Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-08-13
THE GOLD FIELD.
An oficia Report on the Alaskan
District


the Yukon gold region by Josiah Ed
ward Spur, the geological survey eX-
pert who headed a party that made It
thorough investigation in Alaska last
summer, giving new facts about TIE IN
terror, was made public today. 1t i
a comprehensive document and reviews
inIetail the work IN the various dis
tricts. 1t says as TO the Forty-Mile
gold district that in the latter part of
1887. Franklin Gulch was struck and
the first year the creek is estimated to
have produced $4,000.
Ever since it has been a constant
payer. The character of the gold
there is Duggety. masses of s. weight
being very common. The yield of the
first year after the discovery of Forty
Mile has been variously estimated a
$50, 900 to $4,000, but 100000 prob
ably covers the production.
The discovery of Davis Creek and
stampede from Franklin Gulch followed
in the spring of 1858. In 1891 gold
mining in the interior aS well a on tn,
coast, at Silver Bowl basin and Tread
well, received a great impetus. tn,
event of 1892, was the discovery OF
Miller creek. In the spring OF '93.
manS new claims were staked and it i
estimated that so men took out $780,
600. Since then Miller creek has been
the heaviest producer of the Fifty Mile
district and until recently of the whole
Yukon. lis entire length lies in British
possessions. The output for 1898, a,
given by the mint director for the
Alaskan creeks. All but Miller creeh
being the American possessions, was
$l9S,0O0, with a mining population OF
1876.
The total amount produced by the
Yukon placers in 1894 was double that
of the previous year. In 1895 the out.
put had doubled again.
Forty Mile district IN the summer in
1896 is described in the report a look
ing as if it had seen it, best days. and
unless several new creeks are dlscov-
ered( it will lose it, old position.
The Birch creek district was last sum
mer in a flourishing condition. Most
of the gulches were working on double
shifts, night and day, and many large
profits were reported
On Mastodon creek. the best produc-
err, over thirty miners were at work,
many expecting to winter in the gulch.
AS for dydraulicing. the report says
..Some of the miners have planned to
work this and other good ground sup
posed to exist under the deep covering
of moss and gravel in the wide valley
of the Mammoth and Crooked creeks
by hydraulicing, the water to be OBJ
tanned by tapping Miller and Mastodon
creeks near the head IT will be sever
al years before the scheme can be oper-
ated. because both of the present
gulches are paying well, and will con-
tinue to do so at least tive years
Following is the report OF the kon-
dikedistrict:
with the announcement of gold
here in the winter Of 1861, there was
a genuine stampede to the new region
Forty Mile was almost deserted. But
$50 men spent the winter in KondIke,
IN the gulcheS and at the new town of
Dawson. The more important parts
of the district are on Bonanza and
Hunter creeks. According to the lat
est information 400 claims have been
located up to January !, 1897, about
half as many as on Hunker creek.
There is plenty of room for many more
nrospectors and miners. for the gulches
and creeks, which have shown good
prospects, and spread over an erea OF
700 square miles. The estimated Alas
kan gold production for 1896, made 10y
the Spur report. is said TO be Sl,4o0,-
600. The reports point out the dilli-
entities in the way of speedy develop
ment of the country. First, the climate,
with short summer season and long
col winter. Prospecting is done in
the winter more and more every year,
because frozen ground renders travel.
ing over the swampY, moss-covered
-