The Washington herald., 1909-05-02

/
hole through the frozen gravel and found
a nugget on the bedrock Of the KIondike
/ River. he opened one empire for Canada
and another for the United States. He
started the greatest gold stampede the
world has known; Led many men TO mil
lions and many more TO death; changed
trade relations on the Pacific, and other
wise upset and rearrsnged the biggest
/ affairs OF the northern half OF the West
I ern Hemisphere.
| As result Of that days work Alaska
and Yukon were filed with hardy men
who have since sought out their secret
riches. populated the waste places. and
set the tabled North before the world as
the land OF future homes and opportunity.
II Carmaek had not found that frag-
ment Of treasure. there would be to-day
no Dawson. no Fairbanks There would
be a great deal less than there is OF Seat
tie and there would be no Alsska-Yukon-
! Pacific Exposition. The world would be
poorer by many milIionsires and its avail
able supply Of gold would be more than
two hundred millions OF dollars short OF
It's present figure
All in all. Carmack started something
when he hit the pay on the Klondike. aad
what he started viii never stop.
He didn't realize al the time what his
success meant TO the world at large Pos
sibly be does not now realize 20 the full
extent the big world events that turned
upon his nugget All he saw then was
tie tabled pay streak OF the North. after
ten years OF hardship and constant dan
ger. Many hardy men had sought II. and
OF them some had died in seeking: others
had made their way back whence they
had come. broken IN health and spirit;
others SIN sought. and Il was 20 these
that Carmack's mind turned when he had
made sure beyond doubt that the riches
OF the North had been revealed 20 him
Spreads story Abroad.
He stayed only long enough 70 pan out
dust for a grub stake az Forty Nile. then
the only pay camp" in the British
Northwest. With his two Indian helpers
he left the claim and made a difficult
journey TO Forty Mile. and on his way
told every one he met Of the wealth that
was waiting on the then unknown Klon-
dixie From all over Alaska then came
the stampeders. and finally the word
made its way out 20 the big outside
The Klondike rush VIII never be forgot
ten. II was one OF the worlds maddest
spectacles and one OF its greatest TRACE
dies. Shipload after shiDload OF sdven-
tu-ers Jared into the North and some
ships there were that never returned.
GoId-seekers BY thousands fought their
way across the barriers nature had raised
against her treasure box and plunged
NJ
tune. but more 10 Disappointment and the
sbyss.
There IS many a man unourned dead to-
day by his family who Is IN Alaska still
seeking the wealth that lured him there.
There IS many another there because al
sheri1s are not good marksmen. There
are tens OF hundreds Of individual TRACE
dies rolled into the one big tragedy that
resulted from Carmscks strike IN the
days OF 'ss: there are rOEaances that beat
ali fiction. but that viii never go between
The covers Of book.
CaFmack Makes Good.
Carmack prohted by his discovery. He
staked claims here and there. and wher-
ever he staksd there he found gold. When
he returned 20 his camp from Forty Mile
he went 20 work on huge. II primitive.
scale. and shortly Alaska acknowledged
its first millionaire. His two Indian aSso-
ciates. "Skookum jim and ''Tagish
Charles followed in his footsteps and
later dumped their millions into the faro
banks Of Dawson.
But not so Carmack- He cleaned up a
fortune IN 1870 and came outside 20 live
IN peace and plenty. He established his
home IN Seattle.
With him ,,armzck brought the nuggets
that he washed out OF the first two pam
fUls OF gravel ne took from the Klondike
bedrock. There were twenty-five OF them
In all. counting the one that he took with
his bedrock pan, and they weighed about
500
These he cluHg 10 as his lucky pieces,
but they are his no more, for they have
gone forward 10 Washington as a gift 20
President Taft The President has con-
sented 10 press the button that viii open
the Alaska 7 ukon-Pacific Exposition in
Seattle. When he does his hand will rest
for moment on the nugget that turned
the world topsy-turvey. for Carmack has
had the twenty-five nuggets set in and
around a telegraph instrument, and on
the fngeT-board Of the key is the nugget
that made history.
Made OF Solid Gold.
The instrument Is Of solid gold. and It
IS set on q base OF Alaska marble Mug
gets make the bearings Of the key and
other nuggets are set in the marble base
It Is a Eemlike bauble Carmack has had
constructed and Of much intrinsic worth,
but its historic value cannot be meas
ured From the Alaska viewpoint It is
priceless.
The marble base bears shield Of gold
upon which Is the following inscription:
Presented 10 the President. William H
Taft for the purpose OF opening the
Alaska Yukon-Pacifc Exposition. June I
1909 Made from the first goid discovered
and taken from the KIondike and pre-
sented by the discoverer. George W. Car
mack"
The key has gone fo- ward to Richard
Ballinger, Secretary Of the Interior, with
the request that he present It to Mr
Taft, with a statement Of its history and
the good wishes OF the donor.
On June ! the wires viii be cleared from
the National Capital to Seattle. President
Taft VIII tap the key OF gold, and history
and the worlds fair viii be an accom-
plshed and evident fact
Prosperity ReiEns Here.
owensboro, Ky. May I've are in the
midst Of very fine agricultural country