Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-07-01
MINING RDnAAcEs
Seekers After Gold Who Had
Riches Thrust Upon Them.
"swEDE LUCK" IN ALASKA.
Stories That Are Told Of the Way Some
Prospectors Stumbled Into Claims
That Put Them on Easy Street.
Good Fortune Plus Hard Work.

ProapectorS Stumpieo INV S'''o
That Put Them on Easy Street.
Good Fortune Plus Hard Work.
It is literally true that some men
who went to the north had fortunes
thrust upon them. There is Charley
Anderson, who was prospecting on
the Yukon. Shortly after the Alon-
dixie strike was made by George Mar
mack and Shookum Jim, Anderson,
trail weary, ambled into the frontier
Camp of Dawson-then known as
Lousetown-from Circle City. He had
developed 4 taste for primitive bev'
erage Of local manufacture known as
''hooch," and promptly proceeded to
crafty it. When he came TO he dis
covered that his alcoholic companions
had gone through his clothes. extract /
ed $500 and left in lieu thereof deed
to q claim on Eldorado creek, which
was thought to have no other value
except which pertains to grazing Tor
moose.
Anderson almost wept. 1t was true
he was the owner of location, but
claim isn't necessarily a mine, and
also there is lot Of difference he
tween a deed to n piece of frozen
ground and $500 in real money, which !
was all he had possessed. But he
was not bercft of credit. Taking the
deed TO q trader. he pledged it for
crubstake. which he hauled to the
creek on n hand sled. He burned wood
10 thaw the frozen muck and discover
cd that the gravel underneath was
thickly permeated with gold. The
moose pasture proved to he worth
more than S2.GO0,O00. There are some
wonderful real estate records IN
Alaska!
DEPRESSED and discouraged because
he had been unable to find VALUES III
n Qunrtz mine which he had been sent
TO examine. John Trcadwcll sat III
loG cabin hotel in Harrisburg. now
Jmheau. waiting for steamship to-
aaEe; him back to San Francisco.
Efh,e Pete Erussard drifted in and
ida ;Treadwell hard luck story.
RFeadwell was sympathetic. The tale
was we'll told; so we'll that he was
induced to put UP $500. taking there
for deed TO half interest in a
claim. TreadweIl returned the fol-
lowing year and examined the prop
crty. Then he bought the other half
and it became known as the Tread
we'll mine. 1t has produced more than
S50.pO0,OOO. and there Is sufficient ore
blocked out to keep the big stamp
mills working for many years.
Erik I.indblom went TO Alaska on
whaling vessel-shaDghaed from
San Francisco. some people say. with
Jafet Lindcburs and John Brynteson
he discovered the Nome goidtelds and
laid the foundation for Il big fortune.
Two Of the richest placer claims in
Western .ilaSka were traded for COM
paratiyc irifcS-One for gasoline en-
ciuc that wouldn't Chug. and another
for $40 and bottle Of brandy distilled
from prlluc juice. There are thou
,
the history Of every mining camp.
But there IS another side to the
story. Thousands Of men in Alaska.
with privatOn and hardship for their
teammates, haze toiIed bravcly and
assiduousy for many years and have
failed TO find the golden fleece. Per
! haps they lacked what tue north terms
"Swcde luck
.Swcdc luck" is so called because
many Of the rich strikes have bccli
! made by Scandinayi"Ts. In Alaska
every Scandinavian is Il Svcde. Ter
sOnal observation. however. !as shown
me that "Swcdc luck" means hard
work and enduring foriitudc under adj
verse circumstances.
Several years ago At the mouth OF z
creek where II strike had been 70
ported AMI III inc;picnt stampede vas
in progress met e iirosocc;or
who made the strike" | asked.
"Whn do you think made the strike!
he countcrcd dis"uS:rily. aS though |
had propoundpi foolish Question No. !
i06-. 'Ijiu yun eve: near ol Hl!pohA A..
having luck in this 1Arncd country I'M !
less he was y Swcdc:"
| walked fourteen miles ui' that creek /
and found six holes to bedrock Pay !
had been encountered in the sixth. (
Every shaft had been dug by the !
Swede vino made the strike, and who. !
By the way happened to be Norwe-
gian.-Sunset Magazine.