The record-union., 1897-08-08
YUKON GOLD REGION.
EXPERT SPURR GIVES IMPORT
ANT INFORMATION
Regarding the PIacers Both in
Alaska and British CoIum-
bia Territory.

WASHINGTON, Aug. THE report
on the Yukon gold region by Josiah
Edward Spur. the Geological Survey
expert who headed party that made
thorough investigation in Alaska. last
summer, giving new facts about the
interior, was made public to-day. It is
a comprehensive document, and reviews
in detail the work of the various dis
tricts.
1t says, as to the Forty Mile gold
district, that in the latter part Of 1887
Franklin Gulch was struck, and the
first year the creek is estimated to
have produced 81 900. Ever since it
has been a constant payer. The char
acter of the gold there is nuggety,
masses of 50 weight being very COM
mon. The yield of the first year after
the discovery of Forty Mile has been
variously estimated at from SO, 900 to
S150,000 but $4,000 probably covers
the production.
Following is the report on the Klon-
dyke District:
with the announcement of gold here,
the winter Of 1S96-97, there was a gen
era1 stampede to the new region. For
ty Mile was almost deserted But $50
men spent the winter on the Klondyke
in the gulches, and at the new town
of Dawson. The more important parts
of the district are on Bonanza and
Hunl1er Creeks. According to latest in
formation, 400 claims have been located
up to January l. 1897, about half as
many ON Hunker Creek. There is plen-
ty of room for many more prospectors
and miners, for the gulches and creeks
which have shown good prospects
spread over an area of 700 square
miles,
The estimated Alaskan gold produce
ton for 1896 made by the Spur report
is 81 100000. The report points out the
difficulties in the way of speedy devel-
opment of the country. First the eli
mate, with short summer season and
long cold winter. Prospecting is done
in the winter more and more every
year, because frozen ground renders
travelling over the swampy moss cover
ed country more easy, and the miners
are thus able to begin work with the
first spring thaw.
Whatever Alaska may be in the fu-
ture it is not now self-supporting, ag-
ricuIturally. Moose and cariboo are
variable in quantity, abundant one time
time and disappearing from the region
for twelve months at a time. Ten dol
lars a day is the general wages paid.
So for a day of ten hours being paid
in some of the remote gulches. In the
winter the price for labor is 50 and SS
per day of six hours. Many miners
have been at the point of starvation,
hardly a winter when they have not
been put ON a short ration basis. Uni
versal suffrage is given, and all have
an equal vote.
Penalties include: For stealing, ban
ishment from the country, also whip
ping; threatening with weapons, the
same; murder, hanging, but there have
been no murders so far.
The mining laws differ for different
guches Generally the claim is for SOU
feet for gulch diggings from rim rock
to rim rock, but in some gUlches not
paying we'll, an effort is being made
to stake claims 1920 feet long.
Crowded creeks are staked 300 feet to
the claim, and no man is allowed to
stake more than one claim in his own
name, save the discoverer who is al
lowed 1000 feet instead of 800 The
only officer in the republic of miners is
the Recorder, appointed by popular
vote, one in each gulch or creek.