Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-08-12

such thing as conservative. reliable
estimate of the gold to be produced
Turing the coming year In the Klon-
lyke region alone are numerous
creeks, such as Bonanza, Indian. Ell
Dorado, Hunter and Bear, and UP to
he date on which latest news came
rem Klondyke no claims had been
.ocated on these creeks more than
-hree miles above their mouths. Re-
urning miners say that not less than
1000 claims could be located under the
avs of the Northwest Territory on
hese creeks alone, but whether they
would be as rich as those already
0rospected is matter of conjecture.
ne kiondyke is but one of the many
hundreds of tributaries of the Yukon.
md each of its tributaries has it's in
Vulnerable creeks with gold bearing
~on. On some of these tributaries,
such as Forty Mile, Sixty Mile and the
DID Porcupine, claims have been
worked for four or five years and
miners have averaged SIG per day.
But such results are not considered
worthy of attention in Alaska, because
the season is very short and men with
rich claims are eager to pay SIS a day
Ior LABOR. AS far as any thorougb
prospecting is concerned, the basin of
the Yukon has hardly been entered.
The main river winds through a dis
lance Of mo- IN 5000 miles and its
tributaries 1~.fy in length from so to
500 miles, and until the present sea-
son not more than 5000 miners had
entered the basin. Hundreds and
hundreds of square miles are absolute
~ unknown. The Yukon basin con-
talns an extent Of territory fully euua
20 ali mining districts of the Pacific
coast and the Rocky mountains mt
together. Accordingly there are I'M
founded possibilities of further rich
discoveries, because the conditions
ana the character of the entire basin
are similar to the Klondyke.
Some of the accounts sent ON sneak
OF game in plenty on the way. They
VIII find their mistake, as thew will
also find that the Indians are troubIe-
some This present excitement grows
out OF the first prospecting of the east
ern side of the Yukon. In the past
| all prospectors have confined them
| selves to the west bank because when
the river is open there is no way to get
| across. On the west bank are the gold
| nelds about Circle City, which is only
lew miles south of the Arctic circle,
| and the explorations have extended
| about 800 miles south and UP to the
banks of the river. This has all been
fairly we'll prospected, along Forty
Mile river and Walker creek. Sixty
| Mile creek was p"Cspected long ago,
and there are some good claims there.
Into this empties Gold creek, so named
by the Indians, and they dc not name
thing without reason. The mouth
OF the K1ondyke is only a few miles
above that of Sixty Mile creek. but on
the opposite side of the Yukon Sixty
Mile creek flows northeast into the
Yukon, while the Klondyke flows
southwest to its mouth The cause of
all the excitement lies in the fact that
there is better yield On the streams
| tributary to the east bank of the
Yukon, and the miners have Just dis
covered this fact
We hear considerable talk sometimes
about all this new region being in
Alaska, but a glance at the map will
show that it is all in British territory
Nest of the Forty Mile creek diggings
are in Alaska, but the entire Sixty
! Mile creek and old creek diggings are
in English territory. The real rich
mines, however, which only the most
intrepid will ever reach, are at the
headwaters of the Yukon, to the east,
and its branches in Canada. In the
great find made by the first explorers,
in travelling northwest, they struck
the course of one of those streams and
worked down toward the mouth, find
ing the deposits richer as they went.
owing to the years of deposits. There
is no doubt but what there are some
rich quartz mines somewhere, but the
question is as to whether they can ever
be worked. 1t is the general opinion
of those who have given the matter
study that the greater finds will be in
the country farther south and inland,
where the conditions are better for
water. However, it is vast country,
and it will be many years before it has
all been traversed. One can hardly
imagine its roughness. 1t is noun
tain and steppe, crag and hill, and
ravine and chasm, so that where it all
locks so smooth on a map, it would
take Swiss mountaineer to get aIong
we'll in going over the ground.
Nuggets.
Take a Winchester and a revolver.
Clothing must be heavy and service
able and capable of resisting great
cold.
Help is scarce. Indians who can
not speak either English or Chinook
receive $50 per month and all the to-
| bacco they can use. These are willing
help, but with the judgment of child
| rem.
To the prospective miner three
things are necessary-erdurance pa
thence and at least 81 900.
Fifteen miles day is good jour-
ney on the Klondyke route. The dogs
will seldom stand more. Occasionally
you may kill a moose OIL caribou and
have fresh meat. Sometimes the In