Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1897-08-12
YUKON GOLD REGION.
Report of Geological Survey
Expert of Room
Prices for Labor.

Washington, August 0.-Iht
report on the Yukon gold regio1
by Josiah E. Spur, the geological
survey expert, who headed a party
that made thorough investigation
in Alaska last summer, giving new
facts about the interior, was made
public today. 1t IS a comprehen
sive document and reviews il
detail the work in the various dis
tricts. 1t says as to the forty
mile gold district, that in the lat
ter part of 1887 Franklin gulch
was struck, and the first year the
creek is estimated to have pro-
duced 81, 900. Ever since it has
been constant payer.
The discovery of Davis creek
and a stampede from Franklin
gulch followed in the spring Of
1888. In 1891 gold mining in
the interior, as we'll as on the
coast at Silver Bow basin and
Treadwell, received great impe-
tus. The event of 1892 was the
discovery of Miller Creek. In
the spring of 1898 many new
claims were staked, and it is esti-
mated that eighty men took out
500, 900. Since then Miller creek
has been the heaviest producer OF
the forty mile district, and until
recently of the whole Yukon. Its
entire length lies in British pos
sessions.
The output for 1898, as given
by the mint director for the Alas
kan creeks, all but Miller creek,
being in American possession, was
S198, 600, with mining popula-
ton of 1876. The total amount
produced by the Yukon placers in
1894 was double that of the pre-
vious year. In 1906 the output
had doubled again. Following is
the report on the Klondyke dise
trict.
"With the announcement of
gold here in the interior in 1896
and 1897 there was a genuine
stampede to the new region. The
Forty.mile was almost deserted.
But $50 men spent the winter in
Klondyke, in the gulches and at
the new town of Dawson. The
more important parts of the dis
trict are on Bonanza and Hunker
creeks. According to the latest
information 400 claims had been
located up to January 1, 1897,
about half as many on Hunker
creek.
"There is plenty of room for
many more prospectors and miners
for the gulches and creeks which
have shown good prospects are
spread over an area of 700 square
miles. The estimated Alaskan
gold production for 1896, made
by the Spur report, is 81, 40o,-
OOO."
The report points out the diff
culties in the way of speedy devel-
opment of the country. First,
the climate, with short summer
season and long winter. Pros
pecting is done in the winter, and
more and more every year, because
the frozen ground renders travel
ing over the swamp, messy coun-
try more easy, and the miners
thus able to begin work with the
first spring thaw. "Whatever
Alaska may be in the future, it is
not self-supporting agriculturally.
Moose, caribou and bear are varia-
BILE in quantity, sometimes abund-
ant, and disappearing from the
region for twelve months at a
time. Ten dollars a day is the
general wages paid; $12 for a day
of ten hours being paid in some
of the more remote gulches. In
winter the price for labor is Sc to
$S per day of six hours. Many
times the miners have been at the
point of starvation, and hardly a
winter when they have not been
put on a ration basis. Universal
suffrage is given, and all have an
equal vote. Penalties include: For
stealing, banishment from the
country and also whipping, threat.
ening with weapons, the same:
murder, hanging; but there have
been no murders so far. y
The mining laws differ for diff
ferent gulches. Generally, the
claim is for 500 feet for gulch
diggings from rimrock, but in some
gulches not paying well an
effort is being made to stake
claims 1921 feet long. Crowded
creeks are staked, 800 feet to the
claim, and no man is allowed te
stake more than one claim in his
own name save the discoverer, who
is allowed 1000 feet. The only
officer in the republic of miners is
the recorder, appointed by popu-
lar vote, one in each gulch OF
creek.
Nervous debility is common com
plant. especially among women. The
best medical treatment for this disor
der is persistent course of Ayers Sar
saparilla to cleanse and invigorate tn,