The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 10, 1897, Page 1

The (,, VOLUME LXO SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY —— MORNING, OCTOBER 10, 1897—THIRTY-TWO PAGES. PRICE FIVE CENTS. FLEE FROM STARVATION AND DEATH Only to Meet Their Doom Amid the Snow and the Ice. »TONS OF GOLD IN SIGHT ON THE KLONDIKE. R Hundreds of Miners With Insufficient Sup- plies Have Started From Dawson to the Coast to Die by the. Way. JUNEAT, Ara Oct. 4 (b; steamship | hereturned to Juneau with several Rosalie to Seatile, Oct. 9).—The greatest Btory ever told of the Klondike has not dge J. F. Malony of Mizner of Benicia, Ci istrong of Juneau, Patrick | Gaivin and wife of Ireland and Montana, ch of D uglas, Charles Thebo of George Bounds and wife of Ta- sh., and Henry Romaine of Ju- this afternoon from ined to strict news ac- they use in their na iness of ved here 5 rauves of the r corroborates to the fullest extent all the t have ever come out from that 1l country. Heads thathuve been cool before are geiting nervous now. Malony is an attorney at Juneau. that not one-fifth of the gold that is now practically in sight has come out of the wonderland. Judge Malony said be wou!d not state for publication what be really thought would be the output in solid gold of the Klondike next year. So many large stories, which appeared to be 2imost beyond belief, of the gold-pro- ¥ ducing capebilit of the country, had been sent bica icast over the world thar he was loath to make a prediction of what he really thought would be the amount of gold that would come out of tie region. Being asked for an estimate, the Judge said he thought at least $25,000,000 would be the lowest output next year. Charles Thebo told me this afternoon he thoughnt at i 250 tons, amounting to about $130,000,000, would be shipped from the Klondike next vear. Pat Galvin, in the next breath, saia he | thought 300 tons of gold would not exceed the estimate. Mr. Galvin has recently sold an interest in Claim 35, above Bo- nanza, for §100,000. He has as muchin glittering twenties as he can carry with- out making him tired, and Mrs. Galvin has hidden away in the mysterious loca- tion of a woman’s pockets 2« much more. The remainder is in the custody of Wells, Fargo & Co. Mr. Galv second largest nugzet that has ever been “found in the Kiondike. It is shaped like an oyster and weighs $378. Mr. Galvin 8ays he will have a breasiplate made of 1t when he gets k to the old coun- try, where he considers a breastplate of gold would be sa‘e, notwithstanding the short potato crop. Mr. Galvin went into the Yukon bani- ing his wife on a sled three years ago. He did not have enough money when he got there to buy a ham at sample prices. To- F:xy he has $100,000 in his insiae pocket, and aninterest in 1wo other better ciaims, one on the El Dorado and another on Bonanza. He said this afternoon be was going to spend the winter, and not enough potatoes in e people he will buy ie money in his pos- Ireland to feea them if it takes all 3 session. Several years ago when Mr. Galvin, who L is a typical Irishman, was possessed of a Fpolitical ambition to be City Marshal of " Helena, Mont., a humble reporter named S Martin Hutchins, who is now said to be Swater-front for a New York paper, was able todo bim a personal service, This, = Mr. Gaivin says, e would never forget. $On nis lying trip to Cork he is going to % pause long enough in New York to hunt up Mr. Hutchins and swake him for a hib- bread cast upon the waters years ago. ; The party came out over the Dalton trail and the Chilkat Pass. They left Dawson City Augast 29 and chartered a small stesmer, whict brought them to the mouth of the Pelley River,where they took the trail. The two women are t e first who have ever come over.the Dalton traii, ‘When they got into Juneau this afternoon their balioon sleeves, perforated by thorns and brambles, had sadly collapsed anc their entire dress was tattered and torn. But the glowing health visible 1n the faces of these women, who had n broucht out with him the | the Klondike | | | | out as an average for ex tramped over 400 miles of mountains to Juneau, was | marvelous. If theirsisters of San Fran- cisco, Chicago and New York could sze the «ffect of regular exercise and plain jood upon the health they woula discard orever their hot baths and pink wrappers nd get out and tramp in the snow. Mrs. Bounds said she never had on the “'irail less of what she wanted to eat in her life, but at the same time her health was never better. She said the felt like one new born. Judge Malony tells a story of Skookum Creek, a small stream which rolls througn the bottom of a gulch branching from El Dorado, where he sawa man who had a lay on a claim shov |l out in twelve hours goid dust and ruzcets of tbe value of $21,000. The Judge was fortunate enough to buy a small izierest in this claim and buck- skin bags full to the neck with as fine samples of dust and nuggets as has been brought out of the Klondike. These nug- gets vary in size from the lid of an ink- | stana 10 a lima bean and thence down to tlake gold. Had these sumples been picked hibition, no better choice could have been made. The Judge says Henry Bratnober, confidential agent of the Rothschilds, and also said to be au- thorizea to negotiate for the London Ex- ploration Company, made an opening pu e or two for his people in the Kion- dike, Mr. Brataober told bim that the Klon- dike is the greatest placer camp the world has ever known. Mr. Bounds owns an interest in No.3 Eil Dorado. Hesays he would not take $50,000 for his interest. He was the first man who ever took fresh beef into the Yukon and he ot from 50 cents to $1 per pound nearly a year ago for steaks. To- day at Dawson fresh steaks, bones, gristle iair, hide and ail bring $250 per pound. He met the Thorp cattle train ten days ago on tbe Dalton trail and he did not think they would be able to get through to Dawson with the cattle. Oun the ridges on the Dalton trail the | varty ran faceinto furious snow storms, and in the valley the smow has already setiled to a depth of from one to two feet. As many people are leaving Dawson can possibly get away. They are goinz down the Yukon to St. Michael, but more are coming over the inland trails to Juneau. From the mouth of the Pelly River the party had several horses to assist them to tide water. Along the route they passed at least 150 naif-starved, unfortunate men struggling 10 escape from starvation 1o the plenty that abounds on the coast. Itis their opinion that many of these fugitives from famine will fall by the wayside and heir bones be bleached by the snows. Every day disappointed Klondikers are leaving Dawson for the coast, with only about half enough pro- visions to last them through, depending for the other balf of their necessary sup- plies upon their guns and fishing tackle. Judge Maloney says that as great suffer- ing threatens in Dawson City from in- ~ufficient housing as from shortage of provisions. The demand for lumbar greatly exceeds the supply, the hills around Dawson hav- ing been denuded for miles of all avail- able timber, and it is impossible for all the people who have money enough to get lumber to build cabins for the winter. Even a tenderfootin the States can im- agine what comfort or safety there may be in passing a winter in a tent with the mercury skylarking in the tube back and torth from 40 to 60 degrees below zero. Every man of the varty who came out this afternoon said that there would be great and prolonged suffering from hun- ger if not actual starvation in Dawson City this winter. The Canadian mining laws are very un- satisfactory to the Klondikers. The gen- eral opinion is that the assessment of | from 10 to 20 per cent upon the output of small and large claims respectively is ex- orbitant. If the Government insists upon exacting this percentage it may lose more money than if it decreased the assessment 50 per cent, for the simple reason that it is a difficult matter for the Government or any body else to keep tab upon the actual | output of any claim. Seral amount of money in return for the | Flour is selling to-day at Dawson City for $15 per hundred pounds, kerosene $12 per case, ezgs $1 50 each, potatoes $1 per pound, condensed milk $1 per can and other provisions in like proportion when they are for sale. The usual method now at Dawson when one buys a thing is not to ask the price, but to pick it out, toss over a buckskin sack of dust and let the storekeeper take out as much of it as he wauts to. The new discoveries are panuing out well. Victoria Creek hoids up as well as, Bonanza so far as prospected. The latest discovery is Handerson Creek, seventy miles up the river from Dawson. This gulch bas been prospected irom ihe bed of the stream to the moun- 1&in tops on eaclh side as far as the sum- mit. No pan bas been taken out which has shown less than 19 cents, and some pans go $70. One year ago Alex McDonald, an ola Yu- kon prospector, had not enough money to pay Mr. Bounds for a little fresh meat whick he purchased. To-day Mr. McDonald is the richest man on the Klondike, being worth anywhere from $2,000,000 to $5,000,- 000, and the surface of half of his ground has not been scratched. Asa matter of fact Mr. McD nald does not know whether he is worth $5,000,000 or $20,000,000, He will not know until the clean-up comes a year or two from now. No man who has 7 7 % 2 N W = \\\: S [ \ 73 |[HON. JAMES A. GARY, POSTMASTER-GENERAL. Kiondike to-day is able to tell how much it will produce. X William Gates, otherwise known as “‘Swift-water Bill,” has reveled in riches and chased the phantom of complete de- | sire for nearly a year. This last party brings oui the news that the notea sill has gone broke. He became attached to ayoung woman from Junean, who got | | much of his money and the rest of the | | $250,000 Bill raked out of his claim went | to a faro bank. He has ‘now lost both his | sweetheartand his gold and will soon bave to start out of Dawson with a pack wupon bis back in searck of more claims to con- | quer. | Faro is the leading sport in Dawson when the lights are Iit. The oniy limit is the roof. Several of the party that came out this afterncen have seen a square foot of buckskin bags filled with gold dust stacked on a single card. For four days a frightful storm has been raging in Lynn canal. The steam- | ships Rosalie and Willamette have basen | iying under cover of the harbor and | promontory at Haines Mission, the salt- | water terminus of the Chiikat trail, for two days and nights. BEach lost an | anchor. Several small steamers have been blown against the reefs of the mountain walls and had holes knocked in their huils, and | they lie where they struck, likely to goto | pleces at any moment. This is the first real nor’ wester that has swep: the canal. Neither the Rosalie nor Willamette, the latter the biggest ship that ever ceme to Alaska, were able to land a passenger or a pound of freight for three days. Both put back from Dyea Inlet for sea room. The storm. is also driving many Kiondikers to the coast who had intended to winter on the trails. Board cabins will not keep out the wind or coid, and scores have founa within the last few days that tents as a protection are a gauzy dream. HaL HorrMax. RUSHING IN LIGHT TO PELLEY RIVER. Miners Take the Chance of Death in the Snow to Follow the Gleam of Gold. JUNKEAU, Araska, Oct. 3 (by steamship Rosalie to Seattle, Oct. 9.)—Recently the number of Klondikers arriving on incom- ing ships and the number leaving Skaguay and Dyea for the winter is about equal. The steamer Rustler, plying be- tween here and the Lynn Canal towns, had on her down trip applications for 150 more passengers than she could carry, even in these days of excessive and dan- gerous loading of steamships. The snow is from one to two and & half feet deep on the trails and has evidently come to stay for the winter. A bad spell of weather is driving the Yukoners off the trail and out of Skaguay like cattle to cover. The new comers ure heedless of advice as were the crowds that poured in last July, August and September. They think a job is being put up on them, and when told that they cannot get to Dawson and are risking their lives in attempting it at this time of year, they wink among'them- selves and suy *‘you can’t fool us.” There is dysentery among the campers at th lakes. E The next overiand party from Dawson will be headed by Jack Dalton. The party will come over the Dalton trail and Chil- kat Pass, and is expected here about Oc- tober 15. 1t ought 10 bring definite news of whetler the steamers got up the Yu- kon River or not, and other information as to the latest condition of things in Dawson. Itissaid that the Bkaguay and White Pass trail may prove to be a good one for winter, There is much drunkenness among the Indians on the Dyea trail, notwithstand- ing the fuct that liquor sells at 50 cents a drink. It is not uncommon at Sheep Camp tosee Indian women and children staggering among the trees and in their c'mp, with white men laughing at them. They how), screzch or weep when full of the vile whisky that is sold in the camp. A Frenchman who had been lucky [ | [ | a claim or an interest in a claim in the | enough to anchor his gold beneath a rock the night before the recent ficod found it intact where he had placed it. A new discovery of gold has teen made on Pelley River. Mr. Boyleson, a store- keeper at Sheep Camp, has received a let- ter from his brother, via Lake Linderman, | saying be had struck a rich placer on Pelley near its junction with the McMillan River. He wrote his brother: *“Drop evervthing and come right away if not too late in the season. I am dazzled with the goid. One pan turned me $825, and I am down only ten feet.”” Mr, Boyleson dropped everything and went. He ciosed his tent stofe ana started in *light” for the Pelley River. 1i the diggings continue to pan out as well as the first claim another ‘Klondike has been struck. Gold bas always been found on the bars of the Pelley, but not in such richness as Boyleson reports. Beyona the letfer it is not known how much cre- dence may be placed in this report. A number of others followed Boyleson in also with insufficient supplies, and they may die fro:a starvation. Among these was a Captain Hall, who was pack- ing his goods from the mouth of Dyea Canyon to the Scales. He sold his tent and the bulk of his provisions for a pit- tance and started for the lakes, hoping to buy a boat ana supplies. Parties at the lakes who have boats are selling seats in them at from $150 to $500 and taking as much less provisions as the new passen- gers weigh. One reason for this is that it 1s believed the Government will send help intq the Yukon before the winter is over. . Men' on both trails are removing the shoes .from dead horses so as to sell them next summer. There has been a scarcity of horseshoes and nails on the trails, At the lakes several well-known miners have fitted up, cabins and will winter, at the sarne time devoting all their attention lo prospecting the various creeks and rivers. Already in many instances good colors have been panned out. The belief among some is that rich placers will be unearthed in the neighborhood of the lakes. A remarkably rich free-milling quartz reef was discovered by W. H. Harris while prospecting at Lake Bennett. Harris was connected with the Colonel Ward party, and leit it when it was decided togo by way of Dyea. Immediately on striking this immensely rich reef Mr. Harris re- turned to tne United States to get parties interested in his find. The gold is plainly visible, and Mr. Harris considers he has + Klondike without going into the Klon- dike. The ledge has been traced for sev- eral miles. A mail will leave here to-morrow for Forty-mile and Circle City, but no regu- tar mail will go to Dawson, though the csrrier mav jtake a few letters and drop them at Daws<on. HAL HoFFMAN. DR, STONE'S REASON HAS BEEN SHATTERED Chief Surgeon of the Training- Ship Adams Becomes Insane. special Dispatch i0 THE CA1L SAN DIBGO. CaL., Oct. 9.—The follow- ingitm appeareiin this evening’s papers: Dr.' L. H. Stone, chief surgeon of the United States Iulnlng-sh:E Adams, left this aiternoon incharge of Chiel Engineer W. A. Day for Mare 1sland Hospital. where he will be given medi- ¢al treatment. Such is the guarded statement given out by Cavtain Gibson of the Adams. Un- fortunately the fact is, however, that Sur- geon Stone’s mind has finally collapsed after weeks of suffering from nervous prosiration, and that e is to-day at least temporarily insane. For days past the officer« aboard the Adams have watched their doctor, who was seen to be in a pre- carious condition mentally as well as physically. After the ship left this port last Satur- day he giew rapidly worse, and although everything passible was done for .im, it was :een ihat thevessel must return to port. Phys cians who heve seen Dr. Stone say nis delicate puysique will scarcely hold out long. The Adams will sail for Magdalena Bay on Octocer 18. o o | | BATTLED WITH TWO BURGLARS A Desperate Encounter in a Santa Rosa Residence. Assistant District Attorney Seawell Puts Theories to Flight. Four Bullets Plerce His Overcoat, but He Escaped Without a Wound. Special Dispatch to THE CALL, SANTA ROSA, CAv., Oct. 9.—Assistant District Attorney Emmett Seawell fought a desperate battle with two burglars in his. residence in this city to-night. A dozen shots were fired by the official and the marauders at close ranze, and that Seawell escaped alive is remarkable, for iour bullets -from the revolvers of the burglars pierced the overcoat he was wear- ing without even drawing blooa from his person. Seawell believes that he wounded one of the robvers in the scrimmage. The District Atiorney and his wife left their home eariy this evening to attend a band concert downtown, They returned ataboutr 9:30 o’clock. As Seawell entered the front-door of his residence he observed a light 1 one of the rooms, and went for- ward to”investigate. Suddenly he was conironted by two burglars, who at once opened fire upon him. Seawell made his way to a dresser in which he had a re- volver, and, outaining the weapon, re- turned the fire of his assailants. ‘The distance that separated him from the robbers was not over five teet. When they had emptied their revolyvers at him and he had sent three bullets in return, the intruders turned to flee. In their haste they plunged throngh plate-glass windows and dasbed off in the darkness, taking their booty with them. The shooting attracted passers-by to the scene. The District Attorney was found to be uninjured, though his over- coat had been punctured in four places. In the wall back of where the burglars had stood during the combat two bullets tired by Seawell were found lodged, but the third could not be located, and this fact bears out the District Attorney in the belief that one of the intruders carried the lead away-in his body. 5 Before ti.e return of Mr. and Mrs. Sea- well the thieves had ransacked the house thoroughly, taking corsiderable jeweiry, a few dollars in cash and a check for §45, payment on which has been stopped. They were none too careful in their search, and seem to have taken plessure in destroying everything they could not make use of. Early in the evening tbe two burglars were seen prowling around in the vicinity of the Seawell home by the District At torney’s sister-in-law and sister. They were both young men, but they demon- strated in the affair that followed lnter that they were desperate criminals who'| would stop at notbing to avoia apprehen- sion. An hour or two before the robbery of the Seawell residence a man named Green GARY TELLS THE COUNTRY HOW TO SAVE General on PLAIN PEOMLE Patriotism Will Lead Be Devised ek ek ok e kdok ok Rk ke ek okok It is, or shmllt-l be, an apho money. wealthy. of the day, *“The Call” this m idess of Postmaster-General esting of all topics to the poor headed, and most practical. PRI RANNANNRL LN WASHINGTON, D. G, Oct. 9.—Pur-¢ suant to your instructions I saw Postmas- | ter-General Gary at the department to-| day and asked him to expresa, through Tue CALL, his views on the proposition to establish postal savingsbanks. Lhe Post- master-General is personally one of the most popular members of the Cabinet. Especially is he populai with the news- payer correspondents of Washington. He is always “‘at home’ and willing to assist them in any way. L'ke the Secretary f)! Agriculture, be 's the least bit eccentric in his manner. When his views were re- quested, he asked, abruptly: “How much money have you got 1n your pocket 7’ y "U:.y five or six dollars, and I need that,” discreetly repled the newspaper interviewer. +Oh, I don’t want to borrow it,” said he, which raised a laugh at the expense of the correspondent. : “The sum of money you have in your pocket represents the amount held by each individual (man, woman and child; in this great republic, so you can see fl:‘l| as far as money in the hand or pocket goes, you are a pretty respectable repre- sentative of the average goud citizen, and the average good citizens are the bulwarks of the nation.” The Postmaster-General, to illustrate his text (for it was evident he intended to preach & sermon), here recited the lollow- ing lines from the “Deserted Village'’: Princess and lords may flourish or may fade, A breath can make them, asa breath has made; But a bold peasantry, their country’s pride When once destroved. cannevir be supplied. Ye friends to truth, ye statesmen who survey The rich man’s joys increase, the poor's decay, | ’Tis yours to judge, how wide the limits stand Between a splendid and a happy land. “Now,” continued Mr. Gary, “'of course, when I say ‘bold peasantry’ I am merely taking a poetical license. I mean the pro- ducers, the laboring classes and ail of the plain people in the walks of every occupa- tion. Each man, woman and child in the United States has, on an average, about $5in his possession. There are, I believe, about seventy millions of people in this country. “Therafore, there is scattered among the people ahout $350 000,000. It is not locked up in the banks, it is not invested in real estate or in any business enterprise, but it is loose among the people. An old woman may bave a few dollars tied up in the corner of a stocking; an honest old farmer may have a few hundred hid in the rafters of his barn or in tomato-cans under the floor ot his dwelling. *“Now, why not establish a secure place for their savings? Many an old farmer who is afraid to put his money in the bank would willingly intrust it to Unele Sam, for your average farmer and plain citizen is patriotic and has confidence in his Gov- ernment. They would be perfectly con- tent with depositing their savings in a se- cure place and with receiving a small rate of interest. The individual who daily or yearly lays by some of Lis earnings makes a better and a more contented citizen tuan he who is improvident. Soon he will be able to build & little home. The cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore are striking examp es of what the building and Joan associations have accomplished in this Line, “The man who owns a home will pro- ek ek e Aok e e e e ek ook Aok ok was held up and robbed on the Main- street bridge by two thugs, who are be- lieved to have been the ones whom Sea- well aiterward encountered. It appears that the robbers were deter- mined to murder Seawell before they escaped from his residence. When they dashea out of the room in which the shooting had taken place they waylaid tect it with his life. He is a foetoan- archy. With the millions of savings of the plain people safelv invested with the Government there would be no more bond issues, no more anarchy. Where would Bryanism be then? ‘Not a tooth in its skull to mock its own grinning.”*’ Mr. Gary bere entered upon a more serious diccussion of the details of the him again in a bail and fired point blank upon him. Luckily the partial darkness made Lheir aim uncertain and again their Lnle;ded vigtim escaped death at their ands, proposed system. “‘There are a number of problems in connection with the sub- ject that are not to be easily solved, but I hope within the next few weeks to have worked ocut the details of a sysiem that It is the man who knows how to save it that grows The great mass does not know how to save, and the great mass do:s not even achieve the stage of prosperity usually comprehended in theterm “well off.” of postalsavings banks it is proposed by those who advocate it to teach the people the lesson of elem:ntary economy, the saving of the small coins, and in pursuance of its plan of se~ curing the views of the most eminent men on questions As a business man, speaking for a business administra- tion, it will be observed that Mr. Gary is thoughtful, clear- Talk With the Postmaster- the Postal Savings Banks. THE: HOPE: @F THE NATION. Them to Trust the Government if a Feasible Plan Can Handle to Their Money. Jok ok kodek ko drdedokekokok dokdeokok rism that anybody can make In the scheme norning give:s its readers the Gary upon this most inter~ man. O NN R N MO N N RN X R e e S S S S S 2 e will be practicable and promise satistae tory results. “They have a beantiful system in Can- ada, and the postal savings banks of Eng- land have been <uccessful ever since they were first establisbed. I do not believe, bowever, that either system could be adopted outright in this country because of the different conditions existing here. “I would like 1o make the system so per- fect that a small boy who wanted to avail himself of its advantages could deposit nis nickel and so that all classes of people to whom the system might be beneficial could make use of it. As a general out- live of the plan, I think tne Government sbould accept tne deposits and invest the money in safe and reliable interest-bear- ing securities. This wouid enable the de- partment to pay interest upon all deposits at the rate of at least 2 per cent per an- num and leave possibly a surplus for operating expenses. “Itisin this connection thatone of the chief problems arises. For severai years to come it would be easy to invest the money deposited with the department in Government bonds, a form of security in which there is no risk and the interest payments are assured, Butit is generally believed that in the course of time the na- tional debt will have been paid and there will be no Goveramen: bon s upon the market. Then the question wouid arise in what form of securities could the money be invested without risk and so ss to secure an assured income? The system must depend 10 8 very great extent for its success upon the ability of the Postmaster- General to invest the money intrusted to NEW TO-DAY. 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