New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-26
ruF GOLD FIELDS OF ALASKA.
-, MILLION DOLLARS EXPECTED TO
RE TAKEN OUT THIS YEAR.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE rRinryr.


-..A,,-.on April 25-One sometimes hears
nc stories in Washington about the extent
~ ,,.bnsss OF the placer gold deposits OF the
IN Valley. and 1t must be confessed that they
- fairly with one another. The latest con-
',.,,o- 10 the fund o; information on this subject
:, = y Hamilton who is the secretary ana assist
a,aqe- o. the North-American TranspOrta ton
- Trading Company. which maintains line OF
@...os-s between Seattle and the Yukon. and has
...s,1r posts at Fort Cudahy British Columbia
"a AZ $ Michael. Weare and Circle City, Alaska
We are a long way from civilization at Fort
csahv " said Mr. Hamilton. and IL takes one OF
- eonpany's steamers thirty-fye days TO make
-. t-o from Seattle. The route is west on the
p.,,s. 70 the Aleutian Islands. thence north
.,-ouch Behring sea TO the mouth OF the Yukon.
. distance OF 900 miles, and then up that river
s.0 miles more total o, 1000 miles. have
nsr there Tor the last five years and have seen an
-,--,ols development OF the gold fields. Last year
r'ocD were taken out. and think that the out
A., this year viii be nearly double that There
.-e now 5000 men at work in the basin Of the
ypkon II is all placer mining. and only small
,-sr,lon o.. the goli-bearing district has been
,ouched As soon as the country is opened up
.,lly Il will in my opinion. go far ahead OF the
California boom in 1913 There is no room with
u for anybody except miners, as the country Is
no: II FOR agriculture.
1t has only been within the last year or two
t.Gt operations nave b'fi NoaA4'H Sil S++'+io YIN
winter months. Now the miners work every day IN
tAe year. while formerly they Were employed but
sion o. nres over the ground known 10 contain the
ole A. fast the earth is thawed by one hre
& IS removed. another ire is built, ana so on I'LL
bedrock is reached The art j. pied up ana lies
there til ready Tor the sluce boxes in the spring.
when IL takes several weeks TO wash the accumu-
There are no hard times in our region, although
dollar : never seen. Everything : purchased 1or
nan comes 10 cur stores and buys s. worth OF
goods. rendering bag o. DUST, from which We
weigh out the amount due. An ounce goes FOR
81. because there Is some admixture OF dirt and
lsad which must be subuacted from the value o;
an ounce o. the pure metal. The weather Is quite
cold :or seven months-.rom 20 10 50 degrees below
Iero-but We wear furs and there is little suffer.
Ig ! have never seen any case OF extreme priva-
ton during ny i've years residence in that coun-
Nv There Is plenty 10 eat always. even II We are
ri1e shy on luXlrics. Wages are high, SO per
Gay being the standard for laborers.
Rich as are the sold fields OF Alaska. 7 would
70; scv.se any one 70 strike out for tina; country
who IS not pretty robust physically. and who has
.oi with him reasonable amount % money 10 1--we
SINE weeks even months, Tor prospector 10 make
strike. and hence II is very unwise 10 90 If one
lie TIP The cost OF living is hish as it is in all
ailing camps, and with greater reason on the
supple ' that distant TS Tego business 10 transport
But the man OF some means, grit and patience
who goes up there is pretty sure 10 succeed in his
quest for gold There is enough Of the yellow metal
ne adjacent canyons 70 bear working for The next
hundred years IN tact only a httle biz OF the
q.
mis- part Of the country scarcely realize the en0r-
NOUS area that our Alaskan possessions cover.
The country Is almost six hundred thousand square
niles In extent or twelve times big the State
o. New-York rs mineral wealth IS simply meal
culabe.
1t Is also magnificent in scenic beauty. and
travellers agree mat nothing in the Old World is
superior. The short summer IS a delight. For
about eight weeks IN June and July. on the upper
Yukon, the sun shines twenty-tOur hours a day.
Where am located. in the shortest days OF winter
We have sre hours OF light each day.
What We need most in Alaska Mr.. Hamilton
added. "is kind OF government. At For.
CEdahy law and order prevail as they do always
Where British dominion exists. We cal! the Eng
ASh SLOW. bat some very great matters they are
no; half so Cilatory az our people. on the Ameri-
can side there Is no semblance Of authority. A
Circle Ci,y. lower down on the Yukon. is a pOpu-
aiion Of eighteen hundred people, and yet there
snt a magistrate or peace officer 10 repress law
sssness. i is q pretty sure thing that this season
viii bring IL a big influx OF miners. and among
them VIII be many tough Characters. ! fear that,
Unless some precautions are taken by the United
States Government. serious trouble may ensue al
SnA o. the mining settlements. There ought 10
te al least one United States marshal or peace
oacer OF some sort backed by a company Of blue
eats. for while they may never be needed. their
presence viii exert wholesome moral restraint
o. the adventurous characters who always mock
70 the gold cigg!ngs."