The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-07-21
PLENTY OF GOLD THERE.
Opinion OF Geologist Dali, Cura-
tor OF the National Museum.
HE'S BEEN IN ALASKA
How the Miners Work the Frozen Gravel
In the Winter Season by Means
OF Fres-Food Hard
to Get.

Washington, July COR. william
II. Dali, one Of the curators ~ the
National museum. is familiar with the
region OF country In which the Clon-
dyke gold fields are located, through
having been on several geological ex-
petitions to the region In Alaska join
ing the gold district, aud says that in
his opinion the reports from that coun-
try probably are not exaggerated. He
said;
when | was there | did not find
gold but know of IL being taken out in
profitable quantities for Is years or
more. The gold Is found along various
tributaries on the Yukon and | have
been within u comparatively short dis
tance of the Clondyke fields.
THE gold-bearing belt OF Northwest
crn America contains all the gold fields
extending into British Columbia which
IL known AS the Northwest Terri
tory and Alaska. The Yukon river
runs along in that belt for 200 or 600
miles The bed of the main river is In
the lowland valley The yellow metal
Is not found In paying quantities In the
hlaih iiN'Ns huN iti lilf cilldli
which cut through the mountains ON
either side, These practically 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 Hes at the bottom of a thick de-
posit of gravel. The gold Is covered by
frozen gravel In the water. During the
summer. until the snow Is all melted,
the surface is covered by muddy tor
rents 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 the gold, the
miners find II necessary To- dig into the
gravel formation. Formerly they
stripped the gravel or. until they came
To the gold. Now they sink a shaft III
the bottom OF the gravel and tunnel
along underneath In the gold-bearlng
layer.
The way In which this is done is In
teresting. as IL has to he carried on In
cold weather when everything IL frozen,
The miners build fires over the arta
of which they wish tn work and ketI
these lighted over the territory for the
space Of about "a hours, Then at the
expiration OF this period the gravel will
be melted and softened To depth oi
perhaps six inches. This IL then taken
OF and other fires built until the gold
bearing layer IL reached. When the
shaft Is down that far fires are built
at the bottom. against the side of the
layer. and tunnels made in this man
her. Blasting would do no good on
account Of the hard nature of the ma
teria and would blow out Just as out
Of a gun. The matter taken out con
tanning the gold Is piled up until spring
when the torrents come down, and Is
panned and Graded. II Is certainly
very hard work.
II see many reasons why the gold
fields should be particularly hard {,
reach. The streams which cut through
the mountains have probably done 80
for centuries, wearing them down sew
cral hundred feet and washing out ths
gold into the beds and gravel. II " u
country I'm which II Is only hard I,
find food. as there is practically nc
game