The herald., 1897-08-01
special Correspondence to The Herald


WASHINGTON July 2S.-(Special
Correspondence to the Herald.) The ar
rival of the Excelsior, the modern treas
ure ship, at Seattle freighted with gold,
and the consequent national excitement
and demand for precise information has
directed attention to the fact that the
United States government recently sent
an expedition into Alaska after the very
knowledge that is now so widely sought.
The expedition consisted of members
OF the United States geological survey
and was headed by that distinguished
geologist and man of science, Prof. j.
Edward Spur. The following informa-
tion and photographs gathered by Prof.
Spur are of the greatest possible in
terest 1t might be said to be the first
official knowledge and the first photo
graphs.
Close to the waters of the Yukon river
in far away Alaska, the northernmost OF
Uncle Sans possessions, lies what the
government now pronounces the coming
gold mining center of the world. Here
for the first time is told, by Mr.. ]. Ed
ward Spur, chief of the party sent out
by the government geological survey to
thoroughly examine the gold fields, the
truth concerning what has hitherto been
largely veiled in mystery.
There is little about the country be-
sides its mineral wealth to invite. In
the short summer, clouds of mosquitoes
descend on the yellow land like the
pestilence of ancient Egypt. In the long
winter the cold is so severe that mining
can only be carried on during the sun
shiny days. Yet Prof. Spur tells us in
the accompanying statement that this
Is country which for placer mining will
exceed California's palmiest days. To
gather the gold, however, and wean it
from the surroundings where nature has
placed it, much valuable machinery is
necessary.
So it will be seen that it is going to be
q hard fight the seeker of wealth will
have, who tries his chances with fortune
In the Yukon gold fields. This is what
Prof. Spur says:
ITO the Editor: Much has been writ
ten of late concerning the possibilities
Of Alaska as gold-producing country.
As a matter of fact, the production of
the present year may be roughly esti-
mated at So, 100000; this amount, how
ever, comes from an immense region of
half million square miles, or about
one-Quarter as large as the United
States. OF the mines which produce this
gold, some are in the bed rock while
others are placer diggings.
1.-THE bedrock mines are few in number
and situated on the southeast coast, which
is the most accessible part of the terri
todry. The chief one is the great Tread
well mine, near Juneau, and there are
also important mines at Berner's bay
at the island of Unga and other places
The latest strike is the Klondyke. Most
Of these mines, however, are in low
grade ore and the production is only
made profitable by means of careful,
management and operations on very
large scale.
1.-THE placer mines are those which oc-
cupy the most prominent place in the
popular mind, since they are remote
from civilizat ton and in a country about
which little is known, which is on ac-
count of this uncertainty, dangerously
attractive to the average man. This
gold producing country of the interior
Is mostly in the vicinity of the Yukon
river or of some of its immediate tribu
hitherto have been the FortyAMile dis
trict, which lies partly in British terri
tory, and the Birch Creek district, which
lies in American territory. Some gold
diggings are also supposed to exist OF
Stewart river, and some gold has been
shipped from the Koykuk. During the
latter part of the past season diggings
were also found on the Kluntick and,
Indian rivers, near Forty-Mile.
Another place concerning which there
have been many vague rumors of gold,
causing a stampede of many unpre-
pared and untitled men, is the Cook in
let country which lies on the coast above
the mouth of Copper river, a situation
remote alike from the mines near Jun
eau and from the placer mines on the
Yukon.
sIn all this immense country over
which placer digging is carried on, or
has been carried on, 1 estimate that there
are about two thousand miners. They
are mostly in the Yukon districts. These
districts lie in broad belt of gold-pro-
ducing rocks having considerable
width and extending in a general east
and west direction for several hundred
miles. Throughout this belt occurs
quartz veins which carry gold, but so
far as yet found out, the ore Is of low
grade, and a large proportion of the
veins have been so broken by movements
in the rocks that they cannot be followed.
For this reason, the mines in the bed rock
cannot be worked except on a large
scale with improved machinery, and
even such operations are impossible un-
til the general conditions of the coun-
try in reference to transportation and
supplies are improved.
Through the gold-bearing rocks the
streams have cut deep gullies and can
yons, and in their beds the gold which
was contained in the rocks which have
been worn away is concentrated, so that
from large amount of very low grade
rock there may be formed in places a
gravel sufficiently rich in gold to repay
washing. All the mining which is done
in this country, therefore, consists III
the washing out of these gravels.
In each gulch prospectors are at lib
erty to stake out claims not already
taken, the sizs of the claims being de-
termined by vote of all the miners in
each gulch, according to the richness OF
the gravel. The usual length of a
claim is about 500 feet along the stream
and the total width of the gulch bed,
which is ordinarily narrow. When a
procneofor has TINS St q ked ont hic ri IN,