The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-10-21
FROM FAR AWAY
ALASKAN FIELDS
True Condition Of Affairs In the New
EldOradO Described by 40
Eye Witness.
JUNEAU is NOW BOOMING
New Quartz Mines Discovered Near
That city--Building and Manufac-
lures Going Forward-Rich Finds
Made on the Yukon

That city-Bullding and Manufac-
lures Going Forward Finds
Made on the Yukon.
The following graphic description OF
Alaska. its mines. miners and business
AFFAIRS. their present condition and fu-
ture outlook. and which Is one OF the
best accounts yet appearing In print.
was written for the Astorian by gen
tleman who has Just returned from a
years sojourn In that country. and is
now visiting friends In Astoria:
During the earlier months OF the pres
cnt year. the influx Of miners TO Alaska,
and especially to the Cooks Inlet dis
trict. became 40 great that the reading
public were eager for any informa-
tion that pertalned to the country aud
Its resources and especially that which
dealt with it's mining possibilities. Now
that the open season Is about over and
hundreds OF miners are returning %
civilization. the public is once more
aBxlous 10 receive reliable information;
aad ~ NO many conflicting reports have
been published. the present article ID
written Tor the purpose OF giving as
clear n statement as the existing state
Of affairs will permit.
For two months past. reports have
been coming In from all sections OF
the country. and Il II now possible 90
make report OF the years work and
70 form some idea as 10 what will be
done next season.
The Cooks Inlet country has proved
to be disappointment for the gr-ut
majority of those who went there this
year. and although some good strikes
have been made. It is hardly likely that
IL viii receive much attention for some
years 10 come
With hut Few exceptions those who
went there this spring have returned
with far less gold than they took with
them and Il Is quite likely that most
OF the sufferers will give the country
anything but good name.
None of these men complain Of lack
OF gold In the country, but they found
Il In a different shape from what they
had calculated on. and were unable TO
extract Il in paying quantities The
whole country is auriferous. but II Is
In the form that Is technically known
ms -four gold, and in the majority Of
cases is very refractory. This condi-
tlon combined with difficulty OF access,
shortness OF season and unfitness for
the work. caused many OF the men 20
become discouraged at the outset, and
many were willing and anxious to
leave at the first opportunity, The ear
llest arrivals commenced to stake out
claims long before the snow had left
the ground. and before the rush was
half over every likely and unlikely spot
had been filed on, and the late comers
had nothing TO do but buy an interest
In some claim or return TO their homes.
Several good strikes were made last
season. and at few points there are
claims that yield as much as five hun
dred dollars day, but as such localities
are extremely rare. Il Is improbable that
very many OF them will be found. These
pockets usually contain coarse gold, an
unusual thing for that district, and as
quartz lodges do not abound, miners
are at loss to account for the deposits,
As yet, there is no quartz being worked
but II is generally understood that ma
will be put in at several places,
are as the locators are not inclined to
give much information concerning their |
plans. For a short time this season |
provisions were drug on the mar
ket. as so many prospectors were dis
posing OF their supplies at any price
In order to obtain sufficient money to
take them out OF the country. Flour
sold as low as fifty cents a sack. and
bacon brought about seven cents. At
the same time, Forty-Mile In the Yukon
country had but three sacks of flour in
It's store and bacon brought fifty cents, |
One can hardly draw a parallel be-
tween these countries as they are of an
entirely different nature, and 1t is only |
Df late years that prospectors have
learned that to work successfully in |
either locality they must have special
OF the two, the Yukon |
Is far ahead in most particulars and
we're II easier of access, II would be-
come as widely known as the gold fields |
of California. Except for the line Of
small steamers plying between St.
and Forty Mile, transporta-
ion is still carried on by primitive
and as the country is so rough |
I will be many years before capital will
undertake to introduce modern methods
If communication or transportation.
While reports from the Yukon are still
1t is believed that this year
will prove as productive as the pre-
,edlng one or even more so, and as the
country is so vast, there
s no telling what will be forthcoming
when the ground has been prospected |
Both Circle City and For
y-Mile are In a flourishing condition |
md It is hard matter to say which |
has the brightest future. They can
never become more than distributing |