Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-29
bcen between the most perpendicular noun
Ialns that trees and underground could

dent took his lantern and marshalled the
hie INTO the tunnel to see the air.
uIi' al work, and then we all filed
OIL gain. The TrcadWcl Is one Of
the remarkable mines on tile Pacific coast,
anc said 20 be ore Of the largest quartz
ltdgts Ia the world. Tue vein Il over four
hundred feet wide. cropping out on the
surface and crossed by three tunnels. The
ore IS not high grade but is easily mined
ana milled. ond the supply is nexhausti-
bic. The owners are Messrs. Tread well,
Frye, Frecborn, and Hin, Of San Francis
GO. ana senator j. =. Jones, Of Nevada
10 lar only 4 small fifteen-siamp mill has
been nj work on the ore, but the owners
have decided TO erect hundred-and-twen
ty'stamp mill this year. and develop the
properly Systematically.
TIE town OF JUNEAU.
When We steamed on a mile and crept
up to the wharf at juneau the whole town
aud the Indian village were down to see ~
land. aud when the lines were cas-. ashore
the curiO friends made rush for the rs
sembicd Indians and the trading stores
The town OF Juneau dates back a. 4 mining
carp but little over three years. In
1873 the Indians gave fine quartz spaci-
mems 20 The officers OF tie man-Of-war james
town. and in the following summer pros
pecting party was organized by Joseph Ju.
neau ard Richyrd Harris. They campc1
at the present town site on the lat
OF October. and thcn, following up
COO creek to the Slver.BOw Basin,
three miles back, found the rich pacers
ana Tie outcrOpping quartz veins. When
| the news Of their find reached Sitsa there
was rush for the new III Dorado. and
camp sprang up that winter and has slowly
grown into an odd little town. IL was first
called PilsbuTy for one prospector. then
! Flptown with miners grim hlmOr. then
Rockwell for the lieutenant who came from
the jamestown with detachment OF ma
rineS 10 keep the camp in order, and
fourthly it was named Harrisburg. and
| filthy Juneau. The last name was formally
adopted Joy the miners at meeting held In
May, 1882. and in the same conclave reso-
lutions were passed ordering all Chinimen
out OF the district and warning the race to
stay away, which they have done.
When the sun shines. as il has done To-
Gay and for two weeks past, Juneau is ~
charming little mountain nook as one
| need seek for. The mountains 20 -
straight up 10 their 5000 feet that the little
| cluster OF white houses nj the base lOOS -
If they might be bits OF the lofty snow-banks
that have tumblcd down the feathcry cls-
cadcs TO the beach. The site OF the minine
camp in the Siiver-Bow Basin i even more
picturesque, and the train from juneau
/ plunges straight mp the mountain
| side, then down to second valley, and
along the wild canyon OF Gold
| Creek and into the basin Of the sill.
yer Bow. All the way it leads through
! dense forests and 'iuXuriant bottom
/ land. where the immense pine.trees. the
| thlckcts Of ferns and devil's club, and the
rank underground Of bushes and grasses
continually excite ones wordcr. We rose
! at $3.50. in order 10 90 out 10 the BASIN and
| get back before the ship sailed at 10, and in
| tile fresh, dewy air and the pure light OF
| the early morning it was a walk through
an enchanted forest and a happy valley.
The trail wound up to 800 feet. dropped
by long jumps and slides 10 the first level
OF tie car yon, and reached 1 800 ,eet above
the sea again in the basin. The devils
club. tall, tEOrny plant, with leaves
twelve inches and more across. grew
In Impassablc clumps in the woods. and
the sunlight falling on these large leaves
gave tropical look TO the forest. The
devils club Is the prospectOrs' dread, and
the thorny sticks used TO do TO switch
witches with in the Indians old uncyiIized
days. Ech,nOpdudL hOrrida is the bota-
nist's awful name for il, and that alone is
caution enough for one 20 avoid it. There
were thickotS Of thimble-bcrried bushes
covered with large creamywhite blossoms,
and clusters Of white ranunculus. white
columbine, blue geranium, and yellow
monkey flowers grew IN patches, and dyed
the ground with their Toassed coors. The
ferns were everywhere, and under bushes
and beside fallen logs delicate maidcn-hair
hon
by the handful. We met few wclI-dresscd
Indians hurrying to town, and an occa-
sional miner who gave us CHEEKY greet
ing.
A DEMOCRAT N ALASKA.
We Tassed funny little log-cabinS and
crossed the dtJriS OF hydraulic mines,
watched the men in a narrow gulch clean
ing up their sulces. and going around the
corner Of Snowslide Gulch, just this
side Of Specimen Gulch. we met Mr. Bulger
and his dog. Down we all sat, dog includ-
ed. and INDUCED in the light and dry re-
past that We carried in our pockets. Mr.
Bulger is typical and ideal miner, and in
his high boots, canvas trousers, l1nnel
SHIRT, big felt hat. and heavy gold watch
chain made exactly the figure for
the Landscape as he rested on a
big bowlder beside the roaring creek. We
started 10 tell him the great news that
Alaska at last had Governor and gov
crnmeDt. and then. bethinking ourselves Of /
the little side incident Of presidential! /
nominations. began tO tell him about them. /
lIc manifested so little excitement over /
Elaine aid Logan that we asked il his !
seven years without seeing the polls had /
made him SO Indifferent.
"Oh. Lord. no: I'm DcmOcra; though, |
| guess, ma a'm." said Mr.. Bulger.
"Then wc'll never tell you who they |
have nominated II you are on that side |
said Republican firmly. and Sir. Bulgor's |
Homcric laugh made that mountain Glen |
ring before he was enlightened a, to Cleve-
land and Hendricks.
Our miner told us OF piece OF quartz |
that be had found the day before that looked |
'.as II the gold had been poured on hOi and |
had scattered al over it," and then we h1d |
to part with him and hurry on in different |
WAYS. Slver-BOw Basin is place 10 de- |
light an aesthetic miner in the way OF land |
scape, and any one with a soul in MIN |
would surely appreciate that little round |
valley sunk deep in the heart OF great noun
tains, with snOw-caps on every horizon
line, glacier tipping from a great rayine,
and waterfalls tumbllng noisily down the
slopes. Returning on the trail. we met a few
miners going back to their cabins and
claims, and one sociablc fellow stopped Tor
n time to talk TO us. lie complmentcd Us
on our energy in taking that early stroll.
and in the most regretfu way apOlogized
for the roughness and wildneSs Of the very
surroundings with which we were 50 en-
rapiureJ. A jolly old iellow with shrcwd
Twinkle in his eye came up the trail swing
IL z bis coat gayly. and, planting himself in
the pathway, took OF his hat with line
flourish and said to me: Madam. was
told TO look for you on this road, and to
look you squareiy in the eye and tell YOU
10 hurry back to the ship or you
would be LETT" There was a shout all
round at this unmistakabie message OF the
skipper and the gay miner enjoyed it most
Of all. Timing ourselves by our watches,
we fingered long on the last mile, sitting
on log in the cool shade OF the forest.
where the trail almost oyerhung the little
town. We could watch the people walk
ing iE the streets beneath. and, in the still,
.umberipg sunshine. almost catch the
hum OF their voices. PistOl-shots ralSed
crashing echoes between the high mountain
walls and set all the big ravens TO croaking
in hoarse concert.