The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-10-07

After wandering about for the
past 4 years ia search Of their for
tunes. during which time they were
again and again brought face Ca
face With death. two brothers. Al
bert and Eugene Johnson. 81 no are
known tu the Tauaua cuuutry as
the Johnson uruthrru 81 the Ia
nsHa, arrived ln Seattle FRIDAY on
the steamer ohio from Fairbanks
vta IT Maehasls
The two brothers left their home
in Kansas Il years aEo. At the age
Of 20. Wheu We were only kids" as
they pat n the brothers left their
home IN TIE east Is seek . fortune
in the gold fields Of Alaska Long
before the kloudlks was ever heard
-. long before railroads steam
beats or any such eeuveuicueeu asre
10 b. obtained iu the way 81 trans
poFtatlan IN Alaska. these two
brothers were there on the ground
-tssln 81 old joe Juneau. who risk
81 hts iife among the Indians In
hahltlHk the southeastern section 81
Alaska aud fsafisssiy vent in and
founded the little colony which H.
naw ore % the most entefpfisinE
cities Il Uncle SANS northern do
main
The Johnson brothers were farm
the fortunes gained 10 the gold fieida
~ Colorado Acting on the belief
that claims 81 value were ali taken
up in that section. the two brothers
set out toward she west ia search
~ uew fields Arriving iu Seattle.
they ran across old Whniera Who told
them a wealth 10 be Kained iu the
Alaskan regions
Tho captain ~ "a whaling ship
no has since ioat his NE of the
coast q Alaska. gave the men
transportation Ia sitka. from which
point they made their way TO
Juneau BY rowing a distance Of 100
miles.
Becoming tired Of the life about
Juneau. the. two men IN The spring
~ isss set forth 90 the Interior arc-
tiuus with the hope % finding more
prosperous ground The men nit
the trail fer what IL nov termed
the Alsrk district. There the
brothers found e small amount %
gold After prospecting that Sec
ton for IS months they left for
what later proved to be the kion-
dixie ard ore Of the greatest min
ing camps in the world While
never claiming any right Ia be The
settlers % that country. yet the
men we're among the first on the
ground except Indians. There the
brothers remained until the klon-
dixie rush was over. after which
they went into the Tnuana. They
were among the first To leave
Dawson for the new gold fields
In the spring Of 1900. after hsv-
iuR had both good and hard luck
Ia the Kloudikr. the men set out for
the upper reaches Of the Yukon
After months 81 travelling they
reached a point some 20 miles above
the city which is now called Chena.
There the men built a little log
cabin and proapected about the
surrounding country. Fortunes were
made aud lost as f. Characteristic
Of the northern country.
Today these brothers have one
Of tho richest claims on the famous
HerHt creek. aud. with view 10
visiting their home. have simply
picked up a quarter 81 million.
shipped 81 out and are going back
home To visit their parents.
The circumstance surrounding
the events incident to the discovery
Of their present claim are peculiar.
Albert. or Bert" az he ia famll-
iarty called. had left his brother FOR
"A two days hunting trip. which was
then some 30 miles from the spot
where their present camp Is loeut-
ed. While hunting. Johnson met a
grizzly bear. lie had but one shell
left Ills shot merely wounded the
bear. who charged the proapectur
johnson then turned and ran for
his iifc. The bear continued after
him until from the effects 90 its
wound It fell Eugene johnson.
having set out In search Of his
brother. found him lying exhausted
with the bear dead not hundred