The San Francisco call., 1897-01-03

The usual length of claim is about 500
feet along the stream, and the total width
of the guch bed, which is ordinarily mar
row. When prospector has thus staked
out his claim, it ;s recorded by one of the
miners. who is elected by his fellows IN
each guch for that purpose, and this Sc
cures him sufficient title. The miners
laws are practically the entire govern
ment in these districts, for the remoteness.
prevents any systematic communication
being carried on with the United States.
All questions and disputes are settled by
miners meetings, and the question in dis
pute is put to popular vote.
SIN prospecting, the elementary method
of panning is used to discover the pres
ence of gold in gravel. but after claim is
staked and systematic work begun, long
sluice- boxes are built of boards, the min
ers being obliged to fell the trees them
selves and saw out the lumber with whip
saws, a very laborious kind of work. The
depth of gravel in the bottom of the
gulches varies from a foot to twenty or
thirty feet, and when it is deeper than the
latter figure it cannot be worked.
"The upper part of the gravels is bar
the rock beneath and is generally very
thin. To get at this pay dirt all the upper
graves must be shoveled off, and this pre-
limlnary work often requires an entire
season, even in a very small claim. When
the gravel is deeper than a certain
amount-say ten feet-the task of remov-
ing it becomes formidable. In this case
the pay dirt can sometimes be got at in
the winter season when the gravels are
frozen hard by sinking shafts through
these gravels and drifting along the pay
dirt.
1.-THE pay dirt thus removed is taken to
the surface and washed out in sluices
when the warm weather begins. This
underground working is done by burning
instead of blasting and picking. A fire is
built close to the frozen gravel, and when
it is sufficiently thawed it is shoveled out
and removed. The stripping off of the
upper gravels which have been mentioned
can be done only in the comparatively
short summer season when the surface
thaws.
1.-THE ordinary method of getting into
the Yukon country is by crossing the Chill
koot Pass from Juneau, down the Lewes
and Yukon rivers to the gold districts.
The usual time for starting is in April,
and large part of the journey is made
over the ice which fills the lakes and
rivers at this time of the year. By this
early starting a large part of the season
available for working is obtained. Not
every conner can fnu new diggings which
are profitable. and many of them are glad
10 work for wages.
"The ordinary wages in summ mer are $40
per day, but sixty days is considered about
the average mum Der for summer work, so
that the total earnings are not so great as
will appear at first sight, ana the prcs-
poets for work during the remainder of
the year are slight. The journey over the
pass aud down the Yukon is ore of great
difficulty and hardship, especially as all
supplies have 10 be carried along. The
pass itself is difficult to cross the lakes
are subject to violent gales and there are
a number of very dangerous rapids. Once
in the country the newcomer finds himself
no more comfortable.
During the summer season, when the
days sometimes are really hot there are
swarms of mosquitoes and gnats. which
have not their equal in the world, and
which are enough alone TO discourage
most men,. have heard stories, which l
can readily believe to be true, of strong
and hardy men being so tormented by
these pests while on the trail through the
swamp to the Birch Creek diggings that
they broke down and sopbed in utter
despair The method of reaching this and