Harry/Henry Madison
Harry Madison, Joseph Ladue, and Howard Franklin came into the Yukon River basin in 1882. They wintered at Fort Reliance and drew up rules governing the size of placer claims, water rights, and recording methods.1)
In 1883, George Pilz, an assayer from Sitka, travelled in with some Chilkats and four prospectors including Howard Franklin and Mattison [Henry Madison]. Pilz took a look up the Klondike River while the others prospected the Fortymile River. Pilz and George Harkrader left the country while Franklin and Madison stayed on the Fortymile with what supplies could be spared and some from Fort Reliance.2) They had heard about paying ground found by Arthur Harper in 1881 although he was never able to relocate it.3)
In 1884, Thomas Boswell, Howard Franklin and Henry Madison came in over the Chilkoot Pass and prospected along the Lewes [Yukon River]. They made a discovery on Cassiar Bar and began mining. They were joined by Michael Hess and these four produced the first significant amount of gold mined in the Yukon.4)
In 1886, Franklin and Madison prospected the Stewart River to the falls and up the McQuesten River as far as they could take a boat.5) Franklin, Madison, and Boswell, all from Juneau, were working a river bar together.6) Franklin did not think that gold could be found on a river with that type of vegetation. They left the Stewart for the Fortymile River, and the Day brothers made over $30 a day on a Stewart River bar rejected by them.7)