Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-01-05
MINING ROMANCES
Seekers After Gold WHO Had
Riches Thrust Upon Them.
aswEDE LUCK" IN ALASKA.

Stories That Are Told Of the Way Some
Prospsctors Stumbled into Claims
That Put Thsm on Easy Street.
Good Fortune Plus Hard Work.
1t 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 Klon-
like strike was made by George Mar
mack and Shookum Jim. Anderson.
trail weary, ambled Into the frontier
Camp Of Bawson--then known as
Lousetown--fron Circle City. He had
developed taste for primitive bev-
srage Of local manufacture known as
'.hooch." and promptly proceeded to
crafty IT. when he came to he dis
covered that hin alcoholic companions
had gone through his clothes. extract
ed $500 and left In lieu thereof deed
to a claim on Eldorado creek. which
was thought to have no other value
except which pertains to grazing for
moose.
Anderson almost wept. 1t was true
he was the owner OF location. but a
claim isn't necessarily a mine. and
also there - a lot Of difference be-
tween a deed to piece Of frozen
ground and $500 In real money, which
was all he hid possessed. But he
i was not bcrrft Of credit. Taking the
deed to a trader. he pledged it for
grubstake. which he hauled to the
creek on band sled He burned wood
to thaw tie frozen muck and discover
ed that the gravel underneath was
thickly prmeated with gold. The
moose pasture proved to be worth
more than S2.O00.OOO. There are some
wonderful real estate records in
Alaska!
Depressed and discouraged because
he had been unable to find values In
quartz uine which he had been sent
to examine. John Treadwell sat In a
log cabin hotel In Harrisburg. now
juneau. waiting for steamship to
lukt OdCh " san tautiSNO.
French Pete Erussard drifted In and
told Treadwell hard luck story.
Treatwell 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
claim. Treadwell returned the fol-
lowing year and examined the prop
erty. Then he bought the other half
and it became known as the Tread
well mine. 1t has produced more than
$50.000OO0. and there IL sufficient ore
blocked out to keep the big stamp
mills working for many years
Erik Liniblom went to Alaska on
whaling vessel-shanghaied from
San Francisco. some people say. With
Jafet I.indeburg and John Brynteson
he discovered the Nome goidhelds and
laid the foundation for big fortune.
Two OF the richest placer claims In
Western Alaska we're traded for COM
parative trifies-one for q gasoline en-
CINE that wouldn't cling. and another
for $50 and bottle Of brandy distilled
from prune juice. There are thou
sands OF similar instaE, 20. common In
the history OF every mining camp.
But there Is another side to the
story. Thousands Of men in Alaska.
with prlvation and hardship for their
teammates. have toiIed bravely and
assiduously for many years and have
failed to ind the golden fleece. Per-
haps they lacked what the north terms
ASwede luck"
'.Swede luck" h 90 called because
many Of the rich strikes have been
made by Scandinavians. In Alaska
every Scandinavian h 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
creek where strike had been re-
ported and an incipient stampede was
In progress | met prospector.
who made the striker" | asked.
who Dc you think made the striker
he countered disgustedly. as though
had propounded foolish question No.
4062. did you ever hear OF anybody
having luck In this darned country IN
less he was a SwedeT'
walked fourteen miles up that creek
and found six holes to bedrock. Pay
had been encountered In the sixth
Every shaft had been dug by the
Swede who made the strike. and who.
by the way. happened to be Norwe-
gian.-Sunsrt Magazine.
How Teueans Reost.