The record-union., 1897-12-20
THREE WINTERS IN ALASKA.
EXPERIENCES OF A FORMER
SACRAMENTAN.
A. l.. Smith Writes an Interesting
Letter From the Klondike
Country.

| George A. Clark, a resident of Sacra'
mento, has received the following let
| ter from A. l.. Smith, who has beer
in the mining region of Alaska for thre'
winters. Writing from Dawson City
under date of August Sth, Mr.. Clarl
says:
| Mr.. George A. Clark, Sacramento
Dear Sir: Thinking of you this evening
| l thought l would drop you a line anc
let you know l am still in the land O.
| the living. You will readily see by
my address that I took the gold fe
yer, but not the Klondike fever, as
/ have been in this country for the
past two years, or nearly three. ant
am not rich yet, or at least do not fee
SO, though l hope some day to come
out feeling that 1 have been paid fol
the hardships and deprivations l have
| been subjected to here.
OF course, in hearing from me, ant
knowing the newspaper reports which
at this time are filled with stories from
this country, you will expect to know
how things really are here. There is
no doubt but that this is a rich coun-
try, but you have been through the
mining boom of 40. You undoubtedly
found gravel mixed with the gold there
and it is the same here. But l cannot
help but say the country is rich; or,
should say, two creeks-namely, h
Dorado and Bonanza.
| The former pays for three and one
half miles, and it is very rich ground
The claims are 500 feet long. and the
| average pay, I think, is about $1,000
! to the box-length, but there are spots
| that will pay $4,000 The gold is very
coarse, with lots of nuggets with pieces
Of quartz in them. 1t assays, / think
about S13 to the ounce. The pay dirt
| varies in width from fifteen feet tc
| 100 and possibly more in places.
Bonanza Creek is a long gulch twen-
ty-five miles in length. There has been
very good pay found on it for dis
| tance of nine and one-half miles The
gold found on this creek is much finer
than on Ell Dorado, with very few
| nuggets. Its assay is about SIT pei
ounce, and while Bonanza Creek is not
as rich there is a much larger body
Of pay dirt. The pay dirt on this creek
is from sixty to 100 feet wide, and
possibly more in places.
1t pays from 500 to 5000 to the
box-length. We call 12x14 a box in this
country.
These two creeks are very fat, about
fifteen inches to the 100 feet; average
depth, about ten feet. So you can
| readily see it is hard ground tC
work from the top, unless with pumps
for drainage, and as the seasons are
short there is delay by frost.
There have been several claims
opened up this summer, but the sup
ply of water has been short on Ell Do
rado Creek, consequently the output
this season is not large. The most
taken out of any one claim thus far
is $4,000, which is on Bonanza Creek
but had they water on El Dorado
this undoubtedly would be beaten.
But the heft of the gold will be taken
out this winter by drifting This is
done by building fires against the face,
as the ground is frozen. A fire will
thaw about eight inches The fire is
lit at night, and is cool enough to work
in the morning. We have to use no
timbers, as the muck and frozen ground
above is firm 1t requires about thirty
cords of wood for two men in a winter,
lengths a month. This dirt is stacked
on top and sluiced in the spring.
There are other creeks which are
showing up Well, namely, Hunker Gold
Bottom and Bear Greeks, and several
others, but these think are very good.
Our supplies for winter are going to
be limited, and lots will have to go
out. 1t seems strange to me where
there are SO many companies looking
for investment, why some Of them don't
come here. l have been here three
winters, and since then it has been the
next thing to starvation There never
has been provisions enough any wear
yet, and the prices charged are awful
Should good company come here they
would get the trade. as the people are
tired OF being used as they have been
You buy, pay exorbitant prices and
then beg to get it, and then wait until
they are good and ready. Could have
sold my property for cash this sum-
fner 1 would nave gone out and tried
TO incorporate a company to come here.
and L think l could have done II hv
having $4,000 or $1,000 900 to mt into
it myself
l have, 1 think, good ground and
will make money this winter if there
are men and provisions here. OF the
former there Will be lots, and it de-
pends on the latter. l would work
sixty men If l can get them. Wages
are SO per day, and will be higher 7
think, as so many will have to go ont
man would make money to LET his
ground lie idle. but the most Of lis are
tired OF living as We are, and are anx-
ious to work it out and fly.
Well, / have given you an accurate
account of these creeks. l am not ex-
aggerating or diminishing, but keen as
near the truth as any man can come
as l claim to be posted, and will keen
so.