Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-18
SUNDAY, MAY IS, 1890.
AN EARNEST SILVER MAN WITH BIG
GOLD MINE.

GOLD MINE.
Very few of the people OF the United
States who read the earnest plea for
silver made in the senate of the United
States by Senator John p. Jones, of Ne
vada, are aware that that gentleman, in
common with Mr.. d. o. Mills, owns
perfect mountain of gold ore on Doug
lass island, in Alaska. This gold deposit
is so vast that it is quarried as sandstone
and granite are quarried, and probably
the largest quartz mill in the world is
employed in reducing this rock to massey
ignots. 1t is, OF course, of low grade, as
are all the reliable and vast deposits of
that metal.
The May number of the "Arena"
magazine contains an article on 1.-The
Gold Fields of Alaska" contributed by
John H. Keatley, who occupied a judi
cial position in that portion of the
United States which, as the case stands,
is neither state nor territory. This
country has always been exceptionally
happy in it's acquisition of foreign
possessions. The Louisiana purchase,
made by Mr.. Jefferson, gave
us the Mississippi valley and the tribu-
tary states of the northwest, which al
ready exceed in intrinsic value, though
not in accumulation, the original thir-
teen states. The purchase of Alaska by
Mr.. Seward for 100000 presents po-
tentialities of development and wealth
not yet fully understood.
Judge Keatley gives description OF
the difficulties and sufferings attendant
upon mining on the Yukon river. As to
this branch of mining he says: "It is
''quite evident that many Of the gulches
smear the Yukon river and along its
tributaries are rich in placer gold, but
"there are many serious obstacles al
''present to it's recovery. Summer il
"that latitude lasts but barely two
months" In addition to these physi
cal difficulties there are disputes between
the American and British authorities as
to these placers that make enterprise in
that direction just now very dubious
speculation.
The great Treadwell gold mine Oh
Douglass island was discovered by a
hardy miner of that name. Judge
Keatley gives an interesting account Of
its progress. After describing Tread
wells indomitable perseverance, the
judge continues: "He was soon able tC
convince capitalists that he had some
thing in which it would pay to invest
"and the company was organized in 1884
with Senator Jones, of Nevada, and D
go. Mills, of New York, the principa
shareholders. A mill with one hun
"dred and twenty stamps was erected il
''nation works on grand scale put il
Operation. Two large bitches, one tel
"miles long to the westward, along the
3'face of the mountain, and the other tC
"the east, five miles in length, were
CONSTRUCTED with great difficulty anC
"expense, owing to the tundra char
"acter of the surface, to convey water tt
"the mill as a motive power. A pres
"sure of seven hundred feet, through
"iron pipes twenty inches in diameter
''was communicated to whee
"only eight feet in diameter
"by which all those ponderous stamps
"two thousand pounds each, and thu
'other machinery were set in motion
Sand did their work. For two years thu
smill and works were kept in constan
"operation, no cessation night or day
"during the week. Early in 1888 tn
capacity of the stamp mill was ex
''panded, and the number of stamps in
Creased to two hundred and forty
''making it the largest mill of the kin,
"under one roof in the world"
Anticipating seasons of the year whel
water power would not be available,
powerful Corliss engine has been pro
vided to run the machinery of this mann
moth mill, although the occasions whel
steam has to be called into requistioi
are rare. Six thousand tons of ore are
crushed daily by the Alaska Milling anC
Mining Company, of which the two gen
tlemen named are the practical owners
and the supply of rock in sight is esti
mated to be sufficient to employ thi
enormous power for twenty-five years t.
come. As we have said, the ore is low
grade, averaging about $40 to the ton
and the expense OF handling it is est
mated at $3.50 to the ton. This leave
the pleasant profit Of $4,000 a day il
gold for the enterprising exploiters o
Alaska.
Senator Jones's advocacy of silver j
clearly disinterested and public-spir
tied act.
The republican congressional commit