The New York herald., 1879-10-01
MINING IN ALASKA.

SIrKA. Alaska. Sept 0, lo'9'
Ipurpose to givo your readers short history OK
the mines OF this section of our country and my
views as TO their future prospects, based obser-
vaton and interviews with both the Interested ana
uninterested. There four five thousand
! Slavonans the Pacific slope. most Of whom arc
fruit growers and liquor dealers. One OF thems "
name Samuel Militch. who settled in this place be.
fore transfer to government, became keeper OF
@ saloon much frequented 10y soldiers when they
were stationed hore. He had heard from the Rus
Sims that there marble in the Round Mountain
near Silver Bay and employed the services OF dis
charged soldier named Doyle to prospect IN that los
cality for it. This in the year 1873 AS tho re'
suit OF the prospecting no marble was found. Dus
he brought back several pieces of quartz from
strangers. Some time afterward these pieces were
noticed by miner and pronounced by him to DO OF
good Quality Soon ledge of similar rock
ported to in Indian Biver, which is just back
! of this settlement S. Mitich concluded to work
engaged Doyle and three others for that pur-
! pose. They found the ledge too narrow and too
close to the admit of satisfactory progress.
abandoned it and again visited Silver Bay. They
first prospccted the creek running into the head OF
| that bay and found colors and in ascending ths
| creek, quartz, with suphurets. Tney knew nothing
! of quartz and seeking for placer mining When
! they returned they brought with them some speci'
| mems which were after considered rich in gold
| by miner named .daley, VINO nsu "orAoo IA oH~eS
Valley and Virginia City
nALEY's BLAST.
| He visited the ledge and put in blast and gos
| free gold He afterward located 1t and it is now
| known rs the Haley Militich' shaft. This was
located in 1874 and tho arst ou record. 1t IL
double ledge mine, nine feet in width Thers
was great ineredulity here at that time as to gold
bearing quartz being found island or so close
to salt water. Haley well satisfied with the
"A. l,;o rhawx
from army and has been devoted to it ever since.
Further prospecting by him discovered what is
nown Us the Stewart Tunnel" which ID
! about one-q quarter of o mile further mp the
mountain. This ledge cropped about four
! feet The next was made by Haley and
Allen Francis, son OF our Consul At Victoria.
two miles above the Stewart Tunnel. blast was
put into this ledge at that time which opened q
pocket containing about $500 Of specimen gold.
| some of the pieces being OF $40 in value. COM
pany organized upon the Stewart Tunnel and was
Incorporated January 30. 1877. 1t has 600 Shares
valued ut 81 each. They have been working slowly
since it's organization. and have now in operation
Ave stamp mill and have aso fve moro stamps.
| which are being put in running order. This COM
| pany unfortunate in having been poorly man
agod during the past two and OF the $4,000
spent upon the no at least SIS 900 has been thrown
away by ignorance in constructing mills unsuitable
for the object desired
The present superintendent Mr. G. E. Pilz. reached
tning in runnns order; but when the snow melted
he failed to discover any head running water and
San al these
saces he has crushed considerable ore. and intends
Portland. The tunnel is in lis feet and . shaft down
fifty feet The ledge has increased in size as they
have worked in. to fourteen feet 1t can be traced
phurets and fine free gold in the ribbon
quartz The suIphnrites arc known by the
miners as Steel yellow and copper. and now
and then there are crystals OF galena No specimen
gold has been taken from the ledge thus far. but
roiI ba With ha nak cd acgf
tered over the face OF the ribbon rock The letg:
runs northwest and southeast and has splendid
hanging and foot walls 1t is tilted on edge. with
but u slight pitch. The accompanying rock taken
out is slate and gneiss The quartz reached now Y
very rich aud will probably assay over $1,000. Of
, course it is impossible to say how long this will
continue. Timber is in great abundance At the
ledge, which is a most important pecuniary consd-
Grafton. The superintendent OF this mine estimates
| that with everything in working ordor So ton
800 feet below the present and to erect 10
stamp mill. with steam power. in addition to whas
!, INTERESTING CAPITAL.
Mr.. Haley made several trips to San Francisco in
represent the mineral wealth OF Alaska and
to interest parties sufficiently to obtain their
operation in developing his discoveries He sue
Company upon the Haley Il Miltich SHAFT. the
original owner retaining in unassessable shares ono
$ slowly; have sunk prospecting shaft sixty feet
The lodge holds true and the quartz improves a.
they proceed. 1t Is like the Stewart. rich In sui
phnr, &c. 1t is twelve feet wide the bottom Of
the shaft. upon which they have stopped work. and
hamdreS feet deep It will be about three hundred
feet in length. Haley sold his one-stxth Interest
81 soS SS Tns ne weh lode is aso Vh discover
: of Haeys- 1t is in the same range southeast o.
the before mentioned discoveries The same cali.
! been sinking shaft and building an arastra. from
; this is taken white quartz with rusty pockets.
ledge thus far opened.
OTHER MINES.
y will now mention the names Of the others in
their Of discovery without going into details
as to their prospective worth The bald Noun
tan" Wicked Fall. "Brown Bear. Lake Noun.
TAIN" Last Chance" "Croisian Lode" North
; Star" Terrace Mount" "Ptarmisan" and Groai
EASTERN The last ledge is the head Of "Redoubco
Crock" and is twenty-five feet across. 1t can be
traced for a mile. Tho suphurets are very fine. and
assay $40 ton This mine will be thoroughly pros
: pccted this year and probably worked next Mr.:
Haley was offered last month $4,000 for the Last
l Chance and 900 tor his interest in the witch.
FACILITIES
The timber is in abundance and OF good quality in
close proximity to all the lodges Nearly all could
be worked by water power The Indian labor for
rough work is good. He is paid but 81 q day aud
boards himself. The deepes. draught vessels can
anchor within short distance OF most OF the lodges
The climate is healthy and mild The temperature
in summer ranges from so degs. to 50 degs. and In
winter from 80 degs to ~ degs Provisions are now
cheap and very much than in Nevada
Idaho Some of the mines can be worked in winter.
and probably all with steam power the entire year.
They WITHIN fifteen miles OF Stka- Fine spect-
mons quartz being brought in from the north
ward by Indians constantly. Thousands OF dollars
land, at place called .shuck" which is north OF
sitka II found within few hundred yards OF
salt The places miners tho Cassiar dggngs
have u Arm belief that the headwaters OF the YUKON
contain rich dggings. Tho inlet OF that country IL
} through the Chicat River 1t Is only short dis
tance-onc and half days pack-across the divide.
l neglected to mention before that nearly all the
lodges discovered take the general direction-north-
west and southeast-and are wedgod beweon beds or
slate. 1t is not improbable that this place is before
} many months to bc the centre Of great mining
excitcmcnt
A WEAK GOVERNMENT.
The provisional government Of sitka. owing to the
fraii foundation upon which 1t rests. will. fear,
, prove very unstable Human nature may possess
I willingly to poweress justice. Tho only hope for
the boter class OF people hero is that tho govern
ment may aid them eventually.
4 SALMON CANNING.
Q The director Of the large canning establishment
has closed his operations here tor the season and
goes san Francisco the next steamer with