New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-08
MORE LIGHT ON ALASKA.
REPORT FROM AN EXPERT OF THE
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

REPORT FROM AN EXPERT OF THE
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
NEW FACTS AS TO THE GOLD DISCOVERIES IN
THE YUKON REGIoN-pIFFIcULTIEs IN
THE WAY OF DEVELOPING THE
TERRIToRY-LIFE IN THE
MINING CAMPS.
Washington. Aug THE report on the YUKON
gold region by Josiah Edward Spur. the ueo-
logical Survey expert, who headed party wh'ch
made a thorough investigation In Aiasha 'as'
summer, giving new facts and ngures apou' '"e
interior OF the territory. was made puo"c 'o-u".
It Is a comprehensive document. ana reviews !"
detail the work in the various districts II says
as to the Forty-Mile gold district. that IN 'he
latter part of 1887 Franklin Guch was STRUCK
and the first year the creek Is estimated 10 nave
produced $4,000 Ever since 1t has peen coii-
slant payer The character OF the goid 'nere 10
nuggety, masses worth S5 being common. Inc
yield the first year after the discovery OF Forty
Mile has been variously estimated at from 3d.
600 to S15O,OOO, but 100000 probably covers the
production.
The discovery Of Davis Creek and stampede
from Franklin Gulch followed In the spring OF
as on the coast at Silver Bow Basin andd lreao-
weu rece,ved great impetus The chief occur
renee Of 1892 was the discovery OF Miller CreeA
In the spring of 1893 many new claims were
staked. and II is estimated that eighty men tooh
out s1OO 200 Since then Miller Creek has peeh
the heaviest producer Of the Forty-Mie distric'
and until recently, Of the whole Yukon. lts en-
tire length lies in British possessions. Inc Jul
nut for 1893 as given by the Mint Director io' 'ie
Alaskan creeks all but Miller Creek peihg III
,mer,can nossessions was $19SOOO, with min
ing population OF 196.
OUTPUT OF THE YUKON PLAcERs.
Tho toto, amount produced by the Yukon
n,acars ir 1894 was double that Of the previous
vear and was divided between the two ois-
,r,c,s Tn 1922 the output had doubled again.
EortvNile district in the summer or looo Is
described in the report as looking as II IL h@u
Soon its hest days and unless several ne"
creeks are discovered 1t will lose its old POSITION
The Rirch Creek district in fiourishhe
condition last summer Most or the guiches
,vere then running miners were WORKING OH
double shifts. night and day. and many iarse
nrohts were reported. On Mastodon Creeh' the
hest producer over three hundred miners were
at work. many expecting to winter IN 'he su''"
As IN hydraulic mining, the report says oo'ie
miners have planned to work this ana o'"e'
good ground supposed to exist under the ue7p
covering Of moss and gravel In the "ioe '"'e'
of the Mammoth and Crooked creeks oS ny
draulicking the water to be obtained py 'app'he
Miller and Mastodon creeks near the heau' -
will be several years before the scheme Cd" NC
operated, because both OF the present suic"es
are paying well, and will continue 10 40 50 d.
least five years.
THE STAMPEDE TO THE CLONDfhh'
Following is the report on the Clondyke dis
trict: with the announcement OF goid III 'he
winter OF 1S96-'97 there was genuine star"
pede to the new region. Forty Mile was a''''o''
deserted. But $50 men spent the winter on the
Clondyke in the gulches and at the new Town
OF Dawson The more important parts OF the
district are on Bonanza and Hunker creeks
According to latest information four hundreo
claims had been located up to January l. lo9''
about half as many more on bunker CreeA
There f. plenty of room for many more ProS
pectors and miners, for the gulches ana creehs
which have shown good prospects are spreau
over an area Of seven hundred square Hnes 1Eos
The estimated Alaskan goiu Prouu0"o' ~
Is 81, 100000" ,,., T., .ha
way of n speedy development OF the country!
First tho climate with short summer season
and long cold winter Prospecting Is aohe III
the winter more and more every year, peoauso .s
frozen ground renders travelling over ths
swampy, mOss-covered country nole ei1!, ~ ~
the miner Is thus aDe to pesH "oiN W." "
first spring thaw
MINERS LAW AND WAGES.
whatever Alaska may be in the future 1t is
said .'lt is not now self-supporting agricultur-
allv Moose caribou and hare are variable IN
ouantitv abundant one time and disappearing
from the region for twelve months at time. len
dollars a day is the general wage paid, Sl2 Tor
a day of ten hours being paid In some OF 'he
more remote gulches. In winter the pay for
labor is from S. to SO per day Of six hours. Many
times the miners have been at the point of star
walton: hardly winter when they have not been
put on ration basis UNIVERSAL su"lase 10
given. and all have an equal vote. Penalties IN
clude: For stealing banishment from the couh-
trv IN some cases also whipping; threatening
with weapons the same; murders hahsihs' ou'
there have been no murders so lai ,,
cararouv the claim is for 800 feet for gulch dig
ging from rimrock to rmrock put III suit
gulches not paying well an eHort Is penS ii'ue
70 stake claims $40 feet long. Crowded CREEKS,
too are staked 300 feet TO the clam ana no ma, ,,
s allowed to stake more than one clam IN ms ms
own name save the discoverer. who Is allowed
I OOO feet instead Of 800. The only onicer IN the
| renublic ~ miners is the Recorder appointed py
popular vote. one in each gulch or creek
GOLD PRODUCTION OF THE WORLD
n,pEc-roR PRESTON PREDICTS AN OUTPUT OF AT
LEAST s2aoOOoOoO THIS YEAR
v,.,,o,or Aug Mr. Preston the Director Of
the Mint. estimates the gold production OF the
- ,o ,soc 70 have been s9O5 600 900, of which sum