The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-09
Kansan Still True to Men Who
"Grubstaked'' Him.
For is Years He Has Prospect
ed in Cold.
NOW IN new GOLD FIELD
Waits Warm Weather to Renew
Search for Wealth.
win Collins Still Hopes to
''Strike 1t Rich.-

Cherokee, Kan, Feb. Sway up
in the frozen stretches of the Alaskan
klondyke a former Cherokee boy is
struggling for gold, heaps of gold, in
order to live up to the faith many of
his Friends here placed in him eigh-
| teen years ago when the stampede
Tor wealth to that country was at it's
height In those romantic days every
one had the gold fever. The attack on
some was mild, resulting in nothing
more than expressed desire. In 9TH
ers, and especially in those with a.
wanderlust germ in their makeup,
1t took effect deeply and. caused them
to abandon friends, home, a compar-
atively easy life in the states" eV-
erything that full civilization offered,
and go north to hunt for the yellow
metal that was hidden in the frozen
country"
Among those of the wander1ust spir-
it was Will Collins a young man of
rs years. He had lived in Cherokee
for most of his life. and had been
faithful and honest in his work. He
was well liked and trusted and when
he announced that he was going to
the necessary money, many of his
friends went together and grub
staked'' him. It's a far cry from the
land where the term ''grub-staked'
that is what was done. 1t means that
he was given sufficient means to buy
food, an outfit for mining the precious
metal, and the cost of getting to the
field of operation.
He left Cherokee at the climax of
the world wide fever with the prom
Use that if he located a gold mine,
his helping friends would receive
shares in it in proportion to what they
had staked him. He left with heart
full of hope; and the friends left be-
hind hoped as strongly as he
They Were All Promising.
place. Sometimes it was a placer
claim about which he set up his claim
stakes. Sometimes it was a claim
where a shaft would have to be dug.
even small nuggets, but it was suffi
Client only to purchase more grub
stakes He kept going on and on.
Every new field to which hordes of
men rushed he went with them, al |
ways hoping. But the elusive pot of
gold never happened to be within the |
space where he set up his stakes
Finally he made enough to return home |
to Cherokee for visit, and bit over to |
pay off some of the men here who had |
trusted him. He did not stay long, how
ever, for the spirit of the north country
kept plucking his sleeve, and he answer |
ed it, Altogether he made three trips
home it is said. Once his brother became
enthused with the tales VIII told and he
accompanied him back.
The brother did not like the cold coun-
try and did not stay long
1ror eighteen long years Will has been
hunting for the gold which will give him
a fortune. and will make his hackers here
wealthy. He said the last time that he
had made many times the amount Of
their original grub stake" but that if he
ever found wealth he would consider
part of it as theirs for it really would be
through them that he had gained it.
Tells of New Strike.
The latest letter from viii Collins, and
they are few and far between. as is al
ways the case when man is out on the
edge of civilization. says that new and
fabulously rich strike has been made to !
the far north-farther than any man has :
yet gone in the hunt for metal Gold I
is said to be found on the side of a |
of the depths Of the earth by volcanic I
action The letter says that men with I
dog teams are ''mushdng over the ice |
and snow in a mad. desperate race to |
the new fields. and that he was prepar- |
ing to join them.
short time ago, it was written under a /
date line of many weeks before No /
doubt that now VIII Collins, the Chero- |
kee boy is among the frozen crags and |
canons sholding down" claim and wait I
ing for a bit of warm weather to soften |
whether he is to be wealthy OF be COM |
PEELED again to take up his long search |
for gold His hackers here, too, are |
awaiting a message, but they are so far |
away from the source of enthusiasm that |
it is not with the same breathlessness |
that the man in the north is awaiting |
the coming of the Alaskan spring.
Meningitis Kills Teacher.
Wichita, Kan, Feb. 9.-Miss Fern
Irwin, a school teacher who was strick-
en- with spinal meningitis following an