THE DOUGLAS MINER
Volume I )
Number 9. f
DOUGLAS, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 21, 1896.
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OUT FROM THE YUKON
A PARTY OF THREE RETURN
FROivi birch creek
Fatal Shooting at Circle City—
Exeitement at Fo**ty JVlile —
HerJU Diseoveries
W. B. Fee, John Sullivan and Joseph
Bus arrived at Juneau on Sunday morning
from the Birch creek diggings. The party
left Circle City about September ist on
the steamer Alice which took them up the
Yukon river as far as Joe Ladue’s post.
From there on the journey out was made
by “poleing and walking. Mr. Fee is one
of the best known miners and prospectors
in Alaska. For several years he mined
and prospected in this neighborhood. He
started for the Yukon country in the spring
of ’93, and has discovered some of the best
paying creeks in the Birch creek diggings
—Deadwood, Independence and The Pup,
the latter stream is a tributary to Dead
wood. Mr. Fee was seen last evening by
a representative of this journal and from
him much news of both local and general
importance was obtained.
About the ist of August Chromister’s
saloon was the scene of a fatal shooting
affray, in which a man named Washborn
was instantly killed. The shooting was
done in self defense, by Jim Chromeister,
and he was subsequently acquitted of the
charge of murder by the miners’ meeting
which was held to try him.
It appears that for several days previous
to the shooting Washborn, who was well
known about Juneau as the big shoemak
er, had made threats against the life of
Chromeister, and on one occasion he vis
ited the local officers and tried to obtain per
mitsion from them to kill the saloon keep
er. This permission was denied him and
he was told at the same time to mind his
own business or that he would ultimately
get into trouble with Chromeister. The
warning proved to be without avail, and
on the day of the shooting Washborn vis
ited Chromeister’s saloon for the express
ed purpose of looking for trouble. He
armed himself with a revolver and entered
the saloon and seated himself at a table
and at once commenced to pour a tirade of
abuse upon the saloon keeper. Chronfster
was unarmed at the time, but one of his
friends stepped up behind him and slipped
a revolver into his hand. Washburn was
just in the act of reaching behind him fora
gun when Chromeister fired. The ball
struck the big shoemaker in tha inside cor
ner of the right rye and he dropped from
the chair without again speaking.
Jim Chromeister is also well known
about this city and Juneau. He was for
merly employed asa teamster by the Now
ell company. He has a reputaticn of being
a quiet, well behaved young fellow, while
Wash born was of a quarrelsome dis
position.
No other deaths have occurred lately
either at Birch creek or Circle City. Every
one is seemingly enjoying very good
health.
The mining season in the Berch creek
district has this year been quite short
owing to the late start occassioned by high
water in the creeks. Very little mining
was done upon any of the creeks before the
25th of June. The dams and sluices were
washed out on two occassions previous to
that time upon both Mastjdon and Dead
wood creeks.
There has probably been 1200 or 1500 peo
ple at the mines of the Birch creek district
during the past season. Some of these
will spend the winter season at the “dig
gings” engaged in “drifting” and whip
sawing lumber; others will stop at Circle
City, and still others will come out of the
country, prefering to spend the winter in a
milder climate. Most of the people who
come out from the interior will, however,
go by way of St. Michaels.
The ground owned by John Howard on
Deadwood creek is probably the richest
yet found in the Yukon. The claim is No.
19. It is about three cuts wide (48 feet).
The ground has so far averaged from 5
to 11 ounces per day to the man. The
pay streak is from two to four feet wide
and is located about seven feet below the
surface. Howard had twenty-live men em
ployed for a short time during the season,
and he probably cleaned up in the neigh
borhood of $25,000, besides paying work
ing expenses.
Another exceptionally good claim on
Deadwood creek is the one in which a half
interest was this season sold by Jim Chis
holm to Chris Harrington. Harrington
paid $6000 for his share in the claim, and
after making the first clean-up of three
strings of boxes, the result of about twelve
days work, his clean-up amounted to a little
more than he had paid out for his share in
the property.
Pat Connally and Jack McGregor will
probably work some of the ground along
Mammoth creek next season by the hy
draulic paocess. The claims along Mam
moth creek have been divided off into
twenty acre sections. Only a few of the
claims have been re-located.
Pat Connally and Jack McGregor had
about twenty-eight men working for them
this season upon their discovery claim on
Mastodon creek. Connally will probably
come out this winter. McGregor had not
yet made up his mind whether he would
come out or spend the winter in Circle
City.
Charley Dotey struck what lie evident
ly thinks will become a bonanza clai m.
The location is made upon Yankee gulch, a
tributary of Porcupine creek. He has
found a number of small pieces of gold
that will weigh all the way from ten cents
up to $1.25. There has been about twelve
other locations made upon thissame creek.
A wagon road iias been built from the
opposite side of the river from Circle City
to Mat Hall’s road house, formerly upon
the winter trail. The new road is about
fifteen miles long and it strikes Birch creek
a number ol miles above the point formerly
reached by the Indian trail.
(_ harley Colombo and Al Morenzy in
tend moving into Circle City about the
first of September. Charley owns a very
good claim on Mastodon creek.
Billy McLain and C. Webber own the
only t wo pieces of ground that were opened
up last year on Eagle creek. They are re
ported as doing very well.
Jack Cameron has done very well this
season. He owns a half interest in a
claim on Deadwood creek that this season
cleaned up pretty well.
Louie Schromberg intends going below
by way of St. Michaels to purchase a
blacksmith outfit. He will probebly open
up a shop in Circtc City next year.
Fitz Miller, a brother of Geo Miller, of
Juneau, intends coming out this winter.
Fitz has done pretty well lately. He has
established a bakery and road house at the
junction of Miller and Crooked creeks and
he isalso interested in three claims on Eagle
creek.
The latest gold discoveries in the Bircli