The San Francisco call., 1897-07-20
Official Veraton Of the Wonderful Gold Discoveries the Kondyke
District Ten Million Dollars Conservative Estimate Of What
Will Be Taken Ou This Year.

camps II was shipped out, as you know,
on the steamers Excelsior ana Portland.
Let me cite little incident or an instance
showing the gold yield of some of the
Klondyke claims. friend of mine went
to dump and was looking 1t over, and he
told me that it bore the appearance OF
some ones having taken and poured
bucketfuls of gold nuggets down over the
dump. In truth, he said there appeared
to be more gold than dust. incidentally
/ may say to you that we have data OF an
official nature which leads us to believe
that the gold output for the Rossland and
Kootenay districts for 1897 will be in excess
of 81, 600, 900, including the silver yield
should have said, and have no hesi,ancy
in asserting that within the course OF five
years the gold yield of the three districts
named will exceed that of either Colorado,
California or South Africa"
Governor Macintosh announced that
the Government is seriously considering
the construction of a railroad into the
Yukon district. In fact, he said, it has
several corps of engineers now making
SURVEYS.
Zone route" the Govern or said, "con-
templates the operation of line of steam
ers from Fort Wrangel up the Stickeem
r yer, which is open to both countries,
under the Washington treaty of some
twenty-five years ago, to Telegraph Greek.
From Telegraph Greek surveyors are now
endeavoring to ascertain the feasibility of
the construction of railway line from
125 to 130 miles to Teslin Lake. The route
extends through scrubby tim Der, and has
only one or two serious obstacles. Begin
ming with Teslin Lake. boats will be oper-
ated along a series of lakes and rivers that
connect with the Stewart and Pelly rivers
.emptying into the Yukon. It is claimed
that no serious difficulties, that is diff
culties such as cannot be reasonably over
come, are encountered anywhere along
this route.
81 may say in this connection that the
route l have just described to you would
be more than 5000 miles shorter than the
present route by way of ST. Michaels and
the Yukon and every foot of it would be
in British territory. There is another
route through Canada which has been
found possible. A railway extends from
Calgary, Northwest Territory, over 200
miles. Then there is trail and a good
one, from Edmonton to Atha basca, land
ing IN the unorganized district of Atha-
easoa. Hudson Bay boats now run over
Athsbasea Lake down file river OF Atha-
basca to the vicinity of Mckenzie River
where it has been found possible with
very easy portages to reach the Porcupine
River, and thence down that stream into
the Yukon. The Government explorer,
Mr.. Ogilvie, made an inspection of this
route several times, once in 1887. once in
1885, and in 1890 and 1891 with Mr.
Dawson. the director-general OF geological
surveys. The White horse River route is
also considered feasible"
The Governor leaves in the morning for
Victoria, going thence to his capital Re-
gina. He comes here in reality to see one
of his sons who has the fever, safely off
to the Klondyke.
Discussing the Stikeem River route the
Alaska Mining Record of Juneau in the
issue of July IA says:
&c. w. Garside returned from Wrangei
on the Queen and reports the Canada sur
veyors are AMI have been at work survey
ing out the Stikeem route for the proposed
narrow-gauge railroad for the Yukon
country. Were the United States Gov
for it's northern subjects and the enter
prise shown by the Canadians, the way to
the greatest gold fields ever known would
be an easy one. But it can hardly be ex-
pected that the Government will ever
spend a dollar toward opening a trail
when disposition to even carry the mail
is not shown. Where else on this earth
are the citizens treated'by their mother
country as those of Alaskan Mr.. o. Brien.
who claims to know the movements of
the Canadian Government anent the Yu-
kon country, says that immediate steps
will be taken to establish telegraph1c COM
municatlon between Forty-mie ana the
head of Lynn canal via the Dalton trail.
This by boat to Victoria will give them
weekly communication whichis so much
desired by the people of that iar-away
away"
The Mining Record also announc that
Three distinguished persons in the sport
Ing world were passengers on the last trip
OF the Queen for Juneau. They were