That fall, when news came down of McCormack's discovery on Bonanza, all
the Lower Country, Circle City and Forty Mile included, had stampeded up
the Yukon,--at least all save those who, like Jack Harrington and Louis
Savoy, were away prospecting in the west. Moose pastures and creeks were
staked indiscriminately and promiscuously; and incidentally, one of the
unlikeliest of creeks, Eldorado. Olaf Nelson laid claim to five hundred
of its linear feet, duly posted his notice, and as duly disappeared. At
that time the nearest recording office was in the police barracks at Fort
Cudahy, just across the river from Forty Mile; but when it became bruited
abroad that Eldorado Creek was a treasure-house, it was quickly
discovered that Olaf Nelson had failed to make the down-Yukon trip to
file upon his property. Men cast hungry eyes upon the ownerless claim,
where they knew a thousand-thousand dollars waited but shovel and sluice-
box. Yet they dared not touch it; for there was a law which permitted
sixty days to lapse between the staking and the filing, during which time
a claim was immune. The whole country knew of Olaf Nelson's
disappearance, and scores of men made preparation for the jumping and for
the consequent race to Fort Cudahy.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188