GREAT STORE OF GOLD
The following story, taken from the Nome Gold Digger of Sept. 7, doubtless relates to
G. W. Williams, of whom Cuptnin Newcomb of the steamer Hannah spoke when that boat
reached herefrom St. Michael Aug. 29. Whether Mr. Williams had made important gold
discoveries or not, he had evidently undergone an unusual experience beyond the border
land of civilization, and Cuptain Newcomb was impressed by his inteution to return to the
sceue of his explorations next year.
Captain West of the steamer Corwin
says that when he was at St. Michael a
few (lavs ago he learned that a prospec
tor had come there in an open boat with
six hundred pounds of golddust, valued
at nearly $150,000. He shipp'd the gold
to the outside on the Pennsylvania,
and stated his intention of going to the
states for the puri>ose of putting his
friends on to the location of his wonder
ful discovery.
Captain West was unable to learn the
man’s name, but says that he is about
00 years old, and was formerly a farmer
in Wyoming, where he owns the ranch
that adjoins the property of President
Roosevelt in that state. The prosj>ector
stated that lie had lieen four years in
the section of the country, with two
other men taking in two years’ supply
on pack horses. The others hacked out
at the first fall of snow and returned to
the coast, and went to the outside. He
remained in the country for a jieriod of
four years. Captain West says that the
man had no knowledge of the Russo
Japanese war, and did not even know
who had been elected president of the
United States at the last election. He j
bought up all the old papers and maga
zines on the island for the purpose of J
reading up on current events while on
his way to the states. He positively re
fused to give the least clue that would
lead to the location of his discovery.
IS IT MARSH’S STAMPEDE?
It has been suspected by at least a few people in this district that Samuel J. Marsh ;s
in some way connected with the Chandlur stampede. He is reputed to be a geologist of
some ability, and through private letters and the public press has been instrumental in
directing attention to the country north of the Yukon, especially the Arctic slope. Not
long ago he was named as United States commissioner for a new district established in the
northern region, but so far as known he has not qualified for the position or named the
place where his official headquarters will be. The following from the Northern Light, a
bright little Fairbanks paper, indicates that Mr. Marsh is thought of in connection with the
strike by people there also.
The strike on the Chandlar river will '
probably be traced to the prospecting j
done by f>. J. Marsh, who took a large
party in there this summer.
He is a well-known civil engineer, and
is interested with New York parties who
sent fo,000 worth of supplies around
Bering Sea to Hersohel Island, with the
government relief expedition to the
whalers this summer.
Marsh left Fort Yukon March 2ti, this
year, to establish his first camp at the
head of one of the branches of the
Chandlar river. He intended to pros*
jiect the ground as he went along, and
locate at the most favorable point, draw
ing on the supplies at Herschel Island
when needed.
Extracts taken from his letter, written
at Fort Yukon and received by Major
Cltim, state:
‘‘I have heard here from a reliable
source that a strike has lieen made on
the Coleen river, a tributary of the Por
cupine. This has somewhat changed
my route, as I find that I can get a fair
trail up the Salmon, so have decided to
go up the Porcupine al>out !)5 miles ami
cross hy an Indian trail to the Salmon,
thence up that stream to its head, where
we shall probably make headquarters
for the summer. This will give us a
chance to find out about the reported
strike and do some prospecting around
the heads of all of the important streams
and also lie very close to the point I par
ticularly want to reach.”
lie adds that he has a splendid outfit
and that his men are good workers and
following his orders without question.
He says he was writing Judge Wicker
sham to have the line of the new dis
trict extended south to Rampart House,
thence west to the intersection of the
Koyukuk district.
Mr. Marsh has been in the district
before and found prospects which made
him confident enough gold will la* found
to establish another commercial empire
and gold camp north of the Yukon, and
his present expedition is for that pur
’s >ee.
COARSE GOLD FOUND ON THE CHATANIKA FLATS
Northern t.iirH*. 22.
Cn«r*e |M>y lia* la-en fou ml on tin
I'liutaniku Hill'* mnir tli»lanee lirlow the
in.mill •>( (Vary rreek. Soiiietliiint like
taken Iroiu Teetotaler creek, a
•mull .Ira* ••priiintf on the ITiatanikn
river, ».»■* i|i |*>i*iii>l lit Al lliltv a* 11*»
IVa*hinKt"n .\lii*ka Iwnh thi* »rrk
The a»my* at a very hitfh value,
ami i* |.n»* tn ally the name a* that taken
Ir..in t'leary, Ikwie ami Vault. «li..«iii(
tli.it tin- K<>l<t ill tlifM- faint* fri.Mi
the Mim< .. I*nl**.
It in milt'll ntirwr than tin* avrratn*
K<>l<l taki'ii lr.mi tin- i-xtrvmr Inwrr |«irt
>*f I'lmirv iTi t k. ami rarrira mil the hr*
In I that the main llnlljr |4iy«trpak
|in>liahljr rmun lnni lliri fart hr r ilnan
thr Chataiiika ritrr,
tkul |m> h al«i f*-|»irtnl intln' l.nrlla
•Iraw. BpMiiiin mi IIw t'halanika Itala
Miners’ Rights
Before Discovery
An interesting case was before the
court at Fairbanks Sept. 18, which very
fully sets fortli the rights of prospectors
on ground upon which no discovery has
been made and, consequently, to which
nothing beyond a possessory right has
been acquired under the law.
The evidence showed that Thomas
Cale and several partners located the
“Red Dog” association claim on Wild
cat creek. On March 14 they began to
sink, and becoming convinced that it
was worth while, it was agreed between
the partners that Cale would put the
hole to bedrock. He worked the 15th
anil, went away to procure blankets and
tools. On the 16th Hansen and part
ners staked the “Try Again” association
claim, which covered in whole or in part
the Red Dog claim. Cale returned and
found Hansen had staked over him.
Hansen had gone away for supplies, and
when he returned Cale warned him
away. Hansen continued to work on
the ground and Cale et al. brought suit
to have him ejected.
At the close of the testimony the at
torney for Hansen et al. moved that the
court instruct the jury to return a ver
dict in favor of defendants niton the
grounds that the ground in question at
the time of defendants’ location thereof
was vacant, unoccupied and unsegre
gated government land, and also that
the defendants bad made the first dis
covery oi goiu mereon.
In ruling on tlie defendants’ motion
court held, in effect, that if a qualified
locator shall mark the boundaries of a
claim so that the same may be readily
traced, and shall record his notice of
location within ninety days, and shall
enter into the actual possession of the
claim for the purpose of making a dis
covery of mineral thereon, so long as he
remains in the actual possession of the
claim and is engaged in good faith in
the labor of making a discovery, he is
entitled to the protection of the law.
Further, the eouit said:
“Possession of a mining claim must
lie considered from the stand]siint of
the character of the land and from the
standpoint of the man who alleges |his
session. Mining ground is not like a
homestead. It does not have to 1h>
fenced, and it is not necessary to have a
house on it, nor is it necessary to raise
crops or anything of that kind. A
miner may acquire possession of a
piece of mining ground and never
stay on it one night, ami never have
anything like a habitation U|s>n it. He
acquires his |*>**cssion by complying
with the mining law; bv staking and
recording, and digging holes ior the
pur|sise of discovering gold. Ami so
long as he complies with the spirit of
the mining law and d<s's those things
which the mining lawr . . . require*, In
is in possession. Sow, if it is true that
these plaintiffs were >-n this pr-qa-rty
ami etigngi-d in lats-r thereon on the
1 tth and |Ath days “I March, after hav
ing previously stake-1 ami recorded the
ground, amt that they then entered into
an agree me ut among themselves as to
The
Miners Store
Just received a full and complete
line of
Men’s Furnishing
Goods.
SPECIALTIES:
Underwear,
Overshirts,
Socks
Also a complete line of
Groceries,
Egrgrs,
and
Potatoes
Onions
Mike Engels
(Sourdough Mike)
FREIGHTING
and PACKING
To all the Creeks
(Apr Uftl I one of those people whoV
AllL I UU seldom write home? \
They will know you are all right if you I
send them the YUKON VALLEY NEWS. I
Mail yours or let us send one weekly. /
MEETING.
Masonic Association.
The Association will meet at my office
Saturday evening, Oet. 6. All mem
bers should l>e present. Business of
importance. .1. H. HUDGIN, Pres.
how the ground should be worked and
pros|>ected, and that one of their num
ber who was to do this work ami pros
pecting went away after his tools in
good faith, and came back and went to
work, then it seems to me that there is
sufficient evidence at least to go to the
jury to determine whether or not he
was in possession. If all those facts
were admitted, I should Ik* inclined to
say that that was possession.”
The jury found for Cale et al. It is
said an apjieal will be taken.
NEW ROADHOUSE
ABOUT COMPLETED
Tiie new roadhouse at Eureka has
been erected and w ill Is- ready for urea
limey about the end of the present
Week.
It is a handsome two-story building,
similar in dimensions and ap|>caraiice
to the ltani|*trt poatoffiee. Jerry Kuril
is seeing after the finishing work in
person. _
The tiakona cut-off. on the np|>er
T.inana. which will shorten hy 2(10 miles
tlie trlegr.tph line between here ami
\ aides, can not be completed Iwfore
nest summer.