The times., 1897-07-22
ALASKA FILLED WITH MINES
Gold Found Everywhere in the
Yukon River Valley.
PLENTY OF IT NEAR JUNEAU
Large Deposits of Auriferous Quartz
Rock in the Sitka District-Ail
But the PIacers in the Territory
Operated by Companies-Indians
Never Trouble the Prospectors.

Alaska is dotted with mines. In 1895
the governor of the Territory said: THE
valley of the Yukon River is without
doubt the most extensive field of placer
mines discovered since the finding OF
gold In California. The precious metal
valley of this river, covering distance
of 500 miles. The great obstacles to
successful mining in this district is the
shortness OF the season for actual work
and the perpetually frozen ground The
earth requires to be thawed with fire
before it can be mined. With these
difficulties to contend with, good pros
poets do not always yield favorable re-
suits. Notwithstanding these unfavor-
able conditions. the long, cold winters
and the long distance from the base OF
supplies, the Yukon country is destined
to be a prolific gold producing district
In 1885 there about 1,5o0 miners living
in that region. Gov Sheakiey says ''The
gold mines are distant 1000 miles from
Sitka, the capital OF the Territory, with
no way to reach there but by going over
the mountain pass on foot and float down
the river in a canoe, and that during
only one-half OF the year This condition
renders it impracticable for the civil gov
ernment of the territory To exercise any
authority there. The pioneer gold miners
are an honest, industrious and intelligent
| body of men, who never permit crime
| to 90 unpuuished, or good deed unre'
| warded"
The Indians OF the Yukon country are
| harmless and peaeeable people, and
| have, so far as is known, never given
| the prospectors any trouble.
| The Alaska Commercial Company Is eX-
| telslvely engaged in mining in the vicinity
| Of Juneau, and the successful elopneut
| OF mines IN that district has attracted hun
| tlreds OF miners In the Harris mining
| district, at Juneau, the Treadweli and
| Mexican mines are producing well. and
| the mines in the Silver Bow Basin have
made profitable returns. The Juneau Min
/ ing Company has In operation several
quartz stamp mills driven by water power
| The cost OF crushing is about S1.T5 pei
1
ledge, producing both silver and gold. The
| SunduD mines, fifty miles south OF Juneau
| have been developed during the last two
| years and are paying.
The Beyner's Bay Mining Company il
operating about sixty miles northwest Q
| Juneau. These mines comprise gruup o
thirty locations, s.tua ted about three nile
from the sea coast, and connected there
with by narrow gauge railroad two ant
| half miles long, and a wire tramway
! from the termina ton of the railroad &c
| the Comet mine, and a surface gravity rail-
| road frunl the Bear system mines to the
| mill The mill is of forty stamps, with a
capacity OF 20 tons per day, and the or
is gold bearing to a high grade I'll
ma iOr portion of the gold is recovered i
the batteries and On the plates, and tht
| balance by concentration over yannerS
The company is made up Of Boston and
New york capitalists, and is capitalize
at 81 900 900
The Sttka mining district, on Raranofi
Island. contains large deposits Of gold
bearing quartz rock on which a nurubel
of mining claims have been located, auC
development work commenced On thI
property Of the Lucky Chance Mining Com
pany, stamp mills have been erected, auo
the output has been satisfactory
The mining property of the Apollo Con
solidated Mining Company is located OF
Unga Island, one of the Shunagin group
situated 900 miles west Of Sitka Thi
company has an unlimited amount of gold
bearing quartz rock favorably located nea
the water front of Unga Bay BY the eS
penditure of large amount of capita
and labor this mine has been brought I
such condition that 1t is operated wit
great economy and large profit. 1t;
monthly production is abouu $40, 900
About 20 men are employed at the min
throughout tn year