The times., 1897-07-27
Civil Engineer French Describes
His Experiences in Alaska.
THROUGH THE GOLD REGION
Was a Member of One OF the Bound
airy Survey Parties Sent Out by
fhe Government and Was All Over
the Ground Where the Rich
Strike Was Made.

DecIfoI VIII TIE new i -sOicSS 1SNS'g -
perhaps, as wen qualified to tell of the
land Of the Klondike aud the life OF the
miners in the gold regions thereabouts as
any ore IL Washington. he has Travelled
all over the Alaskan mining lands, and was
q Inemher of the party sent out 10y the
United States Government III the year
1889 TO make the boundary survey along
the Islst meridian. This meridian crosses
Forty Mile and the Yukon at the klon-
like, and during the winter the sur
yey was made the party traversed most
of the Alaskan and Canadian land included
within the territory Of the recently de-
Yeloped gold fields.
In conYersa ton with Times reporter
last evening Mr.. French related few
OF the many incidentsof the trip and some
OF the impressions that were received by
him during his stay in the North.
During my term OF service with the
Coast Survey" he said Il had many op-
portunities for observing the Alaskan coun-
try and its characteristics, and especially
so during my connection with the boundary
survey.
1t was in June, 1889, that the party
from, San Francisco on the Bertha, a steam
er OF one OF the commercial companies
of that place, and arrived at st. Michael's
on the 5th OF July following. From there
We made the journey up the Yukon River
TO the boundary in twenty-five days. Pro-
visions Were carried along for the sus-
tenance OF twenty for period OF twelve
months. II was impossible to take a
larger supply along with Us, but what
we did have was enough to see US through
until supplies for the latter part of the
trip, during the early part OF 1889, We're
To be conveyed to Us by another vessel.
Several months after the departure OF
our steamer the relief steamer of the
commercial company followed, but dur
ing the month OF September it was wrecked
on the coast of Alaska When the news
reached US we were in a quandary In
the eauy fall meeting was held, and it
was decided that all men whose supplies
Were exhausted had better return down the
Ifver. Several days afterward we were
ogertaken by several Indian messengers
fTom st. GichaeI's. They brought the wei
come news that provisions would he found
foT the party and miners about half way
Mikulagut 4 member of the Government
party and myself went down the river
20 the village, distance of 500 miles.
taking with us two sleds and three dogs.
We took provisions TO the men, and re-
TUNED twice again for additional supnlies
In February the Government party reached
the Fo:ty Nile Creek.
''on the trip several Of the miners did
Some preliminary prospecting, and found
traces Of gold alcng the Yukon and its
tributaries. AT that time Forty Nile was
place af so miners, but some . 600
men are in that vicinity now. The month
Of Forty Mile Creek is in Canadian terri
tory, but the greater length of the stream
is in Alaska. There is a dispute, however.
In regard Ia the boundaries. We also
traR ersed the ma jOr portion OF white River.
Pelly Greek, Stewart Greek. and the KIon-
dixie; also the now famous Sixty Mile
Creek
The country around the Klondike Is
very hiily, many hills in that vicinity
towering UP to a height OF 3 800 feet. The
mountain tops when not covered with
snow are desolate and barren as d rock
The hills are covered with a heavy growth
creeks are for the most part lined with
willows
.-on all trips, whenever We did any in
dependent prospecting we found 'colors'
and pan gold 'Colors' is a term applied
by miners 10 flakes of gold about the size
OF a pinhead, taken out I'm the process OF
'pannng.' The gold is more easily taken
out Of the bed of rivers that have been
changed in their course, so as 10 allow
the mining process to be carried on more
quickly and advantagcously. When the
ground is frozen it is taken out in large
chunks and 'thawed out and washed
in the spring. Most of the nuggets found
then We're about the size OF No. shot,
but larger nuggets have been found in
later years. When new prospectors have
made find they go to work with whip
saws and saw out lumber for the sluice
hoNes, into which the water of the streams
were TUNED and the gold washed out OF
The sand and gravel by 'panners'
in 1883 the miners were only realizing
about $1,000 year each, but that was
before the real resources of the region
were known.
in the interior travel is almost an i'm
possibility without dogs and sleds. During
the winter the snow is soft and almost
completely covers the dogs, so that they
can only make about eight or ten miles q
day when on a trail When the snow is
crus:ed they can make fifty miles a day
winter begins about September 25, and
the spring breaking-up of the river ice
begins about May % The best mining is
done in August, and the old miners claim
that 100 days work year is a good
showing"
The average temperature recorded dur
ing tie survey during January and Feb
raary, $50, was 80 degrees Fahrenheit
below zero. 1t was as low as So degrees
for fifteen days at time. The clothing
worn when miners are idle is made of
FUR, and when travelling in sleds heavy
wooden garments are worn
I'm the sumner the men almost invari-
ably wear rubber boots The miners
cultivate unusual appetites after short
residence along the Yukon. The average
monthly diet per man is fifty pounds of
Hour, thirty pounds of beans and bacon
and these articles, with tea and coffee.
form the principal diet of the men,
Mr.. French has been identified with
'h'e engineering III tne United states
during the greater part of his life. lie
lived at Leadyillc, Colo, a number of
years. and is thoroughly acquainted with
the gold fields OF Arizona, California, and
Colorado
SPRING RUSH WILL BE HEAVY.
Women as We'll as Men Preparinc
for the Stampede.
Tacoma. Wash Julv % -Nrcc-a. b,ntarv