The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-20
THE YUKON PLACERS.
They Pay Well. but the Miner
Needs to Persevere.
EARTH MUST Be THAwEo BY FIRE
The Country Not . Poor Mans Para
dfse-output Of Gold $500 600
This season.

Among thu ARRIVAL. at The Rainle~-Graaa
yesterday was G. II. Hamilton. secretary
and assistant manager Of the North Amer
lean Transportation and Trading Gem
paly, OF Fort Cu6ahy. Alaska whose
home office is IN Chicago. In response 10
an inquiry, Dir. Hamilton said that he had
recently arrived from The Yukon alstrsct
ON the steamer Portland belonging to the
transportation company which ne repre-
senis. The trip down was uneventfui,
even the ocean being placid and as smooth
as a mirror.
The proposition in the Yukon" said re.
IS placer mining. although there Is ample
held for quartz prospects. ana IL IL be-
heved that during the coming season the
country viii be largely developed In that
particular line. Times are booming up In
the Yukon, where there are ten principal
mining poiHts. the nrst being rorty-rnfls
district. containing between TO and 500
people. AL of whom ara doing well. gener-
ally speaking. A great deal OF work Is
done there IN winter. Notwithstanding the
exceedingly low temperature. al times the
thermometer Indicating - degrees below
zero. How can they work the ground in
winter Immense fires are built on the
ground, and that softens II 10 such an ex-
tent that IL Is easier worked in winter than
in summer. After burning the ground tie
miner drifts down. in the vernscular or
the profession. until he strikes pay. In
common parlance this work Is known as
deep ground This plan OF work Is en-
tireiy new. and il has proven quite profit
able. Summer work IS done b. siulcinz
and in the winter by drifting. Some very
good strikes have been made in the drift
work, as, for instance. one John Miller
took out last winter between s45,eoo and
Sa.eo OF the yellow metal. and a great
many other miners took out from s.. 900 TO
so. 90 each for their winters work or
course very many men have secured com
parativeiy nothing. simply and solely be-
cause they were not the right class of
men. There have been recently no nes
developments. but all the creeks, and
there are hundreds OF them, are doing
finely.
Between 100 and 500 new people have
come into the Yukon this year, most OF
them headed for the Circle City district,
20 miles west Of the Forty-nlile district
and 80 miles from Juneau. There are In
the Circle city district between Ice and
100 people, and all seem 20 be doing
fairly well. This is a new camp. about
two years old. and il is just getting into
good paying condition. and much can be
expected from the district. The prospects
for the coming season are very fine. and
nearly every one on the work st all sill
make good money. / would not advise any
one. tS matter AOE E4Sdk MS tAktA24ttS a.
perisnce. unless he be financially prepared
10 stay there two years without any re-
turn, 20 venture into the district N pm The
outside world II they should go there
fully equipped, the chances Of their striS
Ing something very fine sre greatly In
their favor. The first year man cannot
expect to do much in taking out money.
Il viii take two years IN which to lock
around, locate and open up claim, and
one need not think he can accomplish this
easily: il requires incessant, hard work.
1T has been reported that provisions
acre very scarce in the Yukon last via
teri"
such a report has been In circulation.
There need be no repetition Of II, since
provisions have gone forward in sufficient
bulk 10 meet all the requirements the
coming winter and spring 70 feed all the
people OF the Yukon country. ana from
now on miners and prospectors need have
no apprehension upon this score.
What IS the means OF transportation
on the Yukon river at present.
oar company owns two COTTON steam
ers capable OF making four trips ca
during the season of navigation from -.
,sficbssI's TO Forty-miie creek. In con-
nectlon with this line we have operated
two steamers, the Portland and I-akine, 10
Seattle"
Can you estimate the gold mined tnls
season on the Yukon
yes, fully $4,000 tas been taken out
In the line OF commercial interests you
uay add that the North American Trans
uorfatton and Trading company's business
this year has reached over 10000.
Mr.. Hamilton left for Chicago last
night.