The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-09

way up the river. By this route it was
necessary that prospectors should put in
two years at least, as the severe seasons
necessitated it.
Now, however, there is better way of
tapping the wealth of our wild northern
territory and that is being sought by bands
of miners from all along the coast. This is
up Cooks Inlet as far as Turnagain Bay,
or Arm as we call it up there, and the Knik
River. 1t is easy to get transportation up
the inlet, although there is no means yet
of taking machinery or any heavy para
phernalia which might be used in develop
ing the rich mines which are to be located
all along the northern shores of the inlet and
inland for one knows not how many miles.
The weather, too, is very mild in com pari-
son with that by the Yukon route. From
the Knik River down along Turnagain
Arm gold is very plentiful, and if the
proper machinery could only be taken to
the spot and these rich deposits could be
worked, there would be untold millions in
it. All the miners who go there agree
upon this and only regret their helpless
ness in developing the mines.
Surface mining and placer work farther
up have been proving very profitable of late.
Some pockets have been found which
turned out metal of the purest kind. 1
know one man, Randall, from Montana,
who cleaned up $1,000 in one season. This
find was near the northeast bank of Knick
River.
Another feature of the Cooks Inlet open
ing into Alaska, aside from its richness, is
that it is better route to the Yukon River
than the old way and it does not necessitate
the shutting of ourselves up for two years,
as miners, If they wish, can return inside
of the year. The great mistake which
many prospectors make is that they do not
go properly prepared to prosecute their
work. They seem to forget that in enter
1T1cr ho IT1fn A
cutting themselves off from the world.
when supplies run short they cannot
send down to some convenient camp for
fresh supplies. Their plans must be ar
ranged before they start, and in reckoning
upon their supply of provisions according
TO their stay they must even take into con-
sideration the possibilities of disaster or
accident. Their life may depend upon
this precaution.
zone more thing about Alaskan mining:
The country in some parts is a graveyard
Tor the bones of miners and proSpectors
who have given up the battle for fortune
overcome by hardships-some from the
severity of the weather and others from
starvation. Many of these have succumbed
While they had fortune in their posses
sion, and were seeking to find their way to
the coast or some native shelter.
There are many who wander inland
during the open season, and in their eager
by the snow and ice. Sometimes the ma
tives, who are disposed to be friendly, will
rescue one of these and keep him over the
winter and he will return to friends who
had given him up for dead. In the major
ity of cases those lost are gone forever.
In the Chigmit Mountains, northwestward
OF the inlet, there are many treacherous
places for prospectors. Two seasons ago
the bodies of two prospectors were found
there. They had got lost in snowstorm
and succumbed to exposure.
Among their possessions the finders of
the bodies discovered over SIC, 900 in gold.
Alaskan miners will tell you that there are
dozens of buried fortunes in Alaska, and
they are right. Miners hurrying to the
camps and seashore often cache their treas
ure, intending to return the next season
for it. They find death on their journey.
and their hidden wealth lies in the earth
from whence 1t was taken. Yes, Alaska is
cold country, and the miner who goes
there unprepared for every emergency
usually gets a cold DEAL