The Globe-republican., 1896-09-10

political, educational, mercantile, whal-
ing. fishing or mining industries OF
Alaska, then juneau has no right to the
title of metropolis. In everyone OF
these particulars 1t has a second or
third-rate standing. In 1880 gold was
discovered at the mouth Of a small
creek back of the present site of the
city. Notwithstanding the fact that
hundreds of claims were soon located
and a half dozen mines are now in OPP
Grafton along this stream, 1t requires
only fifty-five stamps to pulverize all
the rock mined, and the magnitude OF
the operations has never yet justified
the erection of smelling or colonization
works. From first to last these mines
have proved a disappointment.
Across the Gastineaux channel, some
five miles away from Juneau. prospec-
tors struck pay dirt" on the southern
end of Douglas Island. This was In
1882, two years after the discovery of
gold at Juneau. Peter Erussard, or
French Pete" worked his way up the
bank and discovered ledge Of quartz
containing traces of gold. This he con-
sidered of little value, as it could only
be operated by machinery much more
extensive than his pick, shovel and
washing pan. He therefore went back
to the beach and continued to dig in
the loose gravel. A shrewd prOspector,
John Treadwell by name, came along.
heard of Pete's find, examined it on the
sly. and struck bargain with the orig
inal discoverer for $500. This was the
first sale of claim that has since be-
come one Of the richest mining proper
ties in the world. 1t was another sale
Of Paradise Lost. French Pete" was
the Milton of Douglas Island. 1t is a
long way from $500 to $4,000, 900, but
that distance has been covered in four
teen years since John Treadwell &C
Quired the property. With this change
Of ownership tie name of the ledge
changed for "The Paris" to THE Tread
we'll"
Treadwell at once organized a COM
pany and proceeded to dig prospect
ing shaft across the ledge and to erect
q five-stamp mill. The shaft showed
the ledge to be 400 feet thick and the
stamp mill convinced the company that
the rock could be worked probably
upon a large scale. Upon the strength
Of this discovery 12O-stamp mill was
built and active operations begun on a
basis hitherto unknown on the Alaskan
coast. In 1883 the capacity of this mill
was doubled, and now the deafening
tumult of 240 stamps browns all noise
at the mine, save the roar of the heavy
blasting. Not content with his first
purchase, Treadwell traced the ledge
along the bluff, and step by step ac-
Quired other claims until he owned the
vein to the very waters edge. Think of
it! A ledge of gold-bearing quartz,
5000 feet long, 400 feet wide, and
reaching to unexplored depths. Such
is the Treadwell claim.
The Treadwell ore is very low grade,
running only about three dollars per
ton. Unless operated upon an extern
s;ve scale, the mine would not pay ex-
penses. Under the present manage
ment the total cost of mining has BEEN
reduced to $1.35 per ton. At least, this
is the published statement of the COM
pany. A former governor of Alaska,
who had access to the books in order
that he might make out his report to
the general government, informed me
that he found the actual cost to be but
81 per ton. There is, therefore, profit
of from $1.65 to 81 on every ton mined.
The present output of the Treadwell
mine alone is 800 tons per day. This