The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28

prSpettthy ,oo Of tho North American Trading
and Transportation Company; these are ssn dai n
400 tons each. and they make three. four or i've
irips per season, as conditions suit or necessities
rcnuipc There were also two other smaller
srtscgnumnresr;s in course OF construction at 81. Michael
in august last, but they were too small to affect
iInyc tb hns IL is in contemplation by the two com.
panics named TO place more steamers on the
river for the coming season'
THE DISCOVERY or GOLD IN II YuKoN.
Next let me tell you something about the dis
covcrv Of gold In the Yukon. Early in the
seventies an attompt WAS made to get over to
Tcsiin Lake BY Cassiar miners who had learned
Tassinr' several men tried, but nnsuccessfully.
and returned disguised. In 1879, Sept. ., two
north Of IEGlan G.r n1Sr a fT9T Pro sSS%Ri!y w. ArMsF ara:;
George ". Fitch. who cninc from tho vicinity
of Kingston. ontario; Andrew Kanselar, a Ger.
man. and Sam Wilkinson. nm En~Elishmnn. left
Manson Creek to go on n prospecting trip down
the Mackenzie River;
Lizard. which cmpties into the Mackenzie and is
one of it's principal branches, was undcr tho i'm
preston , ,hat , there w WAS f SanS on p shs MRsff Ysp' BE-
nc TIinloy bErSmnch, to what Is known as Half
unwittingly helped to drive n spike In our great
national highway, because they gave their boat
P,nc" River. Harper and the others packed their
provisions up the Half Way River and over n
twenty-five or thirty mile portage to the waters
til they found It safe for tho passage, OF cnnocs.
where they made acachc and proceeded TO make
In 1891 | was sent by the Dominion Govern
mcnt to examine the northeast portion OF this
P y MnTpsr ana ss sS"tthhs s e cache Sy WITCH shS s'h Har rptaoG Gsd
told me about In 1887. Well, Harper's party
made thor way down to the Lizard River; where
Lard, and left the others; Harper, Hart. Kan.
across 10 tho Peel, and thence. over to Bells
River, an ntiucnt OF the Porcupinc. and down
the Porcppine to Fort 5ukon, where Harper
which he said came from White River, u.,
Harper Determined TO try for IT,. Will, Fitch
White River until they were sropped by run.
" ter. b atH; M4ea cabin r"6R a Of suitable RISSIE'diih dimensions. WIN
From this point they, made prospecting exeur:
s IL" eo on wat'S Witch Girt tSey lid noi ti i" Se nnrpe er
attributes their non.surccss to the lato closing
of the river and the thickness of the ice drift.
which prccluded any attempt to cross it,, He be.
liovcs he saw across tho river rock of such pecul-
iar colors as to justify him in at lenst assuming
that he had found n copper vein OF considerable
extent. He kept that matter a subject Of in
CURRY with the Indians during his long sOiourn
in the country, and now thinks that he is certain
tanned from the Indians of the locality pieces of
native copper and copper ore. all Of which seem
he did not tell me. but he hopes. II he lives long
enough, TO tc able to discover and prospect what
ne cOnSiucfS u very extensive copper ulSlrlCt.
THE FIRST PROSPECTS.
In the spring, being short Of provisions, they
made their way down the rivcr. Prospecting as
they went. and found very good indications III
the vicinity of the mouth Of the Stewart. But
the shortage of provisions prevented their tnk.
ing advantage Of these discoveries. On their
way up they assembled Forty Mile River two or
three miles. Prospecting, and found very good
prospects. but the Indians whom they mot on
that river scared them away by telling them
that there was a very dangerous and impossible
this is not the case. They found no gold on the
Mackenzie. and the result of their prospecting
Harper summed up TO me thus:
On the. Nelson. nothing; on the Lizard. colors:
on tho Mackenzie. nothing; on tho Peel. fair
prospects; on the Porcnpine. colors; on the Bell.
nothing, and on the Yukon, prospects.
To obtain provisions, they had to make their
way to st. Michael. and on their way back they
gone into tho service OF the Alaska Commercial
COMPANY. Near The mouth OF the, k9yuknk
per spent the winter oil. II and rs prospecting
nj the point indicated, but found nothing. Nc
ton with him. went up the stream and estab-
lished Fort Reliance. in August and September,
n. ,r harper !o,ned mem ~ 'he o ro o yhic SunH u
listed until 1889.
CLOSE TO THE KLoNDIKE IN IA.
Fort Reliance, is only six. and q half miles
While trading it appears that they made very
few and short attempts at prospecting. The
Nalley OF the hlOnulKG ana 1tB aIHucntS is a IA
pectcd there, and II they had done so in the
Klondike itself they would have found nothing.
for its bed consists OF coarse gravel through
which fine gold would have soon gone out of
sight. and at that time no prospecting was done
tho valley OF the Klondike was prospectcd for
upward of forty miles. with no result, Again,
IN E hSSS' in IN t M"S ,ss 6o Ioid WH MsT fo nTuht on Tho, iUa Stew.
art River by miners, prominent among whom
were two brothers named Boswell from Peter.
nrn ntn rin Thnra To lfttt lnnht thnt
much of the carry mining done In tho country
was due to the reports Of Hsrpcr. who had writ
he had mined for many years. trying to innucc
them to try their luck on the Yukon. In 1886
Mr.. Harper erected a trading pest at the mouth
there. some thirty or more in number.
In the SANG year coarse gold YES found on On
miners principally search for, MS soon. as this
discovery was made known stewart River was
1887. and went down to the mouth OF the Forty
Mile, whore lie began the erection Of n residence
and trading h9nse. The nucleus Of the famed
spected its entire length. and to enumerate tho
creeks and gulches on its h~cadwaters on which
THE FIRST RICH STRIKES.
From the head waters of Forty Mile many
went over to the hcadwaters OF Sixty Milc-thn
divide and Miller and GLACIER creeks were dis:
covered. Miller was considered the richest
creek in. the entire country for. several years,
hut would not at all compare with Bonanza or
FL Dorado. Miller and Glacier creeks were he
licvcd to lie in Alaska until produced tho li1st
meridian. which Is the international boundary
line, and found them well in Canada-so, far
that there can never be any question as to which
side of tho line they are on.
may state for the information of many, AS n
case of what those contemplating entry to that
country may regard MS tho usual thing. that
Miller Creek was prospected TIRES different
times. and on each occasion given up as worth
less. Yet, after all, il turned out to be the rich
est creek known in The country until 1896.
Forty Mile, with Sixty Mile, was the mining
ground in that vicinity until 1891. when gold
was found on the heNdwaters of Birch Creek.
This discovery was led up to by n Canadian
missionary, Archdeaeon Macdonald OF Fort
MACPHERSON. on the Peel River. This gentle.
man. in connection with his missionary labors,
had travelled n great deal over the country. In
coming from Tanana River he found n nugget
in n gulch on ono OF the head streams OF Birch
Creek. He reported tho find TO some miners.
and they made search, for the place where no
had found 1t. But although they did not find
the place answering the description he had
given, they found the gold.
CIRCLE CITY's ORIGIN.
This was the origin OF Circle City. which Is on
tho banks of tho Yukon. about 900 miles below
Forty Mile. and eight miles FROM the head of
BirHh Greek. This town was begun In 1897; and