The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-06

can produce the same enectA
prominent among these glaciers are La
Perouse. Grand Plateau and the glacier at
Icy Cape They are the only three that
break on. but every big rayina in the
mountains carries glacier.
Yakutat, the first settlement above Sit
ka. Is distant about 20 miles from the
latter place Here a Swedish missionary
is stationed. the Indians and all number
ing about 100 souls A sawmin was built
here to aid In the industrial education OF
the natives Mr.. Moltandon said that ono
OF the Indians had learned to handle the
engine very well. Three members of the
Dauntless party. Frank Lawton, BenJa-
min Durkin and Edward Johns, wintered
at Yakutat, building a good, comfortable
cabin. The party opened some promising
gold claims and washed out 500 or 500 in
gold before Montandon aud Elmendorf
left on the return trip last fall. Letters
ara expected from Yakutal in May. The
Indians trap. hunt and fish, and all make
a good living As a rule they are more in
telligent than the siwash farther south,
but they never descend to the mercenary
occupation of digging for gold. Kyak is
the next town on the coast. just an Indian
village, with a store kept by the Alaska
Commercial Company. Provisions can be
obtained at any of these places quite rea-
sonably. about 30 per cent. higher than on
Puget sound.
IF you go into Cook inlet by Prince Will
liam sound" continued Mr.. Montandon,
"the next town is Nuchek. a little Indian
village with a store and postoffice-seven
mails a year. AT the head OF Prince VIII
liam sound Is a portage Of about fourteen
miles across to the head OF Cook Inlet
right across a glacier-sled 1t the year
roundabout six hours travel From
there IL is some forty miles down to the
gold fields of the inlet"
Taking the water route to Cook inlet,
you go to ST. Paul 800 miles due west
from Sitka, and situated on kadiak is
land near the mouth of the inlet. One OF
the most important trading posts in
Alaskan waters Is at st. Paul. Here large
stores are maintained by the North
American Trading Company. Steamer
Bertha leaves Sitka on the LIST of each
month for ST. Paul, so one is not cut OF
from the world so much as he might at
first thought fear.
II is about $50 miles from St. Paul TO
the mines on Cook inlet. There are only
two seasons in which placer mining can be
carried on in the streams. one in the
spring about six weeks after the ice goes
out OF the rivers and before the snow
melts: the other In the fall after the snow
has melted and before the ice forms. All
the mines thus far discovered are in the
beds of these streams: Resurrection
creek, Bear creek Canyon creek and Six
Mile creek. The mining is done by put
ting In wing dams during low water, par
TALLY turning the stream and exposing
bed rock. All the streams have been To-
Gated with mining claims for thirty miles
back from salt water. but these by no
means exhaust the field There are many
other streams yet 10 be explored. In fact.
the north side of the inlet has scarcely
been touched. A mining district has been
organized and d recorder appointed. who
has an office at Hope City. at the mouth
of Resurrection creek. The gold Is al
coarse gold and gives evidence Of not hav-
ing been carried far by the action of the
water Specimens were taken out last
summer with sharp, well-defined edges
that would have been worn smooth IL they
had long been subjected TO the action OF
running water. II is deemed very prob
able that quartz wiz be discovered there
this year. and IL this should prove true 1t
will greatly enhance the value OF the
Mines as they can be worked at all sea-
sons. There is coal at Coal bay. 100 miles
from the gold diggings-a soft Ignite. not
hard enough to stand shipping, but all
that would be required for mining pur-
poses.
On the south side of Cook inlet there are
extensive marshes along the sea shore,
affording good grazing. and the moose
come down here in the summer to feed.
Mr. Montandon saw a pair of antlers that
weighed eighty pounds. Brown and black
bear abound Ducks and geese are plenti-
full. 1t Is the natural home OF strawber-
ries. salmon berries and huchleberries-
At Yakutat and Icy cape there are nun
areds Of acres OF the finest wild straw
berries one would wish to see or taste.
The berries are large and Of the most de-
licious flavor.
Owing to the extremely high tides.
which rise TO the height of forty-fve feet
at the head of Cook inlet, 1t is danger
Gus place for small craft. Cook inlet is
not altogether the new field which many
suppose Ii Is another illustration Of new
riches in old places. The Russians mined
there in 1873. and large party OF Ameri-
cans ope-ated there in 1874, but none OF
the gold hunters seemed to strike any
thing rich until last season. Mr.. Mon
tandon remarked that II would not sur
prise him TO see a tremendous excitement
In Cook inlet next year when the expiors-
ton Of the north side will be more fully
under way Another unknown field is Cop
per river, which empties into Prince VIII
liam sound Prospectors have been rigid
Is excluded by the Indians, who while es-
cortfng small parties through the Copper
river valley to the Yukon. have not al
lowed them 70 stop TO prospect, hut from
the fact that the Indians have many in
strurnen;s hammered cut OF native copper
Il IS believed that rich mines OF the ore
vii ultimately he found In Copper river.
Indications also are that the stream bears
some vary rich gcii mines.
Mr.. Monta1don has very interesting
10. OF pictures taken with his kodak. and
they impaired pleasure to the interview
which the reporter would fain reproduce
for the reader but In lieu thereof the facts
concerning this attractive land Of the gold
hunters must suffice.