The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-10-20
THE GOLD FIELDS OF ALASKA.
How Miners Reach the Diggings and
Return to Civilization.
San Francisco Bulletin.

San Francisco Bulletin.
To reach the gold diggings G
, Alaska it is necessary to take
steamer from San Francisco o
. Portland, which carries the travele
to juneau in the southern part o
Alaska, opposite Douglas Island
From this point small craft will
convey passengers to Heley's Stor
at Chilcoot Inlet. From here tn
jurney must be made by land, ane
the traveller must take provisions
enough to supply him during ;
journey Of nearly 700 miles, as thi!
| is the distance to the Yukon min
ing region. The summit of the frs
mountain chain is II miles from
Heley's, and 10 miles furthur north
Lake Linderman is reached. From
this point the journey must be re
sumed in boat, 'or, if in winter, in
a sled drawn by dogs. The voyage
is continued from one lake to an.
other, and down the outlet, till the
Yukon is reached.
THE YUKON GOLD FIELDS.
The gold fields are from / 800 tc
1000 miles from the mouth of the
Yukon, and are a tributary river
known as Forty mile creek. These
mines were opened about eight years
ago, and have been worked contin-
uously to the present time, except
during the winter month. The
miners winter in their camps and
await the Opening of spring. About
the first of May holes or shafts are
sunk in the frozen river till the
bottom is reached. This is also
frozen, and fires are made in the
pits to thaw the gravel. The sand
and gravel from the river-bed are
then taken to the rockers and
washed out. This species of min
ing continues for g month or so,
when the ordinary washing begins,
and is carried on for three months.
By the 1st of September the cold
usually puts an end to work, and
it gets colder and colder, till so
deg. below is reached.
Forty-mile Diggings are located
for about so miles along the stream
of this name, and are enclosed by
precipitous mountain walls mile
high. The story Of these mines
reads strangely in daily paper
amid stirring scenes of our metrop-
oils, and the actual conditions
which surround the miners can
hardly be appreciated. The only
available route to the outer world
is by the way of Yukon. and 1000
miles must be traversed before the
ocean is reached and then their
homeward journey is only just
begun. To return by the sam.
route used in going is impossible
IN winter as one cannot make much
headway when the thermometer
registers 80 deg. below, and in the
summer months the swift streams
forbid navigation.
FORTY-NISE TINES AT FoRrY-MILE
CREEK.
The miner of early days in this
state thought he was a ong way fire m
home, but he was within talking
distance, compared with his Arctic
brother, who handles pick and
rocker in Forty-mile creek. These
miners, like many of our forty
miners, have no court or officers.
No writ can reach them, and no
court enjoin them. Yet things go
smoothly and quietly. No liquor
can be brought into the territory,
SO what is used in the settlement is
made in the camp. Some is man
ufactured and is worth SIG per gal
Ion, and is known as "hoocheneau,"
or "hoocheenoo." All the lumber
is sawed out by hand, and is very
high; beans are worth 40 cents,
sugar 60, and bacon % cents per
pound. Flour is $32 per barrel,
and tobacco 81. 40 per pound.
No mail ever reaches Forty-mile
creek, and when a person leaves for
those parts he receives no news till
he comes back after it. A claim by
consent is 800 feet long and com
mences in the middle of the creek
the width is not limited, as the pay
dirt is only found in the creek-bed.
The precious metal is a medium
fine gold, which originated in small
quartz veins on the mountain sides.
The elements have disintregated
the quality, and the rain, snow and
ice have carried the precious metal
to the bed Of the canyon and lodged
it in bars. Hamilton Bar is the
leading claim, all the others having
been worked out. The mines have
generally paid their owners wages.
and in few cases large amounts
were taken out. Only few men
will winter in the diggings this win
ter, and after they have cleared up
in the spring it is likely that the
settlement will be entirely aband-
oned. At the hight of their popu-
larity the mines contained about |
$50 men. Before leaving it is nec-
essary to secure a boat in which to