The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25

ttFN llk bn1 u VtEt u Dlt li NV oNaaH
Up 10 wears ago the only scheme that had
been devised for working these shallow OF sum
mer diggings was 10 strip of the heavy coating
of moss and allow the sun 10 get at the graEel.
but the summers we're so short ma eiaiins 'n ma,
worth working. Ninety days work NJ inc
sluices was an unusual season; Two Vars ago,
tried the scheme Of keeping big hres going All
the tins. on their pay gravel. They got
IN their the Sl'iW Summer GDSPed and Up w Efsay III! lSs win:
ter came instead Of going into ttr,
GSncekSousesp they stuck BY their claim. They
found that n big fire burning all night wonln
thaw out a couple OF inches OF gravel; IN me
at night build another, frc. They kept. this up
spring they hni a big pile Of dirt ready to pan;
They washed $4,000 OF dust ont of that pile OF
That was the beginning Of winter work in the
Yukon. This last season has seen IT carried
probably TnH ~ ys ;4s 'a Ma as dn IL r can w g2 T Sow i 10 burn nnSii tites
on claims that have been opened up. Prospect
ing has been done by burning holes in the gravel.
beneath the surface Il is impracticable and al
most impossible to remove the barren earth
the spot where 1t is proposed TO sink, and al
lowed to burn over night. In the morning me
,fn .safS s,H Er9 Nv ,b,s - ,na rGInpi is carried DOWN S9syn a
foot n day. When the shaft gets. pretty Well
down below the surface more rapid advance -
made. BY keeping this operation up. steadily
the pay streak finally Is reached. and then II ,is
n comparatively easy matter, 70, ascertain the
probable worth Of the claim. II the gravel pans
m ounce or two a day more hTes are punt az me
bottom Of the shaft and drifting Is beGin
with the pay strenk the same as in a quartZloic.
The fires are always made at night. The logs
are heaped up just before the days work Is I'm
ished. II the amount OF fuel is gauged properly
nothing remains in the morning but Gmbcrs and
capped and the work OF shovclling the loosened
gravel can begin without delay. \ windlass 10
erected over the shaft and as fast as the bucket
Il filled the gravel ~ hauled up to the surface
and dumped in a pile in a place convenient. for
for washing as soon as the season opens. When
the. drift has reached a short distance
underground the bitter cold makes no difference
TO the miner. and he works in comparative ease
and comfort. As distance from the shaft is
gained a wooden track is laid on the floor Of tho
tunnel. and the car pushed by hand Is employed
| to carry The gravel from the breast Of the drift
to the hosting works.
for a width Of over forty, feet, and the frozen
/ roof il so solid that no tinhcrs or other supports
are necessary to hold It mp, In fact, I Is asserted
by old miners that the solid leo and muck ab9ye
them is much trlncr and safer than II would be
IL the roof We're of granite. In running a drift
the uniform size Of the tunnel Is maintained OF
from five to Ave and a half feet in height. The
air in these drifts Is pure and wholesome when
- little time is allowed TO elapse after the log
There Is a great popularity about some of the
claims on Masterdon Creek in the Birch Greek
diggings. That is the only place where shafts
have been sunk below the frozen ground. In
many. cases there the pay streak, is found free
{ from zee anu II IEtNtI iSiu ~ ibhth Oul WIN
pick and shovel. Il is doubtful r. the gravel on
these claims Is below the general fros; line as
don 't there ares are shafts double he depth in which
the pay streak is frozen as hard as concrete.
Titneerins Is nesessSry in The dTifts
and sometimes mounds built OF the loose
bouldcrs taken ont in the course OF the work are
drifts a curious pecnliarity OF the d~igginSs has
been discovered. II has been found that in
prospecting new discoveries a creek bed may be
nrRrfirally barrep- vet "A shaft sunk on one of
the contiguous branches is liable to disclose a
streak Of great richness.
the season to mine in Yukon by from eight 10
nine months, ami it is possible to work now the
the fall TO freeze the water in the creeks, and
prevent the shafts from filling up the winter
weather he hoists his pay gravel TO the surface
and in the spring he has several tons on tho
dump ready 10 be washed. This gravel, Of
course, fr""zes again on the dump, but ii quickly
The Klondy Ike strikes are likely TO do moro fol
the DEVELOPMENT of the interior than anything
that has yet been done. They will take in such
q rush OF men this summer that the trading com
panirs will be stirred TO unusual efforts to get in
supplies to tide over the winter. There has beer
situation heretofore. The prices OF all sorts Of
supplies have been tremendous. There was q
mass meeting OF miners in Circle City a few
weeks ago, the OBJECT OF which was tt
the trading. companies te. reduce theil
prices on staple goods. 4 fund was raised Il
. SFLu ont a rt irrSentalNc 10 lulGrNlC" Inc GlEtt
tors OF he companies. In the event of a taI!ur'
10 secure satisfactory assurance of a general re
duction il is probable that efforts will be mad,
to organize another company.
The two companies are preparing 10 increase
their facilities for getting supplies into lukot
this summer. The Alaska Commercial { inpan!
Two new steamers viii be added this summer
The North American Trading and Transports
tion Company will also increase its facilities.
The vanguard of tho Yukon rush shows th'
usual variety of nationality ami experience
! (Lllgrns nT almost every nation under The SUI
except Chinese are among those headed for III
klondyhe. Very few OF them are pra"tica
miners. and the great majority are tentertee
whose sole knowledge OF gold has been obtaino'
from thcir casual SlimPscs at the product o
Keepers. worknen Of all sorts. eN-policemcn
iiremen, tradesnen-a!! sorts and conditions o
men. Everybody who has ever made II failure
in anything and who can get enough money u
get up from Inc sound seems 10 he among tn
throng who hope to better their condition b;
GGiasdfo;aa6 6 fiy''' do inc wei PFa'iif IN the n''h'f Interior E4
Perhaps a few of the Others may sue
never see the mines. What with mosqultoc:
and hard work thcy vii haye had plenty o
II they can't sell what is left OF their outfit
will give them away or throw them away an
go on down the river ind out by way Of 81
MiChaels, cursing the country ana all that is il
IL. such things have happened every year an
they surprise no one who is familiar With III
HGo, as MMnii !; m o said. % ShaS, all his ,seth hi /
lIfiT SUI hN4S anu us kNb ittN AttltatAl lIIl-
Ii the reports from tho sound which are re
ceived in Juneau can ne relied upon the peopl
down there. and u good mHnY others Throughout
the States. have gone niuc-CraZy. There ar
men who NIL make almost any sacrifice to &c
TO the klondykc digglngs. Men have offered I
pack huge outfits across the divide il their far
was made to Dyca and they We're boarded unit
the mines were reached. The fact that the
would land ut the new camps without a dolIa
and without provisions did not bother them /
the least. Now the man who Will start TO
the Yukon without money and with no outht
n lit subject for AN insane asylum, ana II he la
any friends they had better look out for hi
quick. Some rurious things are seen among ia
tenGerfeet. One fellow got in here the other da
who had half "A dozen lean. hungrylookin
hounds, that didn't look rs II they could hay
pulled IA pound. with which he said he was guin
to pack his outfit over the hills. There WASH
one OF his dogs that could have packed its ow
food for one days journey.
1t is undeniablc that tho foyer is spreading
One of the most curious exhibitions OF ii is tn
way in which il has taken hold Of several oil
juneau men. There IL Il great deal of talk eve
among some % the business men here abou
going in. but most of those who viii 20 will hav
business scheme- as we'll as the prospect az ge
ting "a claim. George l!rr IS going in 10 start
brewery at klOndykc. His outfit will weigh j
the nciGhborhood Of thirty ions. 4 part OF il
already or The road across the divide. Lew Pom
has gone in to engage in the manufacture of jew
. .1rp fr4r, t,.t1,-. r1N Ay.,flt,p t,,ur lyG ,ny,