, 1886-05-06
Booming Alaska.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW GOLD MINING
CENTER.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW GOLD MINING
CENTER.
Charles Halloek, in O recent article
on "Alaska's Mineral Wealth." says
that the largest stamp mill in the
world is now IN active operation on
Douglas island, opposite Juneau, and
is turning out 100000 bullion per
month. 1t carries l20 stamps and
works the whole year round. TIE
ore comes right out Of the side OF the
mountain, which rises abruptly from
the ocean, and is shot down an in
clined plane to the stamp mill, where
it is treated, and vessels drawing
twenty feet of water can lie right
alongside the rocks of the natural
shore and receive their freight not
O hundred yards from the mill. The
primitive forest clothes the slopes OF
the mountain from base to summit,
and fuel is all around in intimate
proximity. No plant of such value
was ever erected or operated at so
cheap a cost. 1t is said the outlay
was 100000. and that 5000, 900 has
been refused for the property. 1t is
a low-grads ore, yielding $5 to 500
per ton of quartz. No stock is for
sale. The first gold brick came out
last July and weighed 297 ounces.
In August the output was equal to
$4,000, and the mill is now reported
to be running up to SIS, 600, with i'm
proving prospects. 1t is said that
SENATOR JONES OF NEVADA,
who is one of its principal stockhold-
ers, is adding $4,000 year to his
income from its output. Right
alongside of this mine, in continue
ton of the same ledge or formation,
is the TreadweIl claim, owned largely
by San Francisco parties, which is
supposed to be equally rich in ore.
Its shares are at very high pre-
MUM, although the mine is not de-
veloped. Next year machinery will
be set up by some one on scale
EQUAL TO THE DOUGLAS PLANT.
On the mainland, just across the
channel from Douglas island and SIX
miles back from the shore, in the
heart of the mountains, In Silver Bow
Basin, where there are stores, black
smith shops, boarding houses and
tenaments for large community en-
gagged in placer mining, who turn
out $4,000 bullion every month from
May to October. The altitude is so
high La. the winters are very long.
The lower mountains, however, are
ordinarily clear enough Of snow for
prospecting in April.
HERE ARE SCORES OF sLUICRs,
expensive, yiaducts and hydraulic
apparatus, ''rasters," hose, pans and
iron conduits ten inches in diameter
place oil over the basin and the sides
of the inclosing mountains to the
very snow line. Several tunnels
have been driven into the quartz
ledges, which yield fair supply OF
gold. Claims have bsen staked out
everywhere. Lead OF the richest kind
is found III big Nuggets, as well as
gold. I have myself broken open
large chunks of quartz which seem
ed to promise nothing, and been sur
prised at the richness of their reyel-
ations.
The first discovery Of gold in the
vicinity of Sitka was nude by sold
ier named Doyle, in 1871. L. 1872
stringers OF quartz were found at In
dian river, one mile from town, and
the Haley & Milletitch ledge, the
Bear ledge and the Upper ledge sue
cessiyely came to light. On Decem-
ber 9th, of that year, the first blast
ever made in Alaska quartz was ex-
ploded, and from the rocks thrown up
by it about $50 worth of gold was
obtained. On Christmas day the
Stewart ledge was discovered. The
Eext year, in 1873, two mining com
panies were formed Of navy officers
and citizens OF Sitka. In 1877 the
lower ledge passed into the hands
of San Francisco people, who organ
lied the Baranoff Island gold and
silver mining company. Sitka is sit
ting on Baranoff island. This com
pany watered the stock SO that OUT
siders declined to invest, although a
a shaft which is down sixty feet is in
gool ore all the way. The gold
mines of Alaska ara doubtless as rich
as those of Cariboo and Cassiar, in
British Columbia, since the geologi
cal structure is the same in all. The
richness of Douglas island is an as
surance CT the rest.