.
He spent money lavishly. Once he gave
5000 toward hospital in Dawson, and
o. 800 for Christmas dinner.
'Hs wore diamonds as large as fllberts
In the front Of his gray flannel shirt.
have seen him in poker games where the
cheapest ohip was an ounce Of gold-S17
He spent the winter Of ls9s-9o in travelling
about the United States and Mexico, and
he has said he got away with 1900 week
IN gambling and having good time from