The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-08-02

III i l. ~ WN
ALAMA.
IeD 1ltDoo a1d Mining 0utlook.
The following items Of naining
ssws vese seesived by Mr.. A. T.
6lnmons, of Red Moontsin, in this
eoasty, In reply 10 inquiries made BY
him Il Najss Morris, Collector Of
Customs at eitka. The items were
prepared By Col. A. e. Barry for
M.joe Nossis. The kttes containing
thea vas daeed Sitka, Alaska,
March 8, ls02.-ED. NIHER.1
The recent gold diseovesies In Alas-
b have opened up . new Geld for
minsn aud psospeetors. Perhaps .
shost history u The newly discovered
mines viii give . better idea than
brief aaswess to the questions con-
taires In The lstsess yoa nave sub
n.ltted to ne. For many years
Alaska has been known to be . min
esal eosntry, containing most, II not
aDl, the diDeseat minerals found In
Califoenis, Coiosado and other min
ing regio0s ol Nos;h America. In
1871 the nrst quarts lode was disc0v::
cred near Sitka, and subsequently,
several othess, supposed to be rich,
and doubtless are, bat from lack Of
means rbad management, they have
not been sufficiently developed to
fully determine their value. One
year ago last October, gold In paying
quantities was discovered near Takon
river BY . party Of Prospectoss from
Sitka. The party organized what b
known - the Harris Mining District,
and established . camp, now = -four
ishiDg mining town called juneau.
There are both qusrtz and placer
mines in this district, and the placer
miDes are now known to be rich.
The quarts, of which about 6fty
claims have already been located.
prospects well, though len b known
Of the quases than shosld Be, bat for
reasons not Deeessary to explain to u
practical miner, when be h Informed
how recently these claims were dr.
covered, and the miness were poor.
These mines. both quartz and placer.
are within four miles Of tide water,
where the town Of Jaueau was built.
Timber h found In abundance, con-
venient t. the camp, and arrange
n,ents have been made this season
to furnish . sufficient quantity Of
lumber for mining and building pur-
poses, at reasonable prices. Placer
mines can be worked from six 10
eight months In the year. and all the
quartz lodes are below the timber
line, and can be worked every month
In the year, when prol,erly opened.
Last fall miner from Montana dis
covered some rich placer ground ON
Douglas Island, and established
new mining district about three miles
from Harris camp. but on the same
mineral belt, which b known to
extend along the coast = distance
Of one hundred miles. The brief
limits of . letter will mt permit
q more detailed account Of the min
Ing Interests and disc :verics In this
country, which are pet In their In
fancy. but ftOm the above yOu ran
form son,e idea Of the fleld for future
prospectors. I am net sufficiently
informed ~ to the price Of labor to
give accurate and reliable inf0rna-
tion. Miners generally prefer to
work fsr themselves, than far wages.
I understand. however, that four dol
lar = day was the average amount
paid to miners last season.
The Indians here are peaeeahle,
and are employed BY miners to DO
their packing and other rough work
Provisions and al merchandise suit
able f0r mincrs' use, are reasonably
cheap At juneau and Sitka. Miners
can hoard themselves at . csst Of frs'sn
three to 6ve dollars per weck. Beard
ing houses charge SO PR month.
The winters are really nsil.ler here
than In many Of the Northern States,
with % extreme cold weather. The
sumusess are aot excessively warm
near the coast, being tempered BY
the ga bseeze and frequent showers.
TIE prices Of passage from San
Francisco to Sitka by ocean steamer.
b SIS In the cabin, and S;aD in the
steeraxe. This steamer sails from
San Francisco on the 3Oth of every
mouth, making close connection at
Victoria o. Port Townsend with the
Sitka steamer. Passage from San
Funcisco to Juneau the ecubin Is $.:'r
steerage, 30. All travelling In the
cosntry b done entirely ON fo"t and
by water. There are no animals t.
ie had, the nature Of the country
rendering then, unservicesble. Ca
noes manned by Indians can l'e had
ut reasonable prices. No lro!:cn-
l,ackexl man. dead-beat ar p"vcrty-
stricken individual should come to
Alaska. There h no r,'Om ar place
for such people. They viii only Ike
doomed to disappointment and dcsti-
tuition. 1t Is = hard country to pr's-
pect In and rsquires skill, endurance
and strength, hut the outlook l. such
A. n "a