The Florence tribune., 1897-07-31
rnr cAsA anANnE vAI1rY oANA1
Is tho clondyke Unparalleledi
From tho Los Angeles Express.i

From the Los Angeles Express.l
 The recent placer discoveries in Alaska have been widely published as richest in the history of the world.'' This is a very extravagant statement, aud is probably made by people who have little knowledge of the history of gold mining. That the ground thus far opened on the Clondyke is very rich is unquestionable but the rich territory appears to have been pretty well determined already, and its extent, compared with many other placer fields of the past, is quite limited. And, rich as have been found the beds of Bonanza and Fl Dorado creeks, they are not without parallel in the past, not only in California, but in other parts of the Pacific Coast.
 California stands out pre-eminent as gold producer, with record of over $l, 200, 900, ,000, of which more than three fourths is the product of placsrs. Re markable as the clondyke is, there was many Clondyke in value found along the American and Feather rivers in the early fitties aud in other sections of California.
 But California is not alone on the Pacific Coast for marvellous records of rich placer mines. In 1860 were discov- cred the Cariboo mines of British Co lumbia, which in some respects appear to resemble the recently discovered Clondyke mines. They were located 500 miles further south, however, and in far more temperate climate, and, although about 300 miles from the sea- board, they were more easily reached than are the Clondyke mines. Early in 1862 about 5000 miners had crowded into the inhospitable region. A ma jority of them were unsuccessful, but a few struck it rich" On Antler Creek some of the richest gravel was found, and it is matter of history that in 1861 the daily aggregate production of the creek was $1O,000. Individuals made as much as 5000 day In three weeks washing. one company of three men obtained $S3, ,000; another of three men $S7 800; another of the five men | $26,000, and still another of six men $2S, 900 in the same period. A number of other creeks in the same vicinity were large producers, but it was re- served for William Creek to become the greatest producer of the Cariboo region, which in seven years is credited with a product of $25, 1000, 900. The first discoveries on William Creek were in shallow ground and surprisingly rich | Tn some claims over 100 ounces of gold per day were obtained for the entire working season. The Steele mine, in a space of 25x80 feet, yielded sl05, 5,000 in two months. At Barkerville a company sank shaft fifty or sixty feet and struck very rich gravel. The Diller Company followed with another shaft and washed out in one day 200 pounds of gold, or nearly $5O,000. This is in excess of anything reported on the Clondyke. A veracious chronicler says that "some claims yielded 100 ounces and more daily during the season, three taking out $100, 900 each between October, 1862, and January, 1863. The Cunningham turned out over 600 ounces day on several occa slons; the Caledonia yielded at one time from $5000 to $6OoO day; and the Cameron and Tinker were not far behind" In 1884 the Erickson claim yielded in seven weeks 1O,O42 ounces, amounting to $160,672.
 | Among the most sanguine predictions sent out from the Condyke country are that the eventual yield along the frontage of Bonanza and Fl Dorado creeks will amount to 5000 per front foot. This it will be seen from the following extract from well authenti- cated records of production, was ex- celled on William Creek in many cases |: Adams Company, 100 feet $ 10000 Steele, 80 feet eet............... l20,OOO Diller, 50 feet. ............ 240, 0,OOO Cunningham, 500 feet .... 270,OOO Burns, 80 feet t.............. 14O,oOO Canadian, 12O feet. et........... 1SO,OOO Neversweat, 12O feet ..... 100000 Moffatt, 50 feet t............... 9O,OOO Tinker, 14O feet ............. 10000 Watty, 100 feet. eet.............. 130,000 1 The cariboo region commenced to de- cline in 1865, with the exhaustion of