The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-09-25
A. ]. Green ReCOunts His Experiences
at KlOndyke.
MORE HARDSHIPS THAN GOLD.
But 1t Is Rich Country If Ever De-
VelOped-The Pay Streak From is to
20 Feet Deep in Frozen Gravel
Mines Worked BY Shafts.

Hon. A. J. Green returned from his
trip to the Alaskan gold fields at Klon.
dyke last Tuesday after an eventful
trip. He left Dawson City, at the
mouth of the Klondyke river the Goth
of July, on a steamer bound for st.
Michaels, but the boat struck on n
sand bar where it renamed nineteen
days until another steamer came along
and picked up the passengers. Mr..
Green went to Dawson City over the
Chilcoot pass, the many lakes and down
the Yukon river. He says that the
trail is very rough in places and that
navigation on the river is extremely
dangerous; broken boats are strewn
along the stream from where the route
touches it to Dawson City. The hard
ships of the trip are something terrible
at any season of the year as one must
sleep on the snow or on the water in an
open boat and the exertion in carrying
in provision tires the strongest men.
The KlOndyke gold fields are located
on tributaries of the Klondyke river,
from eight to forty miles from Dawson
City and in low billy country. The
richest claims have been developed In
the narrow valleys between the hills.
and the gold is found in gravel at
depth of from IS to % feet in what an.
pears to be old creek beds. The paw
streak on claims developed is usually
only few feet in width and in many
places runs under the hills showing
that at some time the hills had slid in.
TO the channel and formed a new one.
leaving the gold deposited in the chan
mel. The gold is mined by the shaft
process, shafts being dug through the
frozenH muck nd gravel to the pay
streak. After the shaft is sunk fires
are built around the walls to thaw the
gravel so that the gold can be washed
out. This process is continued until
the excavation becomes too large to
easily handle the gravel when another
new shaft is sunk and the thawing pro-
cess continued. The earth never thaws
to depth of more than five or six in
Ches and sinking shafts and havinp is
slow process. A brown colored moss
covers the ground to depth of about
foot and travel in the summer season
is very tedious and prospecting almost
impossible on account of surface water.
Large amounts of gold is being taken
out of claims developed but the amount
is greatly exaggerated by the daily press,
LaboTers are paid at the rate of $3.50
an hour but there is little demand for
work owing to the great influx. Pro-
visions cost an exhorbitant price;
bacon, beans and other necessaries
costing 81 per pound, while eggs cost
81 each and meals from $125 to $3.50.
When Mr.. Green left Dawson City
there was fears of a scarcity of food
and hundreds were leaving as fast as
possible. He says there is no excite
ment at Dawson City but that there
are hundreds of men rushing in over
the trails and by the river route and
that great many are stranded on &C.
count of the trail being blocked.
Mr.. Green brought down some fine
specimens in the shape of nuggets con-
tanning from two to ten dollars and
bottle of coarse gold. He says that
there is gold in the Klondyke and will
go back. He advises intending gold
seekers not to go with the rush as there
is large territory hard to prospect
and hard to get at, and it takes money
to develop. Mining there is much
more expensive than in this country.
Since his return he has been the center
of attraction and great many have
sought to gain information regarding
the country and rospects.-Moscow
Mirror.