The San Francisco call., 1897-07-23
AN ASSAYER'S ACCOUNT.
Byron E. James Early Report on the
Mining Conditions and Methods
of the klondyks.

Mining Conditions and Methods
of the klondyks.
Amid the dearth of competent and in
;elligent reports by experts on the Yukon
diggings the following letter written in
January last from Forty m lie will be OF
some interest. 1t is from Byron E. James,
an assayer and university graduate, to
the Mining and Scientific Press, in which
it was published March 20 last. Mr.. James
little later went to the Klondyke, where
he now is:
This winter there are about 1900 men in the
country distributed as follows: About 700 at
Circle City and the tributary diggings. posi-
bly, % on Seventy-mile and American creeks
between here and there, about 125 at Forty
mile and the diggings on the head of Forty
mile ana S1xty-m1le rivers, and at least $50
IN the new Bonanza and Hunker dis trcts.
A fair idea of the general location OF these
places can be had from United States Coast
ana Geodetic Survey map Bonanza and
Hunker creeks are tributaries OF the Klondyke
River near its mouth. 1t is about fifty miles
above here and three miles above old Fort
Reliance, on the east branch of the Yukon.
dl1,eo dhe town arted at the mouth of the Klen-
dyKe River mas been named Dawson, and al
ready boasts sawmil', three saloons aud
apout fifty cabins. Bouauza Creek was discov-
cred IN the latter part OF August ana in one
month the discoverer took out $1,000 Since
the cold weather b-gan, so that holes could be
sunk Dy thawing The gravel commonly called
burning, The creek proves 10 lie as rich as
any yet found in the Yukon country. One of
the richest claims has a pay streak 80 feet
wide of three feet OF bedrock and four feet of
grave which will average, it is claimed, 81 TO
me pan, but think so cents is nearer ii. For
TWO miles each way from this claim GOOD pay
mas been located at ose intervals.
About half a mile above the Discovery
claim is tributary OF bonanz7. called FL
DoraCo, which has very good pay for mile
and a hu!f from its mouth, though it is not
equal to tfat on the first claim mentioned
Hunker Creek has not been pros pected much
yet, but Will doubtless have some good claims.
Bonanza Greek is about twenty-five miles
long, and on 1T and its tributaries tn ere are
located probably 400 claims of 500 feet each
and half that many in Hunker district. OF
that number some will never pay, many will
pay wages and maybe little more and a
goodly number will give their owners snug
sums.
The prevailing wages OF the country are ST
per hour, depending on the distance from the
supply point. From five to eight hours is a
winter days work.
The dlggings a. the head of Forty-mile and
Sixty mile rivers are from one to ten years old,
and while none of them SO extensive as
Bonanza's they have had diggings as rich as
any but the very best on Bonanza
Now as TO the methods used: The diggings
are OF two c.asses-summer and winter. Most
of the creeks have slight fall and wide bot
toms, the gravel being covered by l to 10 feet
OF muck or soil mot glacial drifD. The bed
rock is often 20 fee deep, ard since the ground
never thawS more than or feet from the
surface Grains ana QllcQeS are expensive; so
each winter mora burning" is done, which
consists in thawing the gravel by fire, remov-
ing It and repeating.
The muck thaws but little and makes good
roof for drifting. The dumps are sIuiced with
the first water in the spring. Sometimes the
creeks do not freeze up solid and the water
gives trouble-that being the case this year in
p laces where the average temperature for the
past five weeks was 10 deg. below zero. There
is promise of cold speil-the coolest, 45 deg
be low zero, being recorded to- dav. Last year
at this time the daily mean was So deg. to IS
deg.
Summer diggings are expensive to open for
work, but the net returns are often more than
if burning had been the method In most
cases lum ber must be whipsawed. the average
cost being $3.50 per 1000 feet. Other things
being in proportion considerable expense is
incurred before the ground is ready to shovel
into the sluice boxes.
In all probability there will be work for all
that come in this spring. Bonanza is in an
unprospected section of The countr though
there may not be many new creeks found
No one should think of coming unless he can
land with $500, If he purchase his outfit at
Juneau, and twice that if he purchase after
arrival here.
But little attentio has been paid to quartz
particularly the hills and valleys are COW
cred by heavy growth Of moss. So far moth
ing but small stringers have been found in the
bedrock. Nuggets are often found which are
more than half quartz.