The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-11-13
ALASKA GOLD FIELDS
r. F. ncClellan Writes ENTERTAINMENT
of the New Placer Gold Fields
In Far Off Alaska.
Rich Strikes-Provisions Very High
The Best Way to Get to the
Fields IS Via Mccarthy.

A letter of the date given below,
postmarked at Mccarthy, Alaska,
October 20, was received from Mr..
r. F. Mcclellan by the publisher of
the Union on the 9Th inst. It will
be perceived that it took seven or
eight days for the letter to get from
Chathenda 1.-THE gold camp) to Nc
Carthy. The letter is quite inter-
esting, and will prove doubly so to
Macs many friends in this vicinity.
Mr.. Mcclellan expects to reach his
home at Sawtelle, CAL, about
Thanksgiving day.
Chathenda, Oct. IL, 1913-The first
newspaper arrived in camp today,
at least the first one I have been
able to get my hands on, and it
seems good to get little news from
the outside world.
I see by the press that there is a
vast difference of opinion as to the
true conditions of this camp and it's
possibilities. You may be interested
to know what think of it.
I have studied the situation from
the investors and prospector' stand
point, and I believe it is a good
country for both, and look to see a
big camp in this part of Alaska.
About the first of July report
reached Cordova of rich strike of
placer gold on small creek in the
White river district. A few days
later the report was verified and the
stampede was on from every point of
the compass. Horses that had been
selling for 800 were in demand at
quadruple that price. Many men
started on three hundred mile
walk with their bed and board on
their backs.
I arrived here August and made
a visit to Little Eldorado, where the
rich strike had been reported, and
found it had not been exaggerated.
-Four or five men were working on
discovery claims and were cleaning
up from eight to one hundred
ounces every two days with thirty
foot run of sluice boxes. This creek
is about two miles long and is ap-
parently very rich. 1872
Bonanza Creek, the next one that
promises we'll, is about seven miles
in length and shows good pay on the
most of it. -.
Number Three below Discovery was
worked in small way and showed
up very rich: no trouble to get a
six dollar pan. H.
Canyon Creek, which is tributary
Of Bonanza, shows good pay.
These four creeks are the only ones
that we know to be good. But there
are several other creeks that pros
pect we'll and no doubt some of them
will show up good.
Very little development work has
been done this season owing to the
lack of supplies. Men rushed in here
from all points with just grub
enough to reach the diggings, drove
few stakes and then skipped out
again. This has left large part
of the country located but no one to
do any development work.
Many landed here without one
pound of grub. Had it not been for
the abundance of wild game not a
few would have starved to DEATH
I have not been out of fresh meat
since I arrived here. II you were
here tonight with me for supper I
could give you your choice of five
different kinds of meat: Mountain
sheep, caribou, moose, ptarmigan
and spruce hen.
Foodstuffs are very costly here and
very little to be had at any price.
Occasionally discouraged prospector
will sell what little he has left and
get out. The average price is S1.25
per pound for bacon, flour, rice,
sugar and beans. Baking powder,
tea and coffee command fancy prices.
Winter is now closing down and
development work will be at a stand
still until the winter trails are
opened and supplies and machinery
can be freighted in. A great many
of the locations are above the timber
line and the ground is.frozen, render
ing it necessary to use boilers and
steam points to thaw the soil.
There are about $50 men preparing
to winter here and they have started
a town which they call Chathenda,
the Indian name for the creek we
are camped near, and $50 cabins are
in different stages of construction.
Four different routes have been
traversed in reaching here this
summer: From Dawson, up the
White river, about 400 miles; from
Fairbanks, up the Tonana river, $50