The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01

termined by vote Of all the miners in
each gulch, according to the richness
of the gravel. The usual length of
claim is about five hundred feet along
the stream. and the total width of
the gulch bed, which is ordinarily mar
row. When a prospector has thus
staked out his claim, 1t is recorded
by one of the miners, who is elected
by his fellows In each gulch for that
purpose, and this secures him sufficient
title. The miners laws are practically
the entire government in these dis
tricts, for the remoteness prevents any
systematic communication being car
ried on with the United States. All
questions and disputes are settled by
miners meetings, and the question in
dispute IS put to popular vote.
I'm prospecting, the elementary
method Of panning is used to discover
the presence Of gold in gravel, but after
a claim is staked and systematic work
begun, long sluice boxes are built of
boards, the miners being obliged to
fell the trees themselves and saw out
the lumber with whip saws, a very
laborious kind of work. The depth of
gravel in the bottom Of the gulches
varies from q foot UP to twenty or
thirty feet, and when it is deeper than
the latter figure it cannot be worked.
''The upper part Of the gravels IS
upon the rock beneath, and is generally
very thin. To get at this pay dirt all
the upper graVels must be shoveled Off
and this preliminary work often re-
quires an entire season, even in a very
small claim. When the gravel is deeper
than a certain amount-say ten feet
the task of removing it becomes for
midable. In this case the pay-dirt can
sometimes be got at in the winter
season when the gravels are frozen
hard by sinking shafts through these
gravels and drifting along the pay
dirt.
'"The pay-dirt thus removed is taken
to the surfaces and washed out in
sluices when the warm weather begins.
This underground working is done by
burning instead of blasting and pick
ing. A fire is built close to the frozen
gravel, and when it is sufficiently
thawed, it is shoveled out and removed.
The stripping off of the upper gravels,
which has been mentioned, can be done
only in the comparatively short summer
season when the surface thaws.
THE ordinary method Of getting into
the Yukon country IS by crossing the
Chilkoot pass from Juneau, down the
Lewes and Yukon rivers to the gold
districts. The usual time for starting
is in April, and a large part of the
journey is made over ice which fills the
lakes and rivers at this time of year
By this early starting, a large part
of the season available for working
Is obtained. Not every conner can find
new diggings which are profitable and
many of them are glad to work for
wages.
THE ordinary wages in summer are
$40 per day, but sixty days is consider
ed about the average number for sum-
mer work, so that the total earnings
are not so great as will appear at first
sight; and the prospects for work dur
Ing the remainder Of the year are slight
The journey over the pass and down
the Yukon is one of great difficulty and
hardship, especially as all supplies have
to be carried along. The pass itself
! Is difficult to cross, the lakes are sub
ject to violent gales, and there are a.
number of very dangerous Iarids. Once
| in the country the newcomer finds him
self 70 more comfortable.
During the summer season, when
the days sometimes are really hot
there are swarms Of mosquitoes and
gnats which have not their equal IN
the world, and which are enough alone
to discourage most men. / have heard
stories, which / can readily believe to
be true, of strong and hardy men being
so tormented by these pests while on
the trail through the swamp to the
Birch creek diggings that they broke
down and sobbed in utter despair The
method of reaching these and other
diggings consists partly in pulling a
loaded boat against a swift stream, and
often over rapids and partly in trudg-
ing through the swamp or over rough
mountain trail with a heavy load on
ones back. In winter the thermome