Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-12
MUCH GOLD IN ALASKA.
Mr.. l.. Hazard Wells Confident There
Are Rich Deposits on the Ia
nana River.

washington, Feb. I.-Pursuant TO in
structions from the acting secretary OF
war, a special supplementary report has
been prepared by Mr.. +. Hazard Wells,
who acted as agent for the war department
III bringing attention 10 Captain Rays dis
patches. Mr.. Wells has been in the coun-
try three times has traversed interior
Alaska In many directions. and has prac-
teal knowledge of the country that is pos
sessed by few persons. He says among
other things:
There are undoubtedly large deposits of
gold in Alaska rivalling those of the Brit
ish Northwest Territory. ] noticed excel
lent mineral indications upon the Tanana
river. and in other localities in 1880. dis
covered true fissure vein of quartz eight
feet in diameter with well defined casing
rocks upon the upper Tanana. This quartz
evidently contained metal. Specimens which
l secured to take out to San Francisco for
assay were subsequently lost in river
catastrophe. Numerous creeks entering
the Upper Tanana revealed colors Of gold
In the sands.
''All of the gcld-bearing streams of Alas
ka so far discovered. viz: Birch creek.
Miller creek. FOrtymile crek, Sixty-miie
creek and Seventy-mile creek. head in the
vicinity of the Tanana river and flow away
TO the northeast. On the southwest: side
and heading near the Tanana are the noted
Copper and Sushitna rivers, the latter be-
ing the gold-bearing stream which recently
came into prominence through the placer
discoveries on Cooks inlet. The Copper
Ilver Is pOpularIy supposed 10 DE lOcdteu
in the heart of a mineral belt. 1t is a rea-
sonable deduction that if all of the streams
flowing away from the Tanana to the
northeast and southwest bear gold, the
Tanana itself must cut through gold
bearing country. This opinion IL shared by
nearly all of the oldtime miners now To-
Gated in Dawson.
Recently excellent prospects were dis
covered upon an American creek, Il tribu-
tary of the Yukon in Alaska. just below
Forty-mile creek. Miller creek, Birch creek
and other streams within the boundaries OF
Alaska in the Yukon valley still offer in
ducements TO placer miners. ! do not be,
be discovered in Alaska than Will be found
in the great Tanana valley"
Further. Mr.. Wells says:
ITO the westward of the Tanana rise gt-
gentic chains of mountains which will
make prospecting toward the kuskokwim
and Sushitna rivers extremely difficult.
From a good point of vantage upon high
mountain near the head of Copper river
l obtained a birdseye view Of the coun-
try to the westward and beheld titanic
masses of rock upheaved in much the
America. A range of very, tall mountains
parallels the Tanana on its westward side,
joining at an acute angle with the high
Alaskan range, which sweeps across from
the Tanana near Robertson river to the
mouth of the Sushitna and beyond. To
the westward of this v shaped arrange
explored territory of the Kuskokwin.
81 have descended the kuskokwim SOC
miles to the seacoast and found 1t a broad
deep and somewhat sluggish stream. flow
ing in from the unknown east. Indian re-
ports state that Kuskokwim heads within
three days overland march of the lower
Tanana- A pass Is reported to exist by
which 1t can be reached from the Tanana.
My observations on the lower Kuskokwim
do not induce the belief that 1t flows out
from a gold bearing region. but 1t is pos
would. hardly carry colors very far down
stream
Attention is directed to a new Canadian
ha strirtix enSnIced hv aier WaIsb VIII 4,
command of the mounted police and Gus.
toms officers. requiring every man enter
Ing the Northwest Territory en- route tc
Dawson to have at least 1000 pounds OF
provisions.