The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-21
MAY CLOSE
KLONDYKE.
Canada's Right is Admitted
and She Nay Exclude
the American Miners
Fortunes Still Being Wrested
From Stern Nature in the
Frozen North.
WANT GOVERNMENT PROTECTION
How the Gold Fever Fits From Valley to Valley
Starvation and Failure Face
the Adventurer.
WANT GOVERNMENT PROTECTION

Washington, July 21.-Another knotty
diplomatic question may arise from the
great gold discoveries I'm the Klondyke
district. which Is in British territory.
There is a lurking possibility that the
Canadian government will attempt to
exclude American miners from the
region. Information has reached Wash
ington to the effect that the Canadian
authorities have under consideration
the taking OF steps TO prohibit any but
British subjects from working in the
Eldorado OF North America.
AS the Klondyke mines are without
doubt In Canadian territory, II Is said
at the state department that he Domin-
lon authorities have the right to prohibit
the entrance of foreigners II they should
consider IL desirable. The department
officials believe, however, that the Ca
nadans will refrain from taking a step
| OF this character, as British subjects
| have been allowed to mine the Alaskan
| territory, and besides great difficulty
would be experienced In distinguishing
between Canadians and Americans.
But American miners have no inten-
ton Of being excluded If they can help
| II. The state department has received
| number Of communications from citi-
| Zens Of ibis government who have es-
| tablished claims in both British and
| American territory. There is, of course,
no way at present by which the men
| holding these claims can locate them
with reference to the boundary line, and.
To prevent the Canadian government
| from dispossessing them they have writ.
| ten to the state department requesting
| that the secretary adopt measures look
ing to their protection.
| The department has informed Ameri-
| can miners that treaty is now pending
between the United States and Great
Britain for the determination OF the
Alaskan boundary, and that when 1t Is
| confirmed by the senate the surveying
| Parties Of the United States and Great
| Britain, acting Jointly, will erect monu-
ments a short distance apart which will
define the true boundary line.
Mining In the Snow.
DR.. William Fl. Dali, one Of the cura-
| tors of the National museum, Is ia
| miliar with The region Of the country in
which the Klondyke gold fields are To-
| Gated, through having been on several
| geological expeditions TO the region in
| Alaska adjoining the gold district, and
says that in his opinion the reports from
| there probably are not exaggerated.
| He said:
! when / was there did not find gold,
but knew of 1t being taken out in profit
able quantities for Is years or more 1t
| was first discovered there in 1866. In
1880, when l was up in that country. my
last trip having been made two years
ago. the first party of prospectors, who
made the mining a profit, started out.
The gold is found on the various tribu-
taries of the Yukon, and / have been
within comparatively short distance
OF the Klondyke fields. / made one trip
20 Circle City. just over the boundary
of Canada. The gold bearing belt Of
northwestern America contains all the
gold fields extending into British CO.
lumbia, what Is known as the north
western territory and Alaska. The Yu-
kon really runs along In that belt for 500
or 600 miles. The bed Of the main river
is In the lowland Of the valley.
THE yellow metal Is not found in pay
| Ing quantity In the main river, but in the
small strea&ls which cut through the
mountains on either side. These prac-
tically wash out the gold. The mud and
mineral matter is carried into the main
river, while the gold Is left on the rough
bottoms Of these side streams. In most
cases the gold lies at the bottom OF thick
gravel deposits. The gold is covered
by frozen gravel In the winter. During
the summer unti'.the snow is all melted
the surface IL covered by muddy torrents
| When the snow Is all melted and the
| springs begin to freeze the streams dry
| up. At the approach OF winter in order
| to get at the gold. the miners find IL neces-
sary to dig into the gravel formation.
Formerly they stripped the gravel
| Off until they came to the gold. Now
| they sink q shaft to the bottom Of the
| gravel and tunnel along underneath In
| the gold bearing layer. The way In
| which this is done is interesting. as II
| has to be carried on I'm cold weather.
when everything Is frozen. The miners
| build fires over the area OF where they
| wish to work and keep these lighted over
| that territory for the space of "a hours
| Then at the expiration Of this period the
| gravel will be melted and softened to n
| depth OF perhaps six inches. This IL
taken Off and other fires built until the
gold bearing layer is reached. When
| the shaft In down that far fires are
built at the bottom. against the sides OF
the layer and tunnels made I'm this man.
per Blasting would do no good. on ac-
count OF the hard nature OF the material.
and would blow out just as out OF n
gun. The matter taken out containing
the gold is piled up until spring. when
the torrents come down. and is panncd
and Graded by these. IL is certainly
very hard labor.
''1t is n country In which II Is very
hard to find food. as there Is practically
no game. Before the whites went into
the region there were not more than 300
natives. They have hard work TO sup
port themselves on account OF the scar