The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-27
THE KLONDIKE GOLD.
PROFESSOR or GEOLOGY AT oBERlIN
COLLEGE ON ITS SOURCE.

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The Gold Probably Glacial Deposit From
the Disintegrstsd .Mother Loder-This
Country Must Hold on tn Her Treaty.
Rights In the Kiondiks Region.
The discovery Of gold in large guam
titles on the Yukon river IL by no means
unexpected. Eleven years ago the last
word heard AZ left juneau was tho
pledge Of returning tourist to meet
his friend the next summer and prospect
In the Yukon region.
The great mass Of gold bearing quartz
at the Trcadwell mine, near Juneau,
was what might be expected, and at tho
same time what might be the limitation
of the supply. For more than ten years
that mine has furnished more than $1,-
O0O, 600 Of gold annually. but 1t Is not
like ordinary quartz mines. 1t is rather
great, isolated mass Of quartz with
gold disseminated all through 1t. While
Ats worth Is great. it's length Ia limited.
Little is known. about the geology Of
the Yukon river, where the Klondike
mines have been found. Being placer
mines, the gold may have been trans
ported many miles. The means Of trans
portation are both glaciers and rivers
The Klondike region IL ON the north
side Of the St Elias Alps. Alaska was
newer completely covered with glacial
toa The glaciers flowed both north and
south from these summita Dawson and
Professor Russell both report well de-
hned terminal moaines across the up
per Yukon valley. Tho source OF the
Klmdike gold. therefore. Is from the
south.
Placer mines originate tn tho disfn-
tAgration of gold bearing quartz veins
or mass like that at Juneau Under
subaarial agencies these become dis
solved. Then the glaciers transport the
material AZ far as they 60. when the
foods Of water carry Il on still farther.
Gold, being heavier than the other ma
terials associated with It, lodges in the
crevasses or in the rough places at the
bottom Of tho streaanA So to speak, ma
ture has stamped and "panned" the
gravel frst and prepared the way for
man to finish tho work. The amount Of
gold found In tho placer mines II evi.
denoe not 20 much, perhaps, OF q very
rich vein az of the disintegration Of
very largo vein.
! The mother lode" has been looked
for in vain In California, and perhaps
will be 20 In Alaska. But IL exists
somewhere up the streams On which
the placer mines are found The. dis
oovery of gold in glacial deposits far
away from it, native place is familiar
to American geological #
I have encountered placer minesin
glacial deposits near Aurora in south
eastern Indiana, In Adams county in
southern Ohio and near Titusville In
western Pennsyi yivania, where, see,
there is new excitement. But in all
these cases the gold had been brought
several hundred miles by glacial ice
from Canada or the region about Lake
Superior. These gold mines were near
the edge of the glacial region, where
there had been much asserting action
of both ice and water.
1t is evident, however, that in Alaska
the transportation of the gold has not
gone so far. The difficulties Of this
transportation into the Klondike region
and the shortness of the season will
continue to be great drawbacks to work
ing the mines. The pass north OF Chill
kat is 1000 feet above sea level and
but few miles back from the ocean.
There is no possibility of a road over
it. But from Taku inlet, near Juneau,
reader access can be had. This route
was followed by Schwatka and Mr..
Hayes of the United States geological
survey few years ago and has been
partially surveyed with reference to a
railroad line and reported to be avail
able. The only other way is by river
which is open to navigation only a
short time each year and is great way
around.
The general climatic conditions on
the north side of the mountains are
much better than those on the south
side. On the south side the snowfall is
enormous, but on the north side the air
is drier. Schwatka and Hayes went in
the summer down the Yukon valley
about to the Klondike region, and from
there struck of west, passing to the
north Of Mount st. Elias and down the
Copper river. They had dry weather all
the time, in which camping was pleas
ant, while Russell the same season was
driven back by inolement weather from
ascending st. Elias on the south side.
It is therefore not impossible that ex-
plorations southwest Of the present gold
fields may be carried on with compare
tive ease. But at present that whole
region is bare Of means Of subsistence.
There is imminent danger that many
will get in there before winter with in
sufficient means and starve. Eventu-
ally the reindeer which Sheldon Jack
son is introducing will be available
both for transportation and food. being
much superior to dogs in that they can
procure their own food. But for the
present every necessity must either be
packed over the Chilkat pass or brought
aronpd bv xyav of tho YuIol