The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-06
THE KLONDIKE GOLD.
PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY AT oeeRLIN
COLLEGE ON ITS SOURCE.
Inc Gold Probably "a Glacial Deposit From
the Disintegrated "Mother Lode"-This
Country Must Hold ON to Her Treaty
Rights In the Klondike Region.

The discovery of gold in large guam
titles on the Yukon river is by no means
unexpected. Eleven years ago the last
word | heard as | left Juneau was the
pledge of returning tourist to meet
his friend the next summer and prospect
In the Yukon region.
The great mass of gold bearing quartz
at the Treadwell mine, near Juneau,
was what might be expected, and at the
same time what might be the limitation
Of the supply. For more than ten years
that mine has furnished more than ST.
600, GOO of gold annually, but it is not
like ordinary quartz mines. 1t is rather
a great isolated mass of quartz with
gold disseminated all through it. While
Its worth is great, its length is limited.
Little is known about the geology of
the Yukon river, where the Klondlke
mines have been found. Being placer
mines, the gold may have been trans
ported many miles. The means of trans
portation are both glaciers and rivers.
The Klondike region is on the north
side of the st. Elias Alps. Alaska was
never completely covered with glacial
ice. The glaciers flowed both north and
south from these SUBMITS. Dawson and
Professor Russell both report well de-
fined terminal moraines across the up
per Yukon valley. The source of the
Klondike gold, therefore, is from the
south.
Placer mines originate in the disin-
tegration of gold bearing quartz veins
or mass like that at Juneau. Under
subaerial agencies these become dis
solved. Then the glaciers transport the
material as far as they go, when the
floods Of water carry it on still farther.
Gold, being heavier than the other ma
terials associated with it, lodges i'll the
crevasses or in the rough places at the
bottom of the streams. So to speak, ma
ture has stamped and "panned' the
gravel first and prepared the way for
man to finish the work. The amount of
gold found in the placer mines is evil
dence not so much, perhaps, OF very
rich vein as of the disintegration OF a
very large vein.
The "mother lode" has been looked
for in vain in California, and perhaps
will be so in Alaska. But it exists
somewhere up the streams on which
the placer mines are found. The dis
covery of gold in glacial deposits far
away from its native place is familiar
to American biologists.
| have encountered placer mines IN
glacial deposits near Aurora in south
eastern Indiana, in Adams county III
southern Ohio and near Titusville In
! western Pennsylvania, where, l see,
there is a new excitement. But In all
these cases the gold had been brought
several hundred miles by glacial Ice
from Canada or the region about Lake
Superior. These gold mines were neal
the edge of the glacial region, where
there had been much asserting actor
of both ice and water.
1t is evident, however. that in Alasks
the transportation of the gold has no
gone so far. The difficulties OF thu
TRANSFORMATION into the Klondike region
and the shortness of the season VII
continue to be great drawbacks to work
ing the mines. The pass north OF Chil
kat is 1000 feet above sea level ant
but few miles back from the ocean
There is no possibility of road owe
il. But from Taku inlet, near juneau
reader access can be had. This rout
was followed by Schwatka and MI
HAYES of the United States geological
survey few years ago and has pee
partially surveyed with reference to
railroad line and reported to be avail
able. The only other way is by rive
which is open to navigation only
short time each year and is great wa
around.
The general climatic conditions o
the north side of the mountains ar
much better than those on the sout
side. On the south side the SNOWMAN
, enormous, but on the north side the al
10 drier. Schwatka and Hayes went
the summer down the Yukon vale
about to the Klondike region, and froi
there struck off west, passing TO tn
north of Mount St. Elias and down th
Copper river. They had dry weather a
the time. in which camping was plea
ant. while Russell the same season wa
= driven back by Indictment weather iro'
t ascending st. Elias on the south sid'
r. is therefore not impossible that e.
nlorations southwest of the present goi'
l. fields may be carried on with compare
o tive ease. But at present that whoI
o region is bare of means OF subsistence
There is imminent danger that mar
will get in there before winter Win y
sufficient means and starve, Event
: ally the reindeer which Sheldon Jac
J. SON is introducing will be avallap
both for transportation and food peii
much superior to dogs in that they c,
II procure their own food. But FOR u
n present every necessity must either
hacked over the Chilkat pass or prons
around by way of the Yukon.
Is As to the ultimate yield of the MIN
or the prospect of finding more we ma u,
nothing but conjecture to go upon
i. biologists who have visited the regl
were not the ones who discovered {
GOLD. What the prospectors have iou'
Tla unaynlOrpd IeQl