The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-01-08


fields must not expect to find claims
near the present centers of population.
They will be compelled to prospect dis
tant streams and gulches, and if sue
cessful, they may locate several hun
dred miles from the nearest store. To
be compelled to make a journey after
supplies might cause the loss of the en-
tire seasons prospecting, even assuming
that the things needed could be pur-
chased at all. Every prospecting party
should be fully equipeped to subsist
itself for year. Otherwise it can not
carry on its work under the conditions
necessary for success. This is made
clear when one understands the method
OF mining and the difficulties of travel
IN the winter season, in mountainous
region without trails, the ground COW
cred with snow and the thermometer
almost continuously below zero.
The ground is frozen from surface to
bedrock, a distance varying in mining
claims from 20 to 40 feet. Even in
summer it thaws out less than a foot
from the surface. The best pay dirt or
gravel is just above the bed rock, and
to sink shaft down to this requires
! great deal of fuel, and it takes many
weeks of hard work in the open season
to gather fuel enough to last through
the winter for heating and working
/ purposes. Water for washing out the
/ dirt and extracting the gold can be had
only In the summer and early fall In
some districts water flows only a few
weeks each year. All the dirt taken
out OF the shaft is piled up near it till
the following summer, and until then
the miner can not tell what will be the
result of his years labor.
This is the ordinary programme of
the Yukon miner. He reaches the gold
fields in June or July. He spends the
next few weeks in prospecting and
fnally locates claim. There is then
but short time left in which to gather
fire wood and prepare for work. Dur
ing the winter he sinks his shaft and
piles up the dirt to be run through
sluice boxes the next summer. When
he can get water he begins washing.
and by the time he has completed it
more than year has passed from the
time he first arrived in the gold fields,
and it may then be too lale for him to
get out OF the country that season. If
he went in supplied for - months and
has kept his supplies he is all right. Ii
not, he may be in the position of those
hlondike miners this winter, who have
not supplies to carry them through till
spring and can not buy them at any
price.
So much for the necessity of an
ample equipment. Now few words
about the nature OF it. Some things
are absolute necessities, and one OF
these is quicksilver for saving the gold.
Take five pounds. To be without it
would be like a soldier without ammu-
milton. 1t should be in metal flask
OF some kind, something that will not
break, and care should be taken not to
spill it. A pick and long handled I
shovel are necessary tools, also gold /
pan. You will want kit OF tools for
making a boat, as we'll as for building
a cabin, fumes, etc. 1t should consist
OF whipsaw, handsaw, Jack plane.
draw-knife, axe, claw Ratchet ham /
mer, square, chisel, files, milestone.
chalk line and wire and galvanized .
nails, also oakum, pitch, oars, row
locks. calking iron, boat cotton, Irvine
sail needless wooden block and manila
cotton rope.
The necessary camping outfit con-
sists of tent, a Yukon stove, nest of
three camp kettles, fry pan, bake pan.
water bucket, plates, cup and saucer,
coffee pot, knives, forks, spoons, two
large spoons and butcher knife. The
best materials for utensils are alumni
mum, graniteware and steel in the Or
der named. No tin, china or glass is
desirable. There is no economy in not
getting the best and full equipment.
Food must be good and properly cooked
II one would retain health and be in
condition to work. insufficient or
poorly cooked food, with little variety.
IS the chief cause of scurvy. Too much
'are cannot be exercised in this par
-icular.
AS for food, an adequate supply for
y months weighs about ton. The
thief items are 600 pounds OF flour. 300
pounds of bacon, $50 pounds each of
beams and sugar, IS pounds each Of
oiled oats or other mush material and
orn meal, so pounds of rice, six dozen I
ans OF condensed milk, 80 pounds Of
utter in sealed cans, 80 pounds of
vaporated vegetables, 100 pounds of !
vaporated fruit, 80 pounds of prunes i
nd raisins, 30 pounds of dried fish, 40
ounds OF coffee, with baking powder, d
oda, salt, pepper, ginger, mustard, i
east cakes, tea, soap, matches, lime
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