Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-09-25
kLoNolkE DUST.
Odd Facts and Fsncie- About the New
Land az Gold.


A mule express is TO be established
between Dyea aud far-off DaW son City
during the coming winter The en-
terprise il in the hands OF C. n. De
Witt and John Roberts Their scheme
Is 10 locate stations about fifteen miles
apart along the whole route. and keep
up communication by mules, carving
packs Of provisions right through the
winter.
A ~. Louis man. William S.hartber-
ger. has obtained patent on ma
chine designed TO overcome the difh-
cnlties Of mining in frozen ground.
II II works well, the klondikers will
not have TO build fires and thaw ont
the soil to get at the gold in winter
The machine consists of "A steel screw.
which IL worked into the ground like
a post-hole anger. A cylinder az the
same diameter "a the screw, and two
feet IN depth follows the screw into
the ground. and within the cylinder is
"a we'll bucket. which has an open bot
tom, into which the detached gravel
aud dirt are forced. When full. this
bucket is elevated by windlass at
tachment. and can be washed out and
PANIED while the bucket Is returned
to the we'll for another load. The ma
chine will weigh less than sixtv
pounds, and two men at the ends OF
the levers can bore hole into solid
limestone II necessary.
II Is understood that the Dominion
government has under consideration "A
project in connection with the admin
istration of the Yukon district hich is
novel, but appears admirably calcu-
lated 70 meet the conditions existing
IN the new communities Of the extreme
Northwest. IL il the establishment
OF what might be termed treasure
house, in which will be stored the
gold OF the miners. and for which they
Wall receive draft on United States or
Canadian banks of the full market val
ne OF their gold dust. The passenger
lists Of the steamers that have sailed
from American ports show up TO a re-
cent date no less than $3.50 persons
had left en- ~oute To the gold fields of
Alaska, and conservative estimate
places the number who have gone from
Vancouver and British Columbia at
2OO0 or more As the rush shows no
signs of Abatement as yet. the chances
are that more than IS. 900 people will
have set ont for Alaska before the
klondike fever subsidies.
The largest mass of gold ever dug
out OF the soil Of California was at
Carson Hill. Calaveras county. IN 1854.
1t weighed 1875 pounds KlOndike has
not Yet beaten that record, but KlOn-
dixie Is young vet.
IL Il TO heremem bered that the total
area of the klondike diggings up to
date does not cover over POO square
miles from Dawson City
A monthly mail service has been es-
tablished betw cen Circle City and Jr-
neau. This mail service IL for United
States mail addressed 10 Circle City,
and the mail Is sent through from Ju-
neau IN sealed bag, which cannot be
opened in transit Mail for Dawson
City, on the klondike, Forty Mile and
Fort Cudahy will not be carried in
this mail, as these points are in Cana
dian territory. Communication with
these points viii be irregular and diff
ticult, but arrangements have been
made 10 forward mail from Circle City
by the Arctic Express company.
All the veteran Yukon miners unite
In giving one bit of advice to intend
ing Klondikers-don't start till next
spring.
Remarkable Case or Dirt-Eating
A -.