Show STUDENT LIFE Luck in the "Days of 9 7 “Creek ?” “Eldorado “Number?” “Twenty-six- ” The Recorder made out the Grant The Klondiker that answered his questions was a “staker” recording a claim A big stampede was on The winter morning was bitter cold the snow lay deep on the trails and hundreds of stood fagged “stampeders” filed in line awaiting their turn to record The heretofore forgotten “Adams” “Eldorado” and other “pups” flowing into Bonanza Creek had boomed into life Contrary to the prevalent belief that followed the main the stream only some miner had said that these tributaries carried gold The man that had staked and now owned “26 Eldorado” was a “grafter” He had a partner The two had little intention either of developing or of working their newly granted piece of ground but planned to rope in the first they should chance to run across The “grafters” waited long howevr before they found anyone who cared even to consider their proposition Some old miners said that “26” was a blank while others were of the opinion that k was deep and that there was no pay on the claim Often around the camp-fir- e the subject of discussion was “Eldorado” The “big Moose” even said “There’s no gold on that creek for it’s too flat !” Therefore was it strange that “creek claim No 26 Eldorado” was a “wildcat”? Was it strange too that were not fast to speculate in the face of advice and reports of old “Sourdoughs”? No indeed Winter time rolled on For many days half-froz- “pay-strea- en k” “Che-chack- a” bed-roc- “Che-chacka- s” 169 No 26 Eldorado The paper the transfer! Owner of a claim! Last dollar gone! Was it a dream? He found those who had duped him and asked for a return of his wealth They only mocked and gruffly turned him down saying: “We’ve got your You’ve got your claim What ‘poke more do you want?” Weeping the he pleaded but to no avail Crestfallen he turned away muttering: “Dashar — baen —a — porty — hard— world — anyho” With the inherent hopefulness of his new craft he resolved to try his luck on his new piece of ground To tackle such a job in the dead of hyperborean winter with thermometers falling to “75 below” thousands of miles from “God’s country” and kindred was an undertaking that would cause many a man to shudder Anderson’s provisions and tools load” ed he took his place b the and with dog team began his trip up Bonanza Creek to his claim on “Eldorado” The Arctic winter days were short The sun had left the Klondike vale The grand Aurora Borealis came out in her splendor and a full moon hung in the southern sky Stillnes reigned supreme save the occasional howl of a suffering malamoot and the “mush on” and “gee Jack” of Anderson as he urged his dogs over the rough winding trail He “mushed” by the log cabins of fortune favored “Bonanza” miners He saw their rich “dumps” clothed in ermine silhouetted in the timber line and wondered if such grand success should ever fall to to him Anderson reached his claim by sunrise and there began his labors to win or lose The creek was locked in ice His thermometer was frozen up Deep snow surrounded him and howling dogs were his only companions This was a hard proposition at best Undaunted he guessed “gee-pole- |