The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-02-09
KING LOSES A MINE.
ONE LEFT ENGLISH MONARCH
BY ALASKA MINER.
Failure to Make Improvements In
validates Claim to Property
Bequeathed- by Ad-
mirers.


Because his majesty, King Edward
of England, wouldn't take the trouble
20 come to Alaska or send anybody to
work claim for him he is out a whole
bunch of money writes Dawson cor
respondent OF the Seattle Post-lntel-
ligence. Something over two years ago
a Dawson man who, thought that Ed
ward, then Prince Of Wales, was the
finest thing in the way Of royalty that
ever happened, gave his majesty a quit
claim deed TO a mine on the Yukon.
His majesty, however, appeared to
have no Use for any little scheme for
his digging among the auriferous grav-
els of the great northwes .ern district
and let the claim go back. Possibly
he did not think 1t was worth much.
Nobody else old at that time. Now,
however, the camp in which it Is To-
Gated has blossomed out. and il Is the
general opinion that King Edward S for
mer claim is about the richest one in
the camp.
As the matter stands now, unless
some bright mining man gets on to
the fact that the claim is vacant
through the Kings failure to make i'm
provements on it, as stipulated by law,
and Jumps" the claim before repre-
sentative Of his majesty gets on the
ground. the question will become a sort
of a paradox, for The claim, once the
personal property OF the king, will re-
vert to him in his official kingly capacity
to be held in trust by him for England.
The history Of the deal by which the
king became the owner of an Alaskan
mine is as follows: On July 2, 1902. the
Canadian government sold at auction
property designated as A, on tributary
OF Eureka creek, at No. IS on the left
fork. The plat was $50 feet in length,
and J. X. Sparling was the purchaser.
There was little boom On in the Eureka
district at that time and everybod
thought that it was going to turn out
millionaires faster than anybody ever
dreamed of
Sparling didn't do anything on the
claim for the first year except to pay
up 5000 required in lieu of the repre-
sentation work required The money
p'N'h ~ " iNHN " al VI lit uttN anu IlldlH
ters were squared with the govern
ment up to date. Then some people,
among whom was W. E. Carlin, came
along, saw the $50 feet of land, coveted
1t and entered into an agreement to
purchase it. The deal fell down some
how. however. and Mr. Sparkling kept
the claim and did little Improvement
work on it,
Sparkling was the man who had such
a high regard for Edwarl. He decided
to give Edward the claim as slight
token of his esteem. Just before Edward
was crowned king Mr.. Sparling got busy
with the land Office and made out
quit claim deed for the property to Ed
ward Sparling paid the 81 filing fee,
and the deed was regularly recorded in
the records for Eureka creek.
It is not stated whether or not the
king ever acknowledged the little gift
Of his Canadian friend. Anyway, II he
ever realized the advantages of possess
ing nice little mine in the frozen north
he didn't. take any advantage OF his
opportunities, and left the claim relig-
iously alone. No work has been done on
the claim, and it is open for relocation.
His majesty has now no more power
10 hold the claim than one of the most
modest of his subjects.
Now Eureka has another boom on
and this time for the reason that 1t
contains really valuable pay dirt A
promising pay streak was recently un-
covered on No. 2, and it is believed
that II extends through the claim for
merly owned by his majesty.