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I1TOL (JUS KLONDIKE,SOMETHING ABOUT THE COUNTRY AND ITS DISCOVERER.!t I* a l'asrlnallus Slnry-linloiil Wonilli la I lie far .S'orili—!iard*!ilt;i».« of Hie Mtueri-M.uiy and ilfilci* Uki|i|uful i:iriHj.-Slam;*siU I'.-oui Circle CJJy-Tnld By a Special Correspond!*;!! uf i ar.»er\ ll'ceitly.Dame Fortune was never in moro capricious mood than when the golden treasures of tho Klondike wore ripo for discovery. Such, indeed, has been the history of mining. Dut ulibougb somewhat over a year has .elapsed since the full significance of the strike became generally known, and xnoro than two years since the discovery itself, the story of that lime, so far as it has been heard, is si ill obscured by the mists of uncertainly and contradiction.Thin may seem strange to those who have observed no apparent lack of information from the very start regard- od Russian sablo.thej’ moved to their present location, about twenty miles farther up the porcupine. Supplied by tho slow and tedious Mockonzio * River route, they arc nc* longer a factor in the Yukon, almost the only signs of their ‘existence being tho names of their posts, now occupied by oihors..TWENTY-SIX YEARS AGO - ' three notable men entered the Yukon. They came from Northwest Canada by way of the Porcupine River—Leftoy N. McQuesten, known , commonly as •'Jack'' McQuesten; Arthur Harper, scarcely, known except as Old Man'' Ilarper; and Al. Mayo. These three men,, and some others • not so well known, located at several points on the river as agents of the Alaska Commercial Company. This company, from their main dislribuiing-points, t.’nal-u.ska and Kadiak Island, supplied St'. Michael's Island, the site of the old Russian post, and from there a small steamer took up supplies to the traders and brought down I lie Marten, silver-gray fox, and other furs taken in barter. The Indian population was larger than it is now, and the furs from tho valley of the Yukon were' very high grade, the marten being second to those from Kaintchalka, the celebrating the Klondike ; but those familiar with the difficulty of obtaining reliable information in a country like Alaska, and even of conveying it accurately through most popular channels of publication, will not be surprised at all, In making this contribution to. the history of that Limo, I am animated noi only by a desire to gather lo-gethci the scattered‘ends of report and hearsay, but that tardy credit may be given to the men, and in particular one man, whom Fortune, never more unkind, has deprived thus far of material compensation for a generous act and years of patient work. It is a fascinating story, but to understand better its significance, and, indeed, that of the present Klondike, it is necessary to go back somewhat in. time and to sketch briefly, events that, step by step, led up to the memorable summer and fall of 189G.For us the story begins with the purchase of Alaska by tho CJuitod States from Russia in tho year 18G7, and tho instalment of a powerful company, known as the Alaska Commercial Company, into the seal-hunting Tights of the Pribyloff Islands, and a practical monopoly of the fur trade of the whole of Alaska, then solely u fur-producing country. Tho Alaska CommercialWhile the traders providod for tho physical welfare of the natives in the interior- in return for furs, and a few missionaries of the Russian, English, and Catholic churches were doing what they could for their souls, factors were aL work elsewhere that were to change i he history of lhe Yukon. As early as 1857 gold had been discovered on Fraser River, in British Columbia ; in 18G0 the Caribou district; and then, in 1874, tlie Cassiar district, the latter two immediately south of the headwaters of the all but unknown Pelly and Lewes Rivers. Thousands of miners rushed there, disclosing some of tho richest placers of the world. And as.those became exhausted, it was but natural that tbs hardy prospectors should push farther along the coast.and belrw. As tb6 minors .worked down stream, many of them, oithor cis-inclined or unable to gel back ihe distance of four hundred to six hundred miles to the posts, wintered at the posts, where they could procure provisions. So year by year, as the' miners became more numerous, the traders began to cater more and more to the miners’ trade.The winter was a season of enforced idleness. . The spring freslioL at one end and freezing at the other shortened the working, season to about sixty-five days, during which limo an average of eight or ten dollars a day had to be made for the next year’s grub stake Every man was a prospector and a hard worker, skilled at boating; accustomed to., hardship, rough, yet generous to his fellows.' Beyond a few quarrels that would be laughed off by the others, there was no trouble among them. Ono custom in particular that shows this feeling was that when the 1st of August came, and there were any who had failed to locate a bar, they were given permission to go upon the claims of such as had struck it and to toko out enough for the next season’s outfit. This peaceable condition has' in general characterized the Yukon.In 1885 the rich bars of llic .Stewart River were discovered, aud* with the rush of miners there the next summer Harper, McQucsten Co., established a posi at the mouth of that river. During the winter which followed there was a shortage of provisions, and tho little camp of sovcnty or eighty men was on the verge of starvation.' McQuestcn himself had gone out to San Francisco. What caused this shortage was the report that • ,COARSE GOLD had been discovered on Shitanda Creek, a corruption of the Indian name Zit-zchn-duk, now called Forty Mile” Creek, from its being that distance below Fort Reliance. It was late in the fall when report came that Mickey O’Brien, Jim Adams, and two others,;EXPENSE OF PARLIAMENTS.T.'ic French Lrgliininre Ibc Most Expensive In Europe. •A paragraph going the rounds of European papers is intended to ali-jw that popular government through a representative legislature is generally more expensive than monarchical government. According to this .view iho mcst' expensive parliament iu Europe is that of Frr^ce. The Chamber of Deputies and . thi. Senate cost nearly SI,510,000 each year. Russia, which has no parliament in the American and English sense, saves..this item of expense, a saving which must seem to must persona insignificant when compared with the advantages derived.One reason why the French Assembly is so expensive is its extensive membership. There arc 31)0 Senators, and 581 Deputies, a total in excess .of 6V0.. The salary paid each is 9,01)0 francs, or $i,SU0 a year. Fieuch legislators also have free passes on' the railroads, Italian legislators receive no salary, but have freo transportation on railroads; The cost of the Italian Parliament was 2,100,000 lire last year, or about S42u,UUt). Tho Holland leg siatureCompany was something moro than a ail(j from now on parties began climb-Tbus in 1880, just back of the pre- namcc*. Lambert and Franklin, badsent town of Juneau, Dick Harris and ; found coarse gold. IA stampede forJoe Juneau discovered the Silver Bow {the ncw diggings followed ; for theBusin, and the town of Juneau, first : miner does not bother with fine goldcalled.Harrisburg, was founded. Fromjwher. he can get coarse gold. Coarse time to time, previously, reports of ! gold, being heavier, is not carried sogold having been found in the inter- | far by water as fine gold, and is near-ior- by employes of the trading couipan- 'ies reached the outside. But the passwhich led over the mountains to tho bcad-watcrs of the Lewes was guarded by the Chilkal Indiaus, who monopolized the trade with the Stick, or Woods, Indiaus, holding them indeed iu a state of slavery, and opposed all white men who atlomptcd to enter the country. The year of the Silver Bow strike a party, of minors wont over, the first party of white men whom the Indians had allowed to go in. This party brought back good reports from the baTs of tho Lowes Rivermonopolist of the fur trade; it virtually otepped into the place of tho Russian government, sharing for many years with the Greek Church alono the absolute control of a large native population of Indiaus and Eskimo.THE SALMON-CANNERS on the coast, thea the pelagic sealers, gradually broko down this authority. Then, after twenty years, they wore suppJjuited in the Seal islands by the North .[American Commercial Company.Of the interior of Alaska little was kuowu It is a matter of history that Id 1813 one Robert Campbell, an employe of the Hudson Bay Company, crossed over from the head of the Liard to a stream which he named the Pelly, which he descended to its junction with another stream, which he called the Lewes, and, after many dangers, established in the year 1818, a post at the confluence of the two rivers, known as Fort Selkirk. In 1847 anothei Hudson Bay employe, A. H. Murray, crossed' over lrora Fort McPherson on the Mackenzie to what is called the Porcupine River, and established a post—Fort Yukon—at the con-, fluencc of the Porcupine and another larger river, which, however, was not proved to be the same as the Pelly of Campbell until 1850, wb- n Campbell dropped down to Fori Yukon. Fort Selkirk was burned to the ground in 1852 by Chiikuts from the coast, who thereby expressed Llieir displeasure at interference with their own exclusive rights to the trade of the so-called Woods, or Stick,” Indians. In 1809 the company were ordered by the United States to leave.Fort Yukon, it having been discovered by our observations that it was within American territory. They did so iu a leisurely way, building what is now called old’ Rampart House; but this also was found to be in Ameiicuu territory, soing over the pass, building their boatser its source. Those miners who thought they had not enough for the winter bought all the trader, would sell them and started for Forty Milo. It was the late comers from up river who suffered in consequence.A letter with the news of the find was sent out from Stewart River in January, by a man named Williams, with an Indian boy and three dogs. On the summit of Chilkoot they were overtaken by a storm, and were buried for three days in the snow. * When the storm abated Williams could not walk, and was carried on the back of the Indian boy four miles to Sheep Camp, whence ho was ‘sledded in toon the other side, and descending tho Dyca by some Indians, and died in thestore of John J. Hcaly. The dogs wereriver farther and farther, working the bars—generally returning to the coast the same year.THE GOLD WAS FINE GOLD,and it lay in the gruvcl near the surface, on the heads of what the miners termed bars. A bar is simply tho accumulation of gravel and dirt on the inside of the bends of the winding river. They are built up by the wearing down of the high banks against which the current cut at high water.They are covered, like the rest of the valley, with a growth of cottonwoods or fairly good-sized spruce. Tho work on them was done only in summer, after tho freshet, winter work being thcu considered impossible, not only on account of the severity of the climate but by reason of freezing of the water needed to separate the gold. The method of saving the gold was by means of the rocker. Tho “rocker was simply a box on rockers, like a cradle, with a perforated metal lop, and a sloping blanket inside. The rocker was set at the edge of the river and the dirt shovelled into the perforated hopper. : Water was dipped up in a long-handled dipper and poured in with the dirt, the rocker being energetically rocked at the same time by means of an uprigot handle. The larger stones were removed by hand, the gold falling through perforations and lodgiug upon the blanket, which at imervals was cleaned, the contents being placed in a bucket with quicksilver until all the fine particles of gold were taken up. The amalgam founcd, was squeezed in a doth filter, and the remaining lump heated over a fire until practically all truco of the quicksilver disappeared. In this manner comfortable sums were taken out —Cassiar Bar, discovered in 1880, yielded to five menSIX THOUSAND DOLLARS for thirty days’ work.Harper and McQucsten were at Fort Reliiince, nearly two hundred miles below Fort Selkirk, from 1873 to 1882, and afterwards at other posts abovenever seen again. Tho miners congregated from all parts .to know what had brought the roan out, for the winter journey was considered almost certain death. The Indian boy, picking up a handful of beans, said, Gold all same like this. The excitement was intense, and that spring over two hundred miners poured in over the pass to Forty Mile.Forty’Mile, unlike other streams that had been prospected, proved to bo what the miners call a bed-rock creek.(THE HEAVY GOLD, OF COURSE.would only lie on or near bed-rock, instead ol* on top the bars. On Forty Mile bed-rock came to or quite near the surface. Then Franklin Gulch, tributary ot Forty Mile, was discovered. In tho bed of the small brook the gold was found under several feet of gravel; other tributaries of Forty Milo wero discovered, all with good pay. Some of this gold is very beautiful. I have seen a quantity of tho gold from Napoleon Glilcli, as regular as_ pumpkin seeds in size and shape. Nuggets weighing five hundred dollars have been found. ••In the spring tho traders moved to Forty Mile, and now, • with the post for a base of operations, still richer placers were discovered—in 1893 on Sixty Mile, and in 1891 on Birch Creek.The discovery of heavy gold led to the first change in the method of working. Strings of narrow sluicc-boxes, with riffles of poles for catching the gold, supplanted the rocker. A dam was built above the claim to obtain the necessary head of water, a drain ditch dug to bed-rock, a lino of sluice-boxcs set up, and the dirt shovelled in; but no quicksilver was used, nnd whatever fine gold there might be was lost. .The country is one of eternal frost. True, the summers, though short, arc wai m,-v lie temperature reaching 80 degrees, and by reason of the n I most continuous daylight at that season, the warming power ot the sun is much increased. But the earth is overlaid with a carpel of moss, which the sun's rays do not penetrate, and the roots of the stunted spruce rest upon perpetual icc.(To He Continued.)GOLD NUGGETS, TWO-THIRDS NATURAL SIZE.INFLUENZA AND VENTILATION.Atmospheric impurity, says the Lancet, was largely responsible for the recent epidomic of influenza. If the proper ventilation of private houses, and especially of places of business, were insisted upon by their, owner, it says, ” we should hear much less than we do of the infectious forms of so called cold. The imperfect provision of ventilation in cliurchos and chapels is referred to in the same connection by ihe Hospital, which considers such buildings as hotbeds for influenza on this account, and on acount of the gathering together of persons whose power of resistance, has been diminished by recent illn.vis or by other circumstances.s in two branches, the First and Second Chambers of Ihe Stales General. The former comprises 50 memebrs, who receive 10 guilders a day during the session, aud the second 100 members, wlxo, receive 2,000 guilders a year and their mileage. A Dutch guilder is approximately, two-fifihs of a dollar, and the total expenditure of the Dutch Parliament is $300,000 a year in the equivalent of American money. As might bo expected, Spain has an elaborate parliamentary system, whereby not alono do ihe elected representatives of the people, or of such of the people as vote, have places iu the Cortes, but also those who, without being elected, receive a cumulative vote iu several districts) sufficient to have elected them in ono. Spain extended lust year l.GiC.OOO pesetas for Its Cortes, equivalent to about $350,001). . Portugal expended for parliamentary sorvice about $1GO,UOO, and Austria, with', two Chambers, one in Vienna, and the other in Budapest, about 4,100.100 florins, ol which 2,300,0.10 was for the Austrian Roichsrath and l/RO.OGO for the Hungarian Parliament. The members of the lower Austrian lt;house, ostensibly a representative body, receivo 10 florins a day for their services, und get besides, a mileage on Austrian railroads.The members of the Swedish Parliament number 15'J in the upper aud 250 in the lower branch. The former get no pay. the latter receive 1,200 crowns, or §300 a year, and if the session lasts longer than four month slhey receivo 10 crowns additional' for each' day of actual service. A Swedish crown is worth about 20 cents, and this means an addition of $2.G9 a day for legislative overtime. England spcuds about $2G(-,000 a year fo- the British Parliament, tho members of which serve without salary. The German Reichstag, one branch of which represents the political divisions of the country and the other branch the voters, costs about $100,000 a year.-Belgium spends 000 for this purpose, and Greece, 5L0,-000 drachma! for its Chamber of Deputies, the equivalent of $1CO,0:0. The United Stales have ‘JO Senators and 3G0 Congressmen approximately, with an annual salary account of S2,5GO,OCO, exclusive of the expenditures for clerks secretaries, stationery, mileage and like expenses.* ^ * fin ii g*# i ~~~~ *BANDS ON THE BATTLE FIELD.Music Helps Soldiers on Clin March and I.cnds |o Victory In Baltic.The utility of music in matters pertaining to war is probbly one of the greatest forces. At the present day, in all the armies of the world, musical wur signals arc sonsidered not only useful, but absolutely* indispensable. The infantry drill regulations of many countries give the music aud significance of more than sixty trumpet sig-nals—calls of naming, of assembling, of alarm, of service and so on—besides a dozen or more drum and fife signals, all of which is a definite language to soldiers. •But its use is not merely confined to signalling, for music is used in other ways for purposes of war. Iir the way of dispelling weariness on the march, nothing is equal to the music of a brass band. Lord Wolseley has remarked that troops that sing as they inarch will not only reach their destination more quickly and in better fighting condition than those who march in silence, but, inspired by the music and words of the national song, will feel that self-confidence which is the mother of victory.”Probably savages are the most susceptible to the warlike feeling inspired by certain class music. It arouses their anger, incites their fanaticism, and by accompanying their war dances in time of pence it arouses their lust of war. For this reason it is among warlike nations that early music was most developed.The German army includes more than ten thousand military musicians. Other powerful nations on the Continent employ rather less DUinbcrs in military bands.THE PJIBBJ? SCIATICA..AIRS. PALMER, OF FENELON FALLS. -TELLS HOW SHE SUFFERED.I'onlkucii co Her Keel i«.r Week*-HerLliubt _ Became so -Vi'iuib Thai »i Kcil t£«l Iron.I'oulel be riaccil Upon tt Without HerKnowledge. •Only those who have felt tho agon- ’ iziug pains of sciatica, cun form, any -conception of the torture which tho victim undergoes.'- The case of Mrs. Job. Palmer, of Fenelon Falls, was ono of unusual obstinucy and severity,, and she makes tho following affidavit in reference lo her cure, for the good, of humanity. ”1 am 29 years of.ago and have lived in this vicinity all my lifo. I.had always enjoyed the, best of health until November, 1897, when I look a stinging p.iin in my right hip* which seemed to bo iu my vary marrow as it effected every, muscle and joint, • I kept up for several weeks although suffering the most intense pain, freely using liniments and many other. . internal and external preparations that sympathizing friends would suggest, I was thcu compelled to stay in. bed a« got so weak and run down that I . could sit up no longer. I received several courses of.medical treatment such as electric battories, poulticing, etc., but got no ease from tho excruciating pains which would shoot down through my leg into my very heel where it caused,a bursting feeling. Oflen I prayed that my heel would burst thinking this might give relief. . Tho limb at last became so numb that a hot iron could be placed upon' It without my having any knowledge of it. Tho closing or opening of a door or amyone entering or moving about in my room, seemed to inorease the . pain. For weeks'I could not move any part of my body and had to LLo tn one position ad 1 the time. .My brother was cured of rheumatism after every other remedy had failed, by taking Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills, so I thought'as a , last resort I would try them. As tho directions said that in severe cases three pills could be easily taken at a dose, I took this number three Limes a day for about a week although I got the relief Iso loiiged and prayed for in three days after taking the first dose. Then I kept on taking the pills two at a dose. Ln a week after commencing the pills I wus ablo to get out of boa and dress myself and a few weeks later . wheai I luid gained strength enough, I was able to attend to all my household duties and I-have ever since enjoyed the best of health. Friends and neighbors who were conversant with my case can also tell you of my terrible suffering and the remarkablo cure effected bv Dr. Williams' Pink Pills.” ' MRS. SUSIE PALMER. . Taken and declared before me at Fenelon Falls, in the County of Victoria, this 11th day of May, A. D. 1898.. JAMES DICKSON). J. P.SPECIAL RATES, you make specialTHE NEW PARASOLS.N . • » . * I • • rf! . • . A • .The new parasols are very attractive in their varied combinations aud degrees oi • fluffiuess, even though their period of usefulness has not yet come ; and here, as in every other department 01 dress, the polka dot flourishes in all sizes. Silk parusols of all tints areu spotted over with white, but ihe most stunning thing or. all is the wnilu silk ei'cu Witn biacK velvet moons. .Oi’uauatud rows oi Uluck vei-. ot i-jubou inm auiuc oi the new t*uu-ahuuos,' and quite the newest thing of all.-is the scalloped cugc liuished with a ruche oi the same suk. Tn© rucbiug is very narrow and three rows are.10 uouai number, put on. wiui op-bcs between. Lace insertions and, frills are, also used lor trimming, and tho same tittle cords und tucks seen lust season are set in from tho tip to the eugo oi the. plain sunshades.•Most ol ihe uressy parasols have some1 trimming ot white or black or both. Black chiffou parusols made over a color, violet, for example, aud trimmed with bunches of violots caugnt in ehafou rosettes, are among the. many styles in sight. White chiffon and lace parasols are an indescribable succession of puffs, shirrs and frills, most' beautiful to. look upon, and are trimmed with clusters oi llowers or ribbon rosette . bows. One variety .is ih.rroi in lucks, all over, und each tuck is headed by a frill of narrow laco edg-. ing. . Moire silk parasols iu the light colors are especially pretty and are made quite plain. There are brocadod silk parasols, Loo, and all sorts and conditions ol handles, the natural wood slick beiug tho prevailing style. Colored silk parasols covered with chif-. fon decorated with applique laco are another pretty novelty for the few who can afford an assortment in this urticle of dress.PATRON OF THE POOR.The Princ- of Wales has a daughter, Princess Victoria who shares few of the ideas current in court circles. She hates high society, finding nothing there but deceit and hypocrisy. Her faiher. excuses these ideas as eccentricities, saying that she is nevertheless a good woman, aud ut times even a grear woman. She has a faculty for uttering some rather harsh truths in tho family circle.Lately in the course of ono of her visits among the unfortunate, tho Princess found in a wretched lodging in Sovcn Dials a whole family almost starved to death. Their faces wcro drawn with famine, the bodies scarcely were able to stand. Aftor sho bad given them some food sho had thorn photographed, and thcu presented hcrsolf before her father with this telling testimony. All she said to him was:—'We are responsible for all this suffering. We are the ones who ought to cure the evil.- There is somethingDo you make special rates lb bridal parties? asked I lie innocent-looking bridegroom. Yes. replied the I bad in your realm.” honest hotel clerk. We always! The reply of the Prince of Wales bancharge 'em double rates. • I not been reported.
Newspaper Details
Sandon Mining Review
Sandon, British Columbia, CA
Sat, Jun 10, 1899
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Rene A.
USA 24 Jan 2019
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