The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-22
Corner Whitaker Street.

ed as being very long branch of Indian
creek. A least ten miles below Kettle.
sons fork Phil creek runs in from tho
east, and still further down, perhaps four
OF five miles, the main Indian creek is met
with and five miles up this Is Cutters
creek. But the more important parts Of
the district are at present on Bonanza
and bunker creeks. IL Is not far wrong TO
say that gulches ana creeks which have
shown good prospects are spread over the
area of 700 square miles
Mr. Spur says that the difficulties in
the way Of the speedy development Of this
region are many, the principal one being
the climate. Although the winter season
Is very severe the miners are not inactive
as they spend what time they can digging
up the dirt for panning In the spring and
at Intervals they go prospecting, which
Is easier ia the winter, as the frozen
ground renders travelling through the
swampy, moss covered country less dini-
cult In winter than in summer. Frosts
are frequent in the summer and IN the
winter the temperature sometimes goes 90
~ degrees below zero. Mr.. Spur finds
that farming In this country in spite OF
the richness Of the ground, will hardly
prove profitable, although several gardens
have grown potatoes, cabbages, and tur-
nips with some success. Many times the
miners have been al the point OF starya-
ton, ana there Is hardly a winter when
they are not put on short ratons. The
interior Of Alaska about the placer mines
g. governed by the miners meeting"
where majority rules ana a vote Is accord
cd TO all. Stealing is punished by ban
ishment, as Is also threatening with
weapons; murder Is punished with death;
gambling is "a legitimate amusement. IL
appears that under the laws az establish
ed by the miners themselves "A claim eX-
tends 800 feet from rimrock 60 rimrock,
ordinarily. In the poorer diggings claims
are sometimes staked 1.32O feet while in
the richer and more crowded diggings 800
feet 10 the claim rs the limit. The dis
covorer OF the gulch is usually allowed TO
have 1000 feet instead of 800. Mr. Spur
gives other interesting information re-
gardlng the laws Of the miners and their
enforcement.
Mr.. Becker reports on the "reconnois-
sauce OF the gold fields Of Alaska" The
mining in this district is almost exclus-
lively confined 90 the quartz mines which
yield fair return for the money invest
"a IN all instances. and In some are ex-
tremely productive. Mr.. Beckers cXpedi-
ton want to st. Paul, Kadiak, by mail
steamer and there they secured a tugboat
of twenty-fOur tons. iu which "A Journey
OF thirteen hundred miles was made ka-
dlak was circumuavigated. Chirikon was
visited. Cook Inlet. Turnagain Arm and
kachemak bay were explored and land
.ngs were made on the Alaska peninsula
from Cape Douglas TO unga Island From
Inga 90 Unalaska the explorers went by
mail steamer. AZ Dutch Harbor steam
az was chartered for "a brief visit TO Bog
Oslof and Gremlngk. The Bertha trans
ported them from Dutch llarbOr 10 San
Francisco According to the report. the
gold deposits Of Alaska are Invisible into
Two groups. one on the Yukon river,
close 20 the British frontier. the other
along The coast from Sumdum bay west
ward az Gar a. tnalaska Gold has been
detected ON the kownk and the Kuakok.
win rivers. The direct distance from
Sumdum bay 20 TnalaHka IN about i.gO
miles, the coast line being much longer.
Tho most eaHtcrly mines are either on
Islands OF the Alexander archipelago or
on the adjoining mainland. Juat opposite
tho town of Juneau. on Douglas Island.
ls the Ircadwf ll-AlaHka mine ana lts ok.
tension. The Mexican. ON the mainland
within "a few miles are the silver bow
basin and che Sheep creek districts.
bumdum 81 ON the mainland nifty miles
40 che uorihWcst There are also gold
quartz veins On The northern end Of IA.
m rally Island, thirty miles west of DO.
noau. Too lani district 81 Importance in
NuD Alexander archipelago iH nfar altha.
on nlrtngf island
Another gr0up ~ deposits ice be- DE