The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-05

had dealings with him.
THE fact that night would soon be
upon me, and that ! had to sleep some
where on the shore, gave me a desire
to reach a point as far distant from
1 this Indian camp as possible. Sleeping
! outdoors on the rough and damp
ground did not seem so bad when in
company with two stalwart men and
two fine dogs, which were vigilant
4 watchers in the night; but to sleep out
return trip, ESQ miles from the nearest
postOHice, was accompanied with a
queer sense of loneliness and a pecu-
liar longing for the feshpots of
Egypt"
II had been rowing for two days on
the lake, and was floating the third
day on the river, when at evening, just
as was beginning to scan the shore
for favorable spot for spending the
night, the whistle of q little steamboat
coming down the river gave me q hap
py surprise. The tramp steamer was
making it's first return trip, and for
a consideration picked me up and con-
Veyed me to my destination, where my
men on the scow awaited me.
"A few miles further up the river
from this point I stopped to wash
some pans of gravel from certain
benches on the rivers shores, where
prospectors have worked by hand dur
ing the last twenty years, earning from
So to SO a day. On these benches, which
are about six feet above the water, the
seam of gravel is about two feet deep,
and extends back, to my certain knoWl-
edge, a distance Of 1000 feet, all Of
which is gold bearing. ] knew that my
little equipment Of machinery could Sc
cure the gold from these benches where
there was no current of water to inter-
fere.
aThese benches were about ten miles
further up the river. The season at this
time was well along, and as it was inn
perative for me to return to White
Horse at that time, I left instruction.
for the men to continue as rapidly as
possible with the scow and machinery
to the benches. Upon arriving there
they should stake out claims upon this
property for me, and then make a thor
ough demonstration of what my ma
chinery was able to do in securing the
gold
"The nearest recording office for
claims is Livingstone Creek, a little
mining settlement over the mountain,
a distance of about eighteen miles from
my property. It was understood that
upon my return trip from White Horse
would reach Livingstone Creek on
certain day, and that two of the men
should meet me there for the purpose
of recording the claims they had staked.
They arrived at the property, and ar
rived at White Horse on schedule time.
I'm returning I went by steamer, of
course, to the mouth of the Hootalin-
qua river. On leaving the steamer I
started upon my tramp of 60 miles
afoot, with a distance of 25 miles to
make that city. I arrived at the IL
mile point at 10:45 a. M, which WIS
fairly good speed. then began to feel
symptoms of rheumatism or strained
muscles in my knees and hips. At this
point also confronted a bear, and, at
ter yelling and shooting at him, as he
did not run, tried to.
MY rheumatism, probably ceased by
sleeping so much out of doors, grew
rapidly worse, and it was only by the
utmost exertion, and with every step ac-
companied with the severest pain, that
succeeded in reaching the little cabin
at Masons Landing that night or
course, was not able to pursue my
tourney on the following day Fortu-
nately, however, there was man there
who was going to Livingstone Creek
that day, and he carried letter from
me to my son.
"As good fortune would have it the
same little steamer that had picked me
no in the river before was making it's
second trip down, and stopped at this
landing late that very afternoon. 1t
took about one minute for me to strike
a bargain with the captain, and within
Is minutes was on board going up the
river to my scoW-
Creek received my note announcing
that 1 was sick abed with rheumatism,
they walked over to Mason's Landing
the next day, only to learn that I had
gone back to the scow on the steamer.
The following day they attempted to
save one days time by cutting across
lots through the woods, which proved
to be a cold and rainy day, and before
reaching their destination night over
took them. They were compelled to
stand around a campfire all night, and
reached the scow about IL o'clock the
next morning. They stood the expos
llre of their trip better than I stood
mine. and all went to work again with
a zest.
LAS cold weather was setting in and as
my muscular aches and pains were con-
tinuing I was anxious to return at the
earliest opportunity I therefore remain
ed only long enough to demonstrate pos
itfvely that the machinery was able to do
the work at that point The demonstra-
ton was what / wanted. In my presence
the machinery worked satisfactorily. We
secured at the rate Of one ton of the bla ok
sand from every 125 cubic yards of gravel
that we washed through the sIuice boxes
II had the remainder Of the men stake
out claims for me, and the morning that
I started to float down the river on a raft
in coming out these other men started for
Livingstone creek on foot to record these
additional claims. left instructions for
them to work until September and to
accumulate as much Of the black sand
containing the gold az possible during
that time
But Mr.. Vrooman. as has been said. is
not altogether wrapped up in the hunt for
gold. Surrounded by his books, ne
thinks and studies and peers into the in
finite It is his dream-hfs faith-that a
basis can be found upon which all war
ring sectS can be brought together. But
the work. the propaganda needs money;