The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-30

Now that so much is being said about
the Klondike gold fields, it may be in
teresting to know that we have a
townsman who Is probably more COM
petent to speak OH the subject of gold
and silver mining, and particularly on
conditions of gold hunting in Alaska,
than any other man in this region. In
fact, there are few in the country
better qualified for giving expert min
ing opinions than this gentleman, the
best proof of whose abilities in this dl-
rection is the large wealth he has
amassed in the gold fields of the west
Reference is made to Mr.. Nicholas Il.
Rice, who as a mere boy enlisted in
the Union army in 1861 and at the
close of the war, still imbued with the
spiHt of adventure spent thirteen
years amid the varied and exciting
experiences Of mining camps, in Cali
fornia, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona
Wyoming, Nevada, and in fact in near
ly every state and territory in the
mining belt of the west.
In 1874 Mr.. Rice had nearly decided
to 60 to the diamond fields of South
Africa, but owing to the then round
about and almost endless journey and
the objections of his friends in the east
he hesitated About this time a little
party of miners had reached the coast
after stay in the almost inpenetrat-
able interior Of Alaska, and reported
rich finds in what was known as the
Dease Creek district. An account of
their story was published in Califor-
mia paper, and Mr.. Rice determined to
take the chances of stalking a claim
in that far away place.
THE VOYAGE TO JUNEAU.
A slow coasting steamer took him
from Puget's sound to Juneau for SIS,
sum about one-fifth of what the
trip now costs. He found a STAN
pede" in progress, as 1900 men like
himself had taken the chances of maxi
ing a fortune in the new opening.
He picked up a partner on the way.
When they disembarked for the jour-
ney to the interior Mr.. Rice carried
a pack on his back weighing 105
pounds, despite his effOEss to take
along as little as possible. In this
heavy marching order he travelled
thirteen and one-half miles per day,
until 120 miles were covered. They had
bought canoe for $50, and also drag
ged and carried that much of the way,
where the streams were too rapid for
boating. They arrived in the Dease
district May 5,1S74. This region, which
is not many miles from that of the
Klondike, is covered with a dense
growth of spruce and fir, while over
the surface is the soft northern moss
sixteen inches deep, in which the foot
falls make no sound. Beneath all. the
earth lies frozen until the solid rock is
reached.
Dease creek is but seven miles long.
Mr.. Rice and his partner staked what
appeared to be a promising claim,
where they worked all summer. Three
miles above them pay gravel had been
struck, which was yielding large re-
turns, and Mr.. Rice with his knowl-
edge of mining, saw indications of
similar success for himself and the
three others with whom he had as
sociated himself.
MINING UNDER DIFFICULTIES
But mining in Alaska" said Mr..
Rice, "is far different from mining i'm
California, changing the channel Of an
lce-cold stream with a dearth of con-
VemenceS, sinking a shaft where every
loot or timber must be whip-saWed,
and thawing every inch of earth be-
fore being able to dig, consumed much
or our precious summer l paid $3.50
q thousand for lumber and when YOU
consider that these boards were all
sawed by hand by two men, which
means the hardest sort Of toll in the
way 1t must be done there, it is not
too high a price.
After we had sunk our shaft nearly
to bed rock, we were appalled, to find
a huge boulder weighing several tons
precisely in the bottom of the opening.
What could we do? No, there wasn't
any dynamite, and we hadn't a BIT of
powder, while a pickaXe and shovel
with the addition of a hatchet, aren't
| OF much account in splitting boulders,
You can't guess? Why, it was simple
enough. We just piled a lot of wood
on top of the rock and built a tremend-
Gus fire. Then we went to bed There
were seams and veins even in that
boulder; these were filled with water;
the intense heat produced steam in its
internal regions and Of course there
was the natural result. The next
morning out boulder wasn't there, but
a great many small pieces of rock were
distributed about the surrounding
country"
A WASTED SUMMER,
They toiled for several weeks. Then
there came a day when the rise and in
| creasing softness of the bed rock gave
| unmistakable signs of the presence of
gold in large quantities. That day the
men worked feverishly, shoveling the
gravel into the pan and watching for
the precious particles that sank to the
bottom. The average was about one
dollar pan, which promised well, and
| that day Mr.. Rice secured gold to the
amount Of about $40. The next morn
ing they all hastened to the spot to be-
gin washing for the spols of the stream
bed, but in Il night the floods had come
and the claim was covered with a
swift-hoating stream of debris. All
the fruits of the laboriously construct
| ed dam, the buckets, pipes, the shaft,
the chutes, all gone, and with them the
hope of any further advantage to be
gained, for the brief summer had al
most vanished and the long bitter night
of the Arctic winter was fast settling
down.
The four men viewed their ruined
claims, packed up their few belong
ings and started back for the coast
There was no use anticipating a return
in the spring. for by that time the place
where the dam had been would prob
ably lie under sixty feet of debris.