The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-21

placer mining has been carried on con-
tinuously for over thirty years, and
Is still being worked by several hum
dred white men, who make $l.50 to ST.
per day, sometimes SO to s..
About 100 miles further on a gold
bearing country is struck, rich in pos
Cibilities, and between there and the
Yukon, no doubt, the millions of un-
discovered sold, waiting for the lucky
prospeCtOr to come along ana unCarth
it. -Four hundred miles from Edmonton,
on the Peace, Mud and Smoky rivers,
is a tract of country on which placer
mining has been carried on for the
last three years, and which is still be-
ing worked by several of Edmonton's
leading citizens, who make from $25
to $50 per day.
STARTING TIME
From here the best time to start
is about the first of March for the
overland route one can then get
through to the Nelson branch Of the
Lizard river about the time these riv-
ers open.
one can leave here with horses and
sleighs, carrying his own supplies and
feed for his horses which can be re-
plenished along the way as far as
Peace river. Each horse will haul
about 100 pounds. From the Nelson
branch of the Lizard river there is
choice of routes. To either continue
overland, prospecting ON the way or
float down the Mackenzie to the
Peel and across a half mile portage
to the Porcupine then down to the
/ Yukon. In this way the rapids and
difficult places on the Athabasca are
avoided.
Travel in any direction in this coun-
try is perfectly safe No fear of In
dams; plenty of game and fish.
OVERLAND ROUTE.
Edmonton to Pembina river, 60 miles.
plenty of feed and water and wood
for fuel, open prairie, good wagon
/ road. Pembina river to Fort Assint-
bOine on Athabasca river,30 miles, 2oud
wagon road Open bush ana prairie,
good feed and water. Fort Assnt-
boine to Lesser Slave lake. south
west shore, 12O miles. From the river
to BirChhills, IS miles, open bush, jack
pine and poplar, with small meadows,
good feed and plenty of water; the
other Is miles is poplar and spruce
through which a wagon road is being
cut. Good feed and water from there
! to the settlement on the end of Lesser
Slave lake. so miles, good open COun-
| try low land, not swampy, good feed
| plenty of fuel, small farming settle
! ments and trading posts. Small set
| Elements are met with at intervals
| along the way for about 400 miles,
| where horses, cattle, hay or assistanCe
may be obtained.
! Slave lake to Peace river, crossing
! so miles, small farming and trading
| settlements, grist mill and Roman
! Catholic and English missions, good
| wagon road plenty of feed and wa
/ ter.
Peace river crossing to the forks of
/ the trail running from DunVcgan to
! St. John. Dunvegan to the Peace
river crossing As miles. open prairie
country, plenty of wood and water
| and good feed,
Time from Edmonton to Dunvegan
| by this route, % days, made by Camp
/ bell and Trenton in fall of '97. sam
! Cunningham made the trip from Lake
! st. Ann, 80 miles west of Edmonton,
! to Dunvegan by an alternate route by
way Of Sturgeon lake in % days with
| loaded pack horses last fall.
Forks Of trail to Pine river crossing,
SO miles, open bush, spruce and pop
| lar some pine near the river pack
| trail from the forks Can easily be
made by wagon road. Feed and wat
er all the way
Pine river crossing to forks of Mel
son river, 20 miles, open country, first
class pack trail all the way. plenty
| of feed and water. Nelson river 10
Lizard river, at foot of canon, 12j miles
! large river naVigable for steamers
during high water Laird river cross
ing at foot of canon to head of Devils
portage, So miles. River difficulty on
this stretch, but land journey all
right.
Head of Devils portage. to foot Of
Brule portage, fifty miles; good river
navigation on this stretch passing the
| Rocky Mountains which do not cross
the river to the north side: country
timHered but not rugged, and feed
| good.
Dease river, seventy-hve miles; coun-
try smoothly rolling, timbered, good
| feed
Mouth of Dease to Frances lake, 1OC
| lightly timbered, feed good.
Frances lake to Pelly river. fifty
miles; country grassy, lightly timb.
cred, not rugged, plenty of water.
Pelly river to Dawson City. 45O miles
down stream; river navigable and
country on either bank not ragged
lightly timbered with plenty of grass
In winter travellers use snow for wat.
er, and horses do not require any wat.
! cr, as they eat snow. OF course water
| can be got where creeks and rivers
are crossed, by cutting through the ice
WATER ROUTE.
Tho best time to leave here going thi.
way is about the 18th of April Good
wagon road from here to the AthabascG
landing. You start down the river af,
ter the ice moves out The river opens
from the 18th of April to the lst Of
| May. When the water is high there
is very little difficulty in going down
In the early spring and summer this
is an easy route, ana large quantitie.
Of supplies can be cheaply taken i'm tC
the Yukon. There are likely to be sev,
eral steamers on the Athabasca ant
| Mckenzie rivers next season to accom-
mOdate this trade.
Edmonton to the Athabasca landing
ninety miles; good wagon road, freigh
cost from u cents to 81 per 100 pounds
Boats can be purchased from $45 up
carrying from two and a half tons up
Landing to Grand rapids, siXty-seVor
miles down stream, and clear sailing
A guide to run the rapids is usually
taken on at the Landing, and tht