Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1897-08-06
MINING DEPARTMENT
NOTES ABOUT THE CLoNDYKE REGION.
Joseph Ladue Describes the New EIdorado-How
Miners Work-Great Difficulties, but
Great Reward.


staked out the TOWNSHIP of Dawson. %,
| do not know how many thousand dol
lars / took out of the ground last win
ter" said Mr.. Ladue, but | had faith
in the region and | put It into the
ground as fast as 1t came out My opin.
ion Is that Australia, California and
South Africa are not 10 be compared
with the new gold fields of the north
There has been exposed, If 1t were on
one stream, at least thirty miles OF
placer and the higher ground has been
tested only In one place. OF course, we
have no opportunity of finding out any,
thing about the lOdes. The lOdes are
there and when it comes to lode mln-
ing 100 years will not exhaust them.
The character of the finds IL proof that
the gold has not Travelled far, and [
believe 1t dropped down from the
banks Of the stream in the course OF
dlsintegration. The seams from which
such Tremendously rich deposits come
must be immense and must be of al
most fabulous wealth. The lode min
ing Will require heavy machinery and
a large population will be attracted
into the frozen regions of the North.
1t Is possible and not at all improba-
bic that the discovery. coming at this
time when the financial question is stir
ring up the leading nations of the
world, may lead to a solution of the
troubles.
'If any man persists in attempting
to penetrate the gold district this fall"
said Mr.. Ladue, 81 would advise him
to take with him eight months provis-
ions. He will need $500 or $500 and he
had better spend the money for sup
plies, for money is no good in the in
terlor OF the country. My advice would
be for him to go TO Juneau, cross the
divide to the Lewis river, a distance of
thirty miles. There he will be able to
buy boat and in company with one or
two companions he ought to be able to
make the journey to the gold region in
a month. l knew one party which
made the trip in fourteen days, but
that was a record breaker, and
would not advise newcomers to try it.
Thirty days Is safer and better. The
journey is a distance of 40 miles over
the river and through numerous lakes
and rapids. Boats are flat-bOttOmed
and can be had for $75 apiece. Each
boat will carry three men and the nee
essary provisions. 1t costs a man
about 81 a day for board in the mines
if he cooks for himself, and that is
what everybody is doing.
"Much of the mining is done on the
shares. A man Is given, say 100 feet
across the claim as lay and he is re-
CURED to pay fifty per cent. for the
privilege. Mining is carried forward |
through the aid of fires which are |
built every night at the bottom of the |
hole IN the frozen ground. At daylight |
he ground is thawed and it is raised |
% the surface during the day and piled |
up to be thawed out by the sun the
next rpring. | know many mine own
RS who will do no mining in the sum-
mel, but prefer the winter plan, as
hey devote their entire time in sum
ner to taking up the gold. The great
st distance to bedrock is twenty-five
o tsventy-six feet When n hole IS
IowIi nearly to bedrock the ground
rows very rich and the last six inches
boye the rock usually hundreds of
Olla"s to the pan. The bedrock In
many of the claims is filed with cracks
ihicn are very rich with the metal
nd usually three or four feet of rock
! brought to the surface. Up to the
me left the region there was no kill
~ and no bad characters had found
leir way in. | heard of some steal
lg, but 1t was only when a man was
ungry and wanted something to eat
hich gold would not buy. The Unit {
States mail arrives in the district
ice n month I'm winter and is drawn
= dogs. 1t is possible that parties viii {
tier during the winter in the same ]
ay, but IL they take my advice they Z
i'll wait till spring"
a 4 IA IaFk I,N |
Ids June % and came down the Yu- )
IN river, thence by steamer to San {
The distance down the riv- .
is LOO miles. He estimates that
ring the first three months of the
esent year $4000.000 were taken out t
the ground and S2.O000O0 was i'm S
sted by lucky miners. He says 1t Z
luires no knowledge of mining to
crate In the mines. and that there
3 1000 people in the district A num- o
r Of the miners are accompanied by t
Dir families and the sight of children Il
lying on the banks of the Yukon is =,
e of the reminders of the civilian u
n left far behind. The shortest day h
the year. according to Mr.. Ladue, b
three hours. and miners are enabled u
work seven hours on account of the
x twilight AIR. l.adue has made Z
ee trips through the district in N
ich the discovery was made, and m
rs It is one Of the healthiest spots =,
the world. The only Inconvenience
the vast swarms of mosquitoes "
ich fiji the air IN summer time. Ba- oil
and beans are the principal arti- d-
) OF diet but the bacon is of a :,
v poor quality.
If a man must go TO the gold fields ON
! year." remarked Mr.. Ladue. 'he b'
uld leave this country no later than al
Goth of August. The river is froz- g.
over in the latter part of October or
the LIST of November, and travelling h'
hen dangerous. Placer work win 10
in progress for twenty years, and 1t.
re will be no lowering of wages for