A Klondike Romance.

Manawatu Herald, 5 March 1898, Page 2

A Klondike Romance.

One of these stories of Klondike which are so calculated to inflame men's fancies and send them rushing to what they imagine will be a cer tain fortune, has just been told by a New York correspondent. The beginning of the incident which is recounted goes back rather lesa than two years, the end, so far as it has been reached, happened in a New York hotel at Christmas time, and the intermediate period was occupied by what may fairly be called a ro inane« in real life. Iv March, lß96. a railway employee named Clements, of Los Angeles, California, borrowed 800 dollars and set off for the Alaska eo!d diggings. This was before Klondike was heard of, and it was not until aftor ha prospected about 'he Yukon without; success for pome tima that n-ws of the rich discoveries in that district drew him thither. He got there before winter set in, but as Bonaozi Creek was already covered with claims, he, with two or three o'her?, located themselves on Eldorado Creek. Within a very ?hort time they struck gold in quantities, and Clement's claim is one of the richest in the country, two million dollars have been taken from it in four months. But, although possessed of such wealth, Clements passed a miserable Christmas time. His gold could not buy biin food in a place where food was very scarce, and he knew that his wife, whom be. had left behind, must be as badly off. Is appears, indeed, that she and her little child were almost reduced to want. Their Christmas dinner was bread and milk, and the little one's Christmas presents were a few cents' worth of candy and a home made rag doll. Her father that night he pays, dreamed of a gigantic Christmas tree, and determined when he got buck to civilsation again tbathe would give his child such a tree as few children bad ever bad before. Last j Christmas he spent with his family at a New York hotel, and the " tree of bis dream " took solid shape. " Attached to the branohes were 80, OOOdol worth of nuggets taken from his claim, and op the table at tbo base of the tree were noatered 750 coins of 203 n1 s each made from the <?old which he had washed out, Mrs Clements wore a b-acelet of twelve nugget, and there was on exhibition '.he Inrgest nugget yet found in Alaska." Is it aDy wonder that in fact; of a story lika this m?n refuge o look at the other side of the picture and shut their pars to the accounts of mi cry, suffering and starvation of which the history of the Arctic El D >rado is so full.