The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-22
THE YUKON COUNTRY.
A Montanian Tells About the Miaing In
That Section.

A MOntanIan Tells About the Mining In
That Section.
In q letter to the Aontanian Charles I.
sullineer says that the Yukon country is
attracting great attention. II Is about
forty miles from the coast and juneau is
the starting point lie says. "A walk OF
thirty miles over she range and you strike
the liver, and thence you 90 BY boat down
ths Yukon. A party came over from there
this fall in twenty-five days from the time
they left the town Of Forty Mile. They ex-
pect TO return in the spring in time for
work. This camp Of Forty Mile was dis
covered last summer and Is the richest vet
struck In Alaska, paving $500 q day % the
man. The nature Of the Yukon country is
such that It is q tolerably hard place ~ GET
90. The honorable class Of old-time miners
have possession and tough characters, when
found. are a. once ordered 30 leave. several
having come Qua recently.
Il will give you prices Of a few articles IN
Fosty Mile: Flour, ga per 100; bacon, thir-
ty-three cents yer pound; beans twenty
tWO cents and canned uit sixty cents a
mAckanaW shirt costs 3 and pair OF gum
boots one ounce Of gold dust Nov comes
the root Of all evil-whiskv. TITS sells for
fifty cents drink and 8 per bottle. You
can buy everything that q miner needs
there for less than you can take ~ IN for al
The natives will charge thirteen cents a
pound TO carry II over the mountains, a
distance Of thirty miles, and no one should
take anything with him except clothing
The town Of Forty Mile IL At the mouth
Of Forty Mile creek. on the YoukoB. 10 has
two general merchandise stores, one be-
longs 20 the Northwest Iradinp company
and the other 70 our old-tims Montana
friend, Capt. John Healy. There ate two
saloons and one cigar factory here and 80
These make M the town Of Forty Nile.
All the northern part OF Alaska is more
or less level country and 10 Is didicut to
get sufficient 2 ade for slnics boxes, ana Ia
many places they a-s compelled 20 use
rockers Or wheel tho dirt 70 water. Tmber
Il very scarce and 10 many places thew are
compelled 10 haul timber forty and fftv
miles wish dog trains. dog will dfaW
about 200 pounds on the snow. Game Ia
scarce except rabbits and grouse. You NAV
XII carbon Or moose. and again Won may
net see Oue fur weeks or not A. all Two
steamers py up and down the Youkon. ope
belonging 10 John IL ally and the other 20
ths trading company At Forty Mile. Tho
ground never thEWs out in that countrv-
not over I've or six feet a. most, ana they
nave never Leen able TO dig through H..
Ihey work down a. far Is the
frost "a cut the first year and then
wait Tor she never setting auun Of
The next summer 90 thaw Il deeper.
lie can run his sluice boxes bot three and a
hslt or four months of ths Yssr. The rest
OF the time be can whip-saw timber To-
boxes and such saWei stuff ~ h may 70.
qnlre. some spend tue winter trapping
iur3. but theT must De on hHud by the 18TH
or June OF their claims will be- iumpable
according 10 the Yukon cole Of laws.
he is one thing / almost forgot 20
mention IL 10 the moss which covers
the ground. except what she water ruus
over. such as Sue shallow bars along the
creek. This moss BE- from sr 10 elghteeu