The Portland daily press., 1896-04-09

1920 miners are employed. The opera
lions here are carried on chiefly by large
companies, including the great Tread
we'll mine, the largest gold mine IN the
world. These large companies, it IS es.
timated, will produce fully So, COO, GU
this year.
The several thousand placer miners
who will soon be working In the Yukon
basin and at Cooks inlet will take out,
it is estimated, "a. QUO, 900 to So, 600, 600
more. 1t is claimed by returned miners
that the placer miners last year made
$500 to $4,000 each. The country is better
known this yaer, and. it is claimed there
is every reason TO believe that high
average will be maintained.
Few people have any idea of the hard
ships encountered by the sturdy men who
leave their homes to brave the perlls of
the long 750nile journey which the min
ers must take in going from the head Of
navigation to Forty Mile creek on the
Yukon in the interior of Alaska. Most
of the miners go prepared to stay there
years at least. To stay on the Yukon
three years usually insures success 1t
takos large part of the first season to
get there and locate claim. The second
season is spent in development work and
during the last half of this season and
the third season the miner usually makes
his stake. Some, luokier than the others,
make rich strike the first season AMI
are able to come out with several thou
sands dollars in dust and nuggets In
their belts, but these are exceptions.
The miners began leaving Tacoma for
Juneau the latter part of January. They
must leave Juneau in March in order to
get over the mountain passes and down
the largest of the lakes before winter
breaks up, turning the snow and ice into
torrents which make the passage difficult
and dangerous
The first requisite of the miner is
good outfit This must include strong,
warm clothing, light, warm bedding,
Yukon stove, an Alaska sled, an ak, saw
and other tools necessary for making
boats and Tnfts, at least feet of rope,
small medicine chest and his provisions.
The Yukon stove is a light sheet-iron
affair, which has now become indispen-
sable to miners in the far North. 1t can
be set up on the snow or anyw here, uses
less wood than an open campfire, gives
better heat, protects the eyes from smoke,
and is more convenient for cooking.
The Alaska sleigh is a skeleton sled,
made of tho best hardwood and shod
with steel runners, being usually feet 8
inches long and just the proper width
TO track behind snowshoes. They cost
81 to SIS each. No outfit is complete
without snowshoes, heavy duck or can
vas tent, blankets or fur robes. and cook
Ing utensils. Experience has proved the
following provisions to be essential:
Flour, so pounds; bakin powder, dried
furit, bacon, beans, loaf sugar, oGffee,
tea, salt, pepper, dessioated onions, butter,
condensed milk, rice, cornmeal and oat-
meal. The outfit depends much upon
the purse and taste of the purchaser,
costs from 500 to 5000 An ordinary out
lit will weigh 400 pounds. Sometimes
one is heavier, but larger outfits are no
longer necessary or advisable on account
of the gigantic task of hauling them to
the Yukon, and because competition be-
tween the trading companies at Forty
Mile has reduced the prices of provisions
on the Yukon to minimum.
The regular mining season of the Yu
kon lasts from June to Septem Der l.
times find thawed-out ground in the lat
ter part of May. Sometimes the season
remaiDs open until September 10, but
usuallysby that time the grounds frozen,
and snow is coming down thick and fast
Some of the miners work during the
winter by burning wood to thaw out the
ground. Few do this after their first
year there. The advantage of remain
Ing on the ground during the winter is
the saving of the long journey In and
out and the miners ability to get to
work earlier in the spring. The miners
spend the long winter in eating, Sleep
ing, playing cards and otherwise anus
ing themselves. During the short sum
mer season they work almost night and
day. 1t is then nearly as light at mid
night as at midday, the bright Alaskan
sun setting only for few minutes each
day during the middle of the summer
One of the beauties of Alaskan winters is
the frequent and brilliant displays of
northern lights, the Aurora Borealis being
seen there is all its glory.