The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-07-17
MINING ROMANCES
Seekers After Gold Who Had
Riches Thrust Upon Them.
~swEDE LUCK" IN ALASKA.

Stories That Are Told Of the Way Some
Prospsotors Stumbled Into cislrns
That Put Them or Easy Street.
Good Fortune PIvs Hard Work.
II b literally true that some men
who went to tho north had fortunes
thrust upon them. There Il Charley
Anderson. who was prospecting on
the Yukon Shortly after the Klon-
diks strike was made by George Mar
mack add shookun Jim, Anderson.
trail weary. smbisd into the, fron tier
Camp Of Dawson,-then known az
Lousetown-from Circle Otty. He had
developed a taste for primitive bev-
erage OF local manufaetnre known as
.hooth," and promptly proceeded to
crafty H. When be came TO he dis
covered that his alcoholic companions
had gone through his clothes. extract-
"a $500 and left IN lieu thereof deed
to claim on Edorado creek. which
was thought to have no other value
except which pertains to a grazing for
moose. s
Anderson almost wept II was true
he was the owner OF a location. but a
claim isn't necessarily a mine, and
also there Is lot OF difference be-
tween q deed to q piece Of frozen
ground and $500 in real money, which
was all he had possessed. But he
was not bereft OF credit. Taking the
deed to a trader. he pledged 1t for a
grubstake, which he hauled TO the
creek on hand sled. He burned wood
to thaw the frozen muck and discover
ed that the gravel underneath was
thickly permeated with gold. The
moose pasture proved 10 be worth
more than $2.0o0,00o There are some
wonderful real estate records I'm
Alaskal
Depressed and discouraged because
he had been unable 10 find values In
a quartz mine which be had been sent
to examine, John Treadwell sat In a
log cabin hotel In Harrisburg, now
juneau, waiting for steamship 10
take him back to San Francisco.
French Pete Erussard drifted in and
told Treadweli a hard luck story.
Treadwei was sympathetic. The tale
was well told; so well that he was
induced to put up $500. taking there
for a deed TO half interest In a
claim. TreadweH returned the fol.
lowing year and examined the prop
erty. Then he bought the other half
and IL became known as the Tread
well mine. 1t has produced more than
Sc0,OO0.o 900. and there Is sufficient ore
blocked opt to keep the big stamp
nitiis working for many years.
Erik Lindblom went 10 Alaska on
a whaling vessel-shanghaied from
san Francisco. some people say. With
Jafet Lindeburg and John Bryntescu
he discovered the Nome goldnelde and
laid the foundation for a big fortune
Two OF the richest placer claims IN
Western ALASKA were traded for com.
parative trifles-one for a gasoline en-.
CINE that wouldn't chug, and another
for $40 and bottle OF brandy distilled
from prune Juice. There are thou
sands OK similar instances. common In
the history of every mining camp
But there Is another side to the
story. Thousands OF men In Alaska.
with privation and hardship for their
teammates, have toiled brayely and
assiduousiy for many years and have
failed to find the golden fleece. Per.
haps they lacked what the north terms
"swede luck"
"swede luck" is so called because
many OF the rich strikes have been
made by scandinavians, In Alaska
every scandinavian is a swede. Per-
sonal observation. however. has shown
me that "swede luck" means hard
work and enduring fortitude under ad'
verse circumstances.
Several years ago at the mouth OF a
creek where strike had been re.
ported and an inclpient stampede was
In progress met prospector.
"who made the striker" asked.
"who do you think made the striker
he countered dlsgustediy as though !
had propounded foolish question No.
4e62. ibid yen ever hear OF anybody
having lack IN this darned'country un-
less he was a Sweden
walked fourteen miles up that creek
and found six holes 20 bedrock Pay
had been encountered In tho sixth
Every shaft had been dug by the
swede who made the strike. and who
by the way. happened 10 be n Norwe
gian.--sunset Magazine