The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-19

diak island, much further to the northwest,
but stil on the southwest shore OF Alaska,
lalht indications of gold in veins We're
found about thirty years ago, but there
was not enough 10 pay for working the ore.
Ine frst placerS 10 be worked Ill Alaska,
propaDly. were situated near the head OF
COOK inlet, big bay not many miles from
hadlak island. The richest deposits We're
along SiX-mile creek and Resurrection
creek. and yielded from So to $40 d day
man Tor 4 time. These mines and the ones
Iurther south, with 4 few OF less conse-
qGence, have raised the annual output of
gold IN Alaska from $4,000 in 1881 to more
than Sl,OOO,U00 at the present time.
Both veins and placers were found, in
BRUSH territory, along d small river called
the Suckine, which reaches the Pacific by
crossing the extreme southeastern tip or
Alaska. In the southern part of British
Columbia, along the Fraser and Columbia
rivers, productive placerS have been worked
Tor about forty years. The first great god
craze over this region occurred in 1898.
The hootenal region, in the extreme south
western corner of the province, was famous
a few years ago. The Cariboo district, ~
ing on the tifty-third parallel of latitude,
has proved the most steady and continuous
producer. Still further north along the
Peace river (Which flows eastward ana
discharges into Athabasca lake., placers
nave been worked for several years Most
OF the old placerS of British Columbia have
|. Deen worked out, however. There was
per Cd, along in the sixties, when the an
nudl production of that province consider
ably exceeded 81. 900, 900; and in 1864 it rose
TO So, 1856 $50. By 1890 it had dwindled away
10 less than half million, owing. 1t has
been asserted, to the exhaustion of the
known deposits.
The Yukon river, which crosses Alaska
from east to west and empties into the
Pacific d little south of Behring strait, is
said to be d mightier stream than the CO.
lumbia. River steamers navigate it hum
ufedS OF miles from its mouth. Passengers
from Seattle are usually transferred from
ocean steamers to these vessels at st.
MlchaeFs island, near the mouth OF the
ukon. The source of the river is in Brit
1Sh territory, two hundred three hundred
miles south of the point where the stream
crooks away westward into Alaska In fact,
1t may be said tC drain very nearly the
same mountain slopes as the Fraser, Co
lunlDia, Peace and Sticlline. 1t was natural,
therefore, to expect that gold would be
found along the main channe! OF the Yukon
or some OF it's tributaries. Explorers were
sent out from two bases. One set went up
tn9 river from It's mouth, tfaVerSlnS the
whole of Alaska from west to east; and
another pushed up from the SOUTH from the
vicinity of Juneau, through Chilkat pass.
The North American Transportation and
Trading Company established trading sta
tons near the source of the river five or six
years ago. Most of the prospecting has
been done either between this locality and
the point where the river crossed into
Alaska, or within the first one hundred
Fine gold dust in small quantities, was
found a the mouth of the Porcupine river,
a stream that joins the Yukon about one
hundred miles west OF the boundary, and
also near the mouth of Forty-mlle creek,
most OF whose course lies in Alaska. but
WIlCn crosses INTO fOIlllSn ltIIllOiy DtLOIC
emptying into the big river. Fort Cudahy
is situated here, and Circle City, where
there were other mining camps, is about
fifty miles further west. These places are
about eight hundred or nine hundred miles
from the sea, il one travels by steamboat,
and in the winter are completely cut off
from the outer world.
The Klondyke river is not to be found. or,
at least is not easily identified, on any ex-
listing maps; but it is probably small
stream, like Forty-mile creek, and dis
charges into the Yukon not many miles
from the eastern boundary Of Alaska. Still,
Seattle papers advertise transportation to
the KIondyke region, to Fort Cudahy and
Circle City, by ocean steamers that transfer
TO river boats at st. Michaels island. This
district is on or near the siXty-1fth parallel
of north latitude, and has an Arctic climate.
1t is habitable only for a few weeks or at
most two or three months every year. The
gravel is frozen solid the year round, and
has to be thawed out in some way before
the gold can be separated. The streams
which supply the water for washing the dirt
also freeze up. Hence placer mining must
be conducted there under great dlsadvan-
tageS.