New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-26
ARCTIC GOLD FIELDS.
PLACER MINING IN THE FROZEN sOlh or
THE YUKON BASIN.
THRIVING COMMUNITIES IN THE MIDST OF Ai-''
KAN BoGs-wEARING THERMOMETERS

Placer mining in a country where "a'S
frozen water-is at premium nine mo"'"S -
year presents apparent contradic'o" "
dit.ons The Yukon basin Is full OF sucH p'
doxes Here where for three months the sun
shines from eighteen TO twenty-four hours day' 'n
thermometer often registering 50 degrees, the srou'
never thaws Here the extreme dryness oil 'iie az
mosphere is specific for every neshiy III
has never been a OF serious Sickness III ~
Yukon-yet the whole country Is a messy pos' am
the foot sinks anke-deep in morass at ever! s''P.
The Yukon basin occupies an immense area "'I''
OF 1t still incognta. This generation %
next and the next VIII not have time 10 CO..
It's plains. measure Its mountains. trace us i''
and discover its wealth Cold platinum copp'-'
iron and coal are known to exist In vast qnah'e''
Its furs alone equal in value the purchase -
OF the entire territory The extent and richness .,
its placer mines have been estabhsheu o' "
question Not a stream yet prospected mas ia''''
10 ''show color" No bonanzas have been uhoo'
cred nor are they TO be looked for in inc iu'u'''
unless new and especially adapted methoas U,
tracing the gold invented But Win p'"'
perseverance and industry many moderd'c io'
will undoubtedly be made.
No two accounts agree as 10 where anu VIZ.
the first discovery was made. The site OF old fort
Selkrk burned by hostile indians IN lS-' Is
bed OF fine gravel, glistening with yeiio" pa Nv,
In such quantities that 1t IS scarcely poss'p'e ,
they could have been overlooked by the H"uSo''
Bay Company's men.
In the early seventies a man named Hoit orosse'
the Coast Range alone. penetrating as far as "'e
Uootalinqua, called Newberry River 10y L''"'''
ant Schwatka. who with true explorer p'ire'
named every lake stream and mountain when ha'
the honor of a place along his route. NON
ported rich findings. but did not himself return ~
the Interior nor inspire any one e.se to seek me-
fortune there In 1851 four miners crossed '"e
range and descended the Lewis River i"" nun
,rod miles finding gold in paying quantiti's' "'"'e
1884 the bars OF the Pelly. Stewart and Hoo'a"'Il"'
rivers have been successfully worked cass'ar par
OF the last-named Is the richest yet founh III "c
Yukon basin Forty-Mile Creek. a direct triou-
,arv Of the Yukon was one OF the earliest streams
10 be worked. Its bars are not yet exhausted p"'
have been somewhat neglected since the discovery
OF coarser gold in surrounding gulches
THE EXODUS TO alaska
7, was however the increasing: hard tines
which finally populated the gold fields. Humorous
OF aborlng men on the coast finding themselves o''
OF work many small merchants facing insolvency
and a respectable army Of real estate dealers D'oA
crs and professional men with time heavy on
their hands BEGAN talking about Yukon mines
The fever spread. Every nOrthbouni steamer from
San Francisco and Puget Sound carried Iar''eS u
prospectors. For seasons the rush mas I'S'''''
ard i, IL certain that the coming spring will Wit
ness a st larger exodus
To reach this remote Eldorado one may take
MASSAGE on a steamer running from San Francisco
20 ST. Mchaers at the month OF the Yukon. there
transfer 10 the i. B Weare. the Alice or the
Arctic and journey up the river 10 rory -H'''c
POST This trip Is not TO be accompilSh"' 'h less
than thirty days and there are often tedious de-
laws caused by ice jams and sand bars. Barring
DELAYS # Is not possible to reach the diggngs be-
fore the working season IL well over, as ~" Ice
does not break up at the mouth Of the river earlier
than the frs, OF June The majority OF prospecior-
therefore, choose the overland route from Juneau
This involves less expenditure OF money As wei
az Of time. but requires much courag" ana enter
prise FOR It's successful accomplishment
Tho start Is best made In March. or not later
that the first OF April It being important that the
first part OF the Journey be accomplished beioT"
the snow and ice are gone small steamer trans
norris the adventurer from juneau up Chiicooi In
let 10 Dyea a distance OF lop miles Here the out
Fl, l. packed on sleds and hauled perhous TWEEN
ty-seven miles over he mountains TO Lake IAnHe-
man the first Of a connected chain OF lakes lead
ing into the Lewis. which Sch"aika thought 20 'e
the Yukon Itself. and through that into the YUKON
River Under the mos, favorable conditions. good
weather firm footing and ligh; packs. the crossing
may be made IN day ana a hall. u oii"h re-
ouircs an entire week. II absence Of snow pre-
.,.ics sl.iairg Indians must b. hired - carry
m. outn, over the divide. They make ihe modest
charge Of 81 per lco pounds and A. each man
easily manages a hunIred-pound pack. m" enter
prisng native is able 20 clear a consii"rab" sum
I'm the course o. a season. DESPITE It's dlncultes
this crossing with it's climb OF $3.50 feet Is well
worth veniurug. Many glaciers are passed ana the
frozen landscape is Wild and impressive beyond de-
scrption.
IcEBOATING OK THE YUKON.
Provided an early start has been made. IAndeman
and several succeeding lakes may be crossed on root
The prevailing winds being down stream a FORM -
ice-boating is made possible by rigging tarrauhn
sail on 10 the slcis commenting ones soul to one
Maker and letting her go" at speed 10 try the
nerve OF a hardened tobogganer
The ice is out somewhere near the hIst OF My
Timber is abundant in most places. but care must
BE- observed not 20 be overtaken by warm "11aan''
man 10 Forty Mile POST Is about s25 miles. and =
ordinarily passed in seven weeks. Every DAY ios-
rcss is more or less exciting and dangerous. Cur
rents swift and treacherous. log Jams. noatlhs lS
and debris whirpoos and rapids. dark canyons iuli
A man who goes to the Yukon with the deter.
OF making eqoa sis ay Of sSP bs r. I
is spent in reaching the diggngs ana lo,1tns ls
d r nf Se so IF sef may ata sH
always frozen solid say for few iEcnss near
sg hs snh dn tunra S the tundra
cept in small areas, is mpossbi. II cannot DE- ''H
Mining on the bars o. the large rivers IS easier,
but not so profitable all the coarse gold ana nngse,s
have been found In tributary streams the SIZE OF ne
grains Increasing tie streams are assembled. IN
prospecting the usual method is followed l. e. snk-
ing holes 10 bed rock across the stream ana testing
the dirt un the pay streak Is found claim n, Il l.
feet o. bottom, and much or either
"a the owner wishes The dscoverer OF new Dig,
| gings Is allowed to pre-empt two claims. or looo
feet of water ~
Having located his claim. the miner scrapes on a.
much moss as he can and turning stream OF wa,rI
| on the frozen ground, gradually thaws scrapes ana
digs his ditch. The gold lies at bed rock, 10 10
% feet below surface. a drainage ditch must
then be dug a dam built and sluice-boxea placed
II will be seen that the amount OF gold uncovered
must be large to Justify such enormous labor IN
one claim on Miller Creek $4,000 was taken out IN
space of 30xl00 feet.
SHORT SEASON OF WORK.
The briefness OF the season Is the greatest
disadvantage of placer mining near the foie.
The time from June TO August u gives scah'
opportunity for profitable work, especially when the
expense and labor of reaching the mines Is con-
s.dered. Winter mining, impossible as the propo-
sition appears has been experimental with Tor t"o
seasons and promises to yield good results WoIh;