The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-27
VALDEZ GOES WILD
OVER GOLD FINDS
Copper Country Forgets Red
Metal in Search for Vel
low Metal.
Special 10 The Tribune.

VALDEZ, Alaska. Oct. 26,--ValdeS is
gold mad The citizens. young and old.
have turned prospcctor. leaving the town
| for days al Il time In partially desert
ed condition. Daily specimens Of rich
rock can be seen In the hands of some
ncwly returned individual, who has made
his ''hnd.' and who lhcncoIorLh classes
aires.
The old story OF the newly discovered
gold camp is being rcpcnted, and excite
| mrnl prevails on every side. Stock COM
panics are being formed and development
of the properties III II number OF IN
stances is progressing al rapid stago
THIS activity Us I'm sharp contrast TO The
air of general apathy which has pre-
vailed in this community FOR the past ten
years when nothing seemed To interest
the prosDcCtor but copper. The rcd
gold bearing quartz lodges were passed
over with seeming indifference. THIS
condition obtained until last summer
when the Cllm mine was placed In opcr-
alton, and since which time has paid big
dividends to The stockholders, returning
TO them thcir original Investment in the
first dividend.
The la,tcr's min, with but three stamps
is saving $4,000 weekly, and the owners
have several hundred thousand dollars
blocked out which will run them for the
coming fiscal year. The mill was placed
i'm operation the 2Gth OF last April and
has produced since that timo the sum
Of Sl36. 6.90I .ni. Tho dividends (ncludlnS
Octobcr, have amounted To $4,000. The
company has in reserve $4,000. In the
shape OF bullion and concentrates.
Tho remarkable success OF the prop
crty has naturally excited the people
OF this city, until there Is hardly An un-
located piece OF ground within a radius
OF ten miles. II. II, Ellis, or Red as
he is famlliarly known, is the original
locator of The Cliff mine. and his eccen-
tricities make him flsure of more than
ordinary interest TO the visitor in Val,
dcz. Ellis is adorned with a crop OF
hair that falls profusely over his shoul-
dors. It's brilliant hue being dlscerniple
for several blocks IL is said that he
and sold it for a paltry few hundred dol
lars. the purchasers later realizing $50, 600
Ellis was so chagrined over his tll-ior-
tune that he sworc he would never cut
mine which would return him the sum
Inc had lost He now stands in a fair
way 10 realize his wish several times,
Al the present time most OF the prb-
lie interest is centered in Mineral gulch.
about seven miles north OF valdez. Along
Mineral creek a number of rich Lodges
have been located the quartz being
alive with free gold, Some of the as
saws run into the thousands Of dollars
per ton. A piece OF quartz was brought
Into camp this morning Weighing about
thirty pounds. which liz estimated VIII run
81 per pound. In the windows OF the
business houses can be seen specimens
of gold quartz with the yellow metal
prominently exposed. In the hills, hun
dreds of prospectors. some of them mere
boys. scarcely of legal age, are cncoun-
tered placing their monuments on ledgcs
which are fondly hoped will prove bo-
nanzaS.
Early in the morning long lines OF pack
trains can be seen leaving the business
section, bound for the outlying camps.
Pack animals arc at q premium and
most any old skate Will bring double his
value The spirit of optimism can be
more readily understood when II Is stated
that every company organized up 10 inc
present time has been able to subscribe
its treasury hotations in Valdez not
to outsiders. An instance of The rcadi-
ness in which money can be raised here
is that of a. mining company which no.
tI6cd the public that loo. 900 shares would
bo placed for subscription in the morn
Ing at 20 cents per share, BY O'Clock
that evening every share had been sold
and people camorcd for another allot-
mcnt The readiness on the part OF the
public here to part with its hard earned
cash would make "wldcatter'' gnaw
his pals with lmpatience were he In
formed OF his opportunities wasted,
VALDEZ is town thirteen years old
and at the present time numbers about
1900 people IT is the ocean terminus of
the Valdez Fairbanks trail and the head
quarters Of the Alaska Road commission
The payroll of the commission amounts
to nearly $4,000 this, year. and as the
money Is distributed here each fall, the
little camp is extremely active during
the winter. With the impetus given IL
by the gold strikes this fall, II is safe
10 saw that Valdez will be the liveliest
town in all Alaska this winter,