The Nome nugget., 1903-08-05
STRIKE
 ON HO0TCH| About 50 Miles From
 Dalton Post. Y era m nenE 10 nM
TsTAMPEDE IS ON
Another Mysterious Strike Re. ported 300 Miles or So
 West from Eagle.

Dawson, Y. T., July 24.--A placer strike of some magnitude seems to have been made at Hootchi lake, which 1t is claimed is in British Columbia. It is also maintained that it is in Amer ican territory. A stampede to the new diggings has been on for ten days or more from Dawson, Whitehorse, Atlin, Skagway and other points.
 The first man to return to Dawson from the scene of the strike near Whitehorse reached here in a small boat Monday. He is Bob Thompson, a Klondiker of '9S, who has owned sev- era claims on Bonanza and Hunker. Thompson heard of the richness of the Hootchi region two years ago this month from some of his friends wbo had been on the ground. He had in- tended ever since to go in there, but did not do so until month ago.
 Thompson and his partner have pros pected 2S below discovery, Hoolchi creek, and intend to start work at once on that claim. The partner is now on his way in from Whitehorse with d pack train carrying provisions and an outfit. He will take in load and re- turn to Whitehorse. Thompson will leave here in about a week and go to Whitehorse, and the two will take in another stock of provisions and remain. oil n same as his partner, and will go to work on this creek at once. Asked about the location of the new strike, Thompson said:
 ''Hootchi creek is about 50 miles southwest of Dalton post. From Dalton post there is no regular trail. You have to make your own trail, but the country is quite level, and there are no large streams or high mountains. l think the creek is in the Yukon Terri tory.
 "In my opinion the best way to get into the country from Dawson is by going to Whtehorse and taking the trail from there. Some people say it is only 90 miles from Five Fingers, but would not like to risk going in that way. From Whitehorse it takes about four days. I should judge that the outside limit of the distance was 125 miles.'
 Thompson said that coming out he met many people going in. He has not lately been on the creek where the h. dians are reported to have made the strike, but knows the region, and de- scribed it as being made up of gravel hills, and the remains of old river beds are plainly marked. He thinks their strike to be about ten miles from Hootchi creek. It is thought that all the creeks and lakes drain into the White river.
 Colors are to be found in any and all creeks in the region, according to Thompson. He attributes as the req son the country has not been more fully opened up that many people have gone in with just enough grub to last them while they did a days prospect ing and staked claim. The gold found is of the shotty variety. No large nuggets have yet been found. As far as the ground had been dug into it was not found to be frozen. All the diggings in the country will be quite shallow; on Hootchi it is only from eight to ten feet to the paying strata.
 Thompson said that the largest pros poets he had himself seen were shovels of dirt that contained three good sized colors. He said that men he knew had made sluice-box by scooping out log and had cleaned up one and half ounces in eight hours, shoveling into sluice. box from hole about five feet deep, just the gravel after the top of the ground had been removed.
 The prospector is firm believer in the Hootchi region.
 The famous white channel has been located on the right limit of Bonanza opposite No. 54 below. The discovery was made by w. H. P. Jarvis Friday afternoon. He struck the white gravel at depth of six feet under red clay slide.
 Churches of the city are making