Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-11-14
The Undeveloped Mining Resources Of Our
Far Northern Territory.

Edward Roberts In Chicago News.
1t is too soon yet to say how much ore
Alaska has, but it is certain the supply
is very large. Good leads have been
discovered in various parts Of the coun-
try, but the mines now being worked
are located near Juneau City, 100 miles
northeast of Sitka. Juneau is town of
limited population, having not more
than fifty white men all told. and is
named in honor of a man who was the
first to discover the placer diggings, a
few miles inland, in what is known as
the basin. The claims there have yield.
ed in the last six years some thousands
Of dollars and made Juneau rich. At
present they are nearly abandoned, and
the excitement of the neighborhood is
centered at Douglas, just across the bay
from juneau. The large mine there is
located within fifty yards of the bay,
and was sold by its discoverer, Tread
| well, to a San Francisco company, Of
| which Senator Jones ia the ruling spirit
The new owners have lately set up
l20-stamp mill, the largest in the world
believe. and have refused, so it is said,
$l6,000,0O0 for their property. The ore
| is gold, held in white quartz. is easily
milled, and appears to exist in unlimited
quantities. What the yield per ton is
no one outside the owners knows. / am
told, however, every ton will pay SIS and
and that there are millions of tons A
resident of Juneau is not particular
when giving figures. The mill is run by
water, and steamer can be loaded by
an incline reaching from the mine to
the wharf There is no winter to inter-
fere with the work Of mining, and native
Indian labor is cheap and abundant.
Many other properties have been open
ed on the island, but from lack of capital,
few Of them have been developed to any
extent The year "a saw many new
mining men come into Alaska, and in
'S5 there will be still more. Prospect
ing is done at great disadvantage, but
there still are leads that can be discov-
cred. Once the fact is known that
Alaska has ore there will be rapid
increase in the population.
And here again the native Indian will
be utilized. An Alaska Indian is good
worker. Dirty and depraved as he is,
he is anxious to get employment. He
likes money. Those engaged in the
Treadwell mine are indefatigable labor
ers. So they are in the salmon can.
neries that have been started. Familiar
with their country, they know, if any
body does, where there is any ore.
"If l had accepted the offer of an In
dian few years ago, who said he knew
of lead, should have been rich per.
haps, to-day" said man whom l met
at Wrangel.
How did you fail?" l asked.
swell, tried to beat the fellow down
in his price, and before he could meet
me or meet him he got upset in his
canoe and was drowned"
II q miner Will pay falr wages he car
&c. escort and run fair chances Of find
ing ore. Let man, however, try te
depend on himself and he will mos
likely fail. Southern Alaska's soil il
covered with moss to depth Of foo
o. more. and prospecting as carried Oh
other countrie is out fthe questio
The only way is to get an Indian who
knows the by-pa;as and the streams
BY following him float gold may bt
found-as it o-.en has been-ti It will
lead to the main vel