The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-21

Washington, July 20.-Dr. William II.
Dan, one Of the curators of the ma
tional museum is familiar with the re-
gion of country in which the Clondyl1e
gold ields are located, through having
been on several geological expeditions
TO the regions i'll Alaska, adjoining the
gold district, and says that in his opin-
ion the reports from that country prob
ably are not exseaerated. He said:
When 1 was there I did not find gold.
but I knew OF it being taken out in
profitable quantities for Is years or
more. It was first discovered there in
1856. \ 1880, when I was up in that
country, my last trip having been made
two years ago, the first party of pros
pectors who made mining a profit,
started out The gold is found on the
various tributaries on the Yukon, and
J have been within a comparatively
short distance Of the Ciondyke fields.
made d trip to Circle City, just over
the boundary of Canada
The SOld-bearing belt of northwest
ern America contains all the gold fields
extending into British Columbia. what
IS known as the northwestern territory
and Alaska. The Yukon river runs
along in that belt for SOC or 600 miles,
The bed OF The main river is in the low
lands o. the valley.
IN SMALL STREAMS.
1.-THE yellow metal is not found in
paying quantities in the main river,
but III the small streams which cut
through the mountains on either side.
These practically wash out the gold.
The mud and mineral matter is carried
MO the main river, while the gold IS
CreaGnS. In most cases the gold lies at
he bottom OF thick gravel deposits.
lhe gold is covered by frozen gravel
IN the winter. During the summer, IN
ii the snow is al melted, the surface
Ia covered with muddy torrents. When
the snow is all melted and the springs
begin 10 freeze, the stream dry up. :
ti-e approach of winter in order TO get
at the gold, the miners ind il necessary
10 dig into the gravel formation.
r Formerly they stripped the gravel
OF, until they came TO the gold. Now
they sink SHAFT 10 the bottom of the
gsavel ard tunnel along underneath in
the gold-yearing layer. The way in
W-licn this Is done Is interesting, as il
has to be carried on in cold weather
when evaHything is frozen The miners
buslu nres over Une area of which they
wish to work ana keep these lighted
ever the territory FOR the space OF about
i hours. Then at the expiration of this
period the gravel VIII ne melted ard
s01iened to a depth OF perhaps six
inches. This IS then taken on and
other fires built until the gold-bearing
layer IS reached When the shaft is
down that TAR fires are built al the
bottom. against the side Of the layer
and tunnels made in this manner.
Blasting would do no good on account
of The aard nature of the material and
would blow out just as out Of a gun.
The matter taken out containing the
gold is piled up until spring. when the
torrents come down and is PANIED and
Graded. II is certainly very hard labor.
EARD To REACH.
4 see many reasons why the gold
fields should be particularly hard 20
reach. The streams which cut through
the mountains have probably done 50
for centuries, wearing them down sew
eral hundred fee- and washing out the
gold into the beds and gravel.
1T is a country in which il is very
hard 10 find food. as there is practic-
ally no game. Before the whites went
into the region there We're not more
than 500 natives. They have hard work
TO support themselves on account OF
the scarcity Of game