The San Francisco call., 1897-07-18

Innumera Bile questions are asked OF
them as to the country, the cost of getting
there and of su psisting after reaching the
fields and of the probability of making a
strike if one should 60 up ttere.
The miners are willing to answer all
such inquiries, but will advise no one
directly TO go into the country, as there is
a great probability that a number who
would go to Alaska now would not be as
successful as those who have returned,
and they do not wish to be the means of
sending any one out to failure. While
there is undou btedly plenty o + gold in the
country and there may be Just as rich
strikes made in other places have been
made in the Klondyke diggings, there are
any number of miners already in the
country who have made no money.
Angus Galbraith, though he has made
his stake there, says he would advise no
one TO go up into the country. He is a
man of 10 years of age. and has been In
Alaska three years, and when asked if the
work was hard said he had been able 10
stand it, but that it was no place for an
old man.
"The winters" he said yesterday, "are
very cold, the mercury going down as low
as 75 degrees below zero. TIE coolest
weather last winter was in January and
February. Miners have to use the great
est care not TO work themselves into q
perspiration, as the moisture would freeze
and result m frostbite.
''1n the summer it gets quite warm and
some vegetable are raised, though, as the
miners are so busy hunting for gold little
time Is given to putting In gardens When
this party left it was SO degrees in the
shade. Mosquito s are so numerous that
gloves have to be worn while working.
Before the discovery OF gold in the
Kiondyke district, mining was done on
Forty mile, Davis, Poker, Miller, Napo-
leon and Canon creeks, and considerable
gold was found, but nothing like in the
new diggings. The largest amount taken
out of the old district by one man was
$50 600. This was done by man named
Miller, who had been working for wages
but went out prospecting for himself dur
ing season when there was no water
Having no success, he came back and
found his job given to another man. be
went back TO Miller Creek. staked out
rather unpromising claim and in two
years took out his fortune.
THE discovery of the Klondyke Gig
gings was made by man named George
Cormic," continued Mr. Ga bra!th. "He
is a man who had great hold on the
Indians and they had told him that they
knew where there was golc. Last August
Bonanza, where he found pay dirt and
staked out a claim. As soon as the re-
port spread that there was gold on the
Bonanza the miners f1ocked in and in
short time the city of Dawson had about
5000 inhabitants. The mining district is
about fifteen miles from the city. 1t is IN
the bed of the Bonanza and is about
twenty miles in length. There is also
gold along he El Dorado, which empties
into the Bonanza. About all OF the good
ground along these creeks has been taken.
Word was received just before the miners
started down that some prospectors on
Dominion and Henderson creeks had
found good paying dirt"
The mining process is very simple. The
digging is all done In the winter, when the
creeks are low, as the biggest portion OF
the gold is found in the beds OF the streams
AS the ground is frozen II has to be
- burned" or thawed out by means OF large
fires. When it becomes sufficiently soft
shaft is sunk and the process OF taking out
the gravel begins.
The shafts vary in depth from six feet