The times., 1897-07-26
EXPERT TO CO TO kLOND|kE
Bureau of Labor Will Send One
TO Examine the Mines.
WILL START In A FEW DAYS
Homes 10 Arrive in Sitka by August
19-He VIII Communicate to fhe
Government the Result OF HIS
Investigation Speedily as
Possible.

The ever-increasing rush for the Alaska
gold fields has resulted in Official acton
on the part of The Government. and in a
few DAYS an expert on mining VIII lie sent
l,y the Commissioner Of Labor to the klon
dixie regions.
lie VIII make a careful and exhaustive
study Of the conditions which exist there
and his observations, embodied in re-
nort win t,e issued by tile Bureau of
Labor at = early a dateas possible. sach
a report, giving The unbiased iacls as 10
the OPPORTUNITIES for investment Oh capF
tsI, Tie employment of laLoF, wages ana
cost of liking. viii be OF great value to the
people OF this country
For several important reasons the name
OF the gentleman selected for this speciai
nilsson cannot be divulGed at present,
He is In the regular employ Of the bureau
and has haG years OF practical experience
among the mines Of the West.
The Journey VIII lie made alone, and IL
is the intention of Commissioner wright
that the gold fields be reached before
winter sets in
The start will be made from this city
on tie I'd OF August and sitka ~hl De
reached by the 18th. Ali arrangements
such as the securing OF berth On one ol
the outeoIng steamers and the means OF
travel when Alaska is reached, have been
provided for some time in advance
Il am very anxious TO get to hio@dike,
the expert said yesterday, "and VIII en-
Geavor TO reach the scene OF excitement
as rapidly as l can travel ] SHAH Tor
ward the results Of my observations as
often a 5 possible. so the bureau can en-
body them in its regular reports. 1 shall
make no purchases here, but VIII defer
that part Of my preparations until reach
san Francisco. There have friends thor
oughly familiar with the conditions which
are ant to meet one in the Klondike coun-
try. and / shall rely on their advice in
the selection Of my outfit. / shall take
camera, Of course, and secure as many
photographs as possible
when the ship arrives at sitlla 1 VIII
Join some party going to the mines and
travel 10 its company. II my schedule can
be carried out l viii be at the mines before
the bitter cold sets in. and establish h myself
comfortably for the winter.
IF the reports so far received are half
way authentic the magnitude of the dis
covery cannot be oyer-estimated. There
viii be room for thousands OF men at the
mines, and for the first few years the
chances OF almost everyone viii he good.
Mind you, I do not say that the conditions
there are such If We were sure OF them
there would be no need Of my being sent
Co the country, and il is with the sole
object Of determining how things stand
up at the Klondike that | am now leaving
the city.
up to .he present there appears to be
nothing bot placer mining done Nor In
many cases is it even truly placer mining
Those who have struck it rich, In many in
stances, have done nothing more than what
is known as prospecting The gold found
has been mainly in nugget form. It may
vary Ia size from the proportions OF blTd
shot TO s robins egg.
Complaints are being made gainst
what people here in the East term exorbi-
tant and uEheard-of charges for living
necessaries. As an old miner and West
eruer I consider that the store people are
only charging moderate prices, and by no
means do they appear 10 be marking their
stuff as high as those in Butte and CoeuT
d'Alene did when gold was discovered IN
those camps Why, the sterekeepers and
clearinghouse puOprietors fairly raked In
dust. Every other business building was a
saloon and in some streets there Were
nothing else but these drink factories
Every drink, even beer, was % cents.
Cigars cost quarter, but / must say that
all the saloons kept first-class cigars. The
almost incon1prehensible to people here in
the Fast Nevertheless, We made no com
ment on IL at the time, as such a state Of
affairs was sure to exist at all new min
ing camps.
And it was cold there, too. Almost as
much so as any weather one is likely to
encounteI who goesto Alaska. bayeoften
seen the thermometer so degrees below
tie zero mark in Montana, yet that de
TERED no one from remaining there.
'sIn the early days of the camps 7 have
mentioned most OF the gold obtained was
secured by placer mining. Indeed. the
placer mines OF Montana are fruitful Of re-
suits to the present day, andlarge quantities
of dust are obtained from them.
Placer mining is very simple. The pros
pector carries with him a shovel, a shallow
tin basin, and a sort OF wooden cradle lined
with pitch. From time 20 time he dig
into the ground and placing the dirt in hi
basin goes to some running stream anC
immerses 1t In the water. The action oi
the current gradually carries away thl
soil and the basin being continually moyet
the pebbles and any other heavy substance
sink to the bottom. II there is any gold
it viii he thus found.
"If any traces OF the precious metal arr
present the locality is carefully examined
and il the find proves TO be a paying
one the pTospector stakes his claim. A
stream of rarnins water is almost fnvarI
ably near by and at its bank the cradle
is placed and after being filled with eartt
is held in the water and the same opera
lions as those performed in prospecting ar,
pursued.
Another and q more general and ex
peusive manner OF obtaining gold is b.
mining IT, After being a short time il
the country learn the indications whicl
point to the existence of lodes.' The goI,
IS imbedded in the rock and the great
est care is necessary in searching for II
although very frequently the creates
strikes have been made by accident.
Expansive and massive machinery {
necessary in tbs class of mining, and as !
rule the miners load their rock in sacks an,
send IL TO the crushing mills pretty niucl
as a farmer sends his wheat to be ground
Hydraulic mining is extensively prac
uced also Hose with huge noZzles ar
direct ed against gold bearing blgffs. and tb
earth s washed away I'm Immense volsrr,aaS