The record-union., 1897-08-01

ground out Of the quartz by the pres
sure of the glaciers which lie and move
along the courses of the streams exert
ing a tremendous pressure. This force
is present to a more appreciable extent
in Alaska than elsewhere, and I be-
lieve that as a consequence more placer
gold will be found in that region than
in any other part of the world
General Duffield thinks the gold hunt
ers on the American side have made
the mistake of prospecting the large
streams instead of the small ones.
When gold is precpitated he said,
''it sinks. It does not float far down
stream 1t is therefore to be looked for
along the small creeks above and about
the head waters of the larger tribu-
taries of the Yukon. There is no reason
why as rich finds may not be made on
the American side of the line as in the
ClOndyke District"
A SHORT ROUTE.
CARSON (Nev), July 31-The "Ap-
peal' published the following: Mr..
Sinclair, formerly an English engineer
and now a United States Government
surveyor. who is in this city. says that
the route to the Clondyke by way of
the Yukon is the long and hard route.
He has been a surveyor in that coun-
try and says that he can go to the
Clondyke all the way by water except
sixty miles. His route is from Seattle
to Vancouver, then up the coast to the
mouth of a stream to Port EsSington,
trading post On the other side of
the river to the north three miles is
Balmoral, where a trading post is run
by Jack Cunningham, the only white
man in this country. He is married
TO a native and has several daughters.
BY going up this river it is only sixty
miles overland to the gold fields, and
the distance is over a level country
that can be made in two days Any
one who viii address Mr.. Saunders,
druggist, on Johnson street, Victoria
b. c., can get all the information re-
garding this route. and can also hire
small boats and schooners from him to
go. This route enables one to reach
the Clondyke by a short and ineXpen-
sive trip. 1t also avoids the Chilcoot
Pass.
LAWS APPLICABLE TO ALASKA
WASHINGTON, July 31.-The mis-
understanding and contentious regard
ing the laws that are applicable to
Alaska, so far as lands and claims are
concerned. were set at rest to-day by
a statement made by Commissioner
Hermann of the General Land Office.
Many inquiries on this question have
come to the Interior Department and
numerous applications have been made
for copies of the Public Land laws,
which. however, do not apply to Alas
ka The General Land Office has taken
much interest in the reports that come
from the gold belt, and has investigated
the laws that govern them. Mr.. Her
mann says there - no longer any ques-
tion about which laws extend to Alaska
and that these laws are applicabe:
First-The mineral land laws of the
United States.
Second-Town site laws which pro-
vide for the incorporation of town sites
and the requirement of title thereto
from the United States Government to
the town site trustees
Third-The law for trade and manu-
features, giving each qualified person
100 acres of land in square and COM
pact form. The coal land regulations
are distinct from the mineral regula-
tiOns or laws and the Jurisdiction of
neither coal laws nor public land laws
extends to Alaska, the territory being
expressly excluded by the laws them
selves from the operations.
The Act approved May II, 1884, pro-
viding for civil government of Alaska
has this language as to mines and
mining privileges:
The laws of the United States re-
lating to mining claims and rights in
cidental thereto, shall on and after the
passage of this Act be in full force and
effect in said 6astrict of Alaska, sub
ject to such regulations as may be
made by the Secretary of the Interior,
and approved by the President, and
parties who have located mines or
mining privileges thereon, under Unit
ed States laws, applicable to the public
domain or gave, occupied or improved
or exercised acts of ownership over
such claims, shall not be disturbed
therein, but shall be allowed to perfect
title by payments provided for.
There is still more general authority
Without the special authority the Act
of July +, 1866 says:
"All valuable mineral deposits in
lands belonging to the United States,
both surveyed and unsurveyed, are
hereby declared to be free and open to
exploration and purchase and lands in
which they are found, to occupations
and purchase by citizens Of the United
States and by those who have declared
an intention to become such, under the
rules prescribed by law and according
to local customs or rules Of miners in
the several mining districts, so far as
the same are applicable and not incon-
sistent with the laws of the United
States
The patenting of mineral lands IN
Alaska is not a new thing, for that
work has been going on as the causes
have come in from time to time
1raDC rcr AMI E,xr.xrHJrT