The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-22
WHERE hNDHON 70 GET gold
2CFCS Buck GIVES VALUABLE
POINTERS TO PROsPECrORs.
tie Trainlng t. Bear on . Prae-
IDEAL stuay q Mines ana Mineral
Conditions IN the Great Klonaike.

1SSSeos.Os
Rufus Buck, q Seattle boy who Is now
n Dawson. u putting his university train
Ing 70 good use In making scientific but
practical study Of the mineral formations
in tho new land Of gold. Mr.. Buck Is .
graduate Of Stanford university. where
he devoted especial attention to mining.
mineralogy, metallurgy and cognate
branches OF study. The following outline
OF the present mineral situation and out
look In the klondike country, which he
has written for the Post-Intelligencer. can
not fail to prove interesting and valuahle:
owing to the persistence Of prospect
ors, gold has been found at the extreme
limit of the Kiondike Mining Division. Not
only at the extresns lowest point. the bot
tom Of the Yukon. but also at the highest
point. viz, the summit or the mountain
on the west side or Eidorado just below
French gulch.
Their reward IS not few co;ors only
in those widely separated spots. In many
Instances $50 to the pan IS found In the
gravel taken from bed rock.
'-Geologically, the auriferous strata are
OF the Paieozoic age, and the altered states
and shales are much contorfed and broken
up. thus allowing the formation OF innum-
cradle small veins of quartz running in all
directions. None seems to be more than
gush veins, and with but one exception
gold has not been observed in them. Pros
pectors are still pecking away hoping to
ind likely looking quartz.
Where the Gold IL.
THE divide between the Klondike and
Indian rivers appears to be the enriched
portion OF the gold belt. az only the
streams heading in this belt are pro-
ductive. E,ldorado. Bonanza and Hunksr
creeks empty into the kiondike and Do
minion and Sulphur creeks into Indian
river.
These creeks are wonderfully rich in
certain portions, but the same cannot be
said or their entire length. Coarse gold
concentrates itself into bars and is not
easily moved. Fine gold being found in
small quantities only accounts for certain
OF the lower portions seeming almost bar
rem.
Glaciers have practically played no part
In forming the placers In the creeks They
are the result OF water concentrating the
gold In the lowest part OF the creeks three.
four and even ten feet down In bed rock.
There Is no GLACIAL drift to be seen along
Bonanza or any OF the other creeks.
In the glacial age undoubtedly this
district was covered by an ice sheet. but
as the topography is quite fat it Is very
doubtful IL the glaciers moved at all UNI
less they were pushed out by the Rocky
mountains and thence over the Klondike
river and its BASIN
"Eldorado has cut its channel dwon
from the summit of the mountains back
or French gulch to its present level, and
IN so doing has left rich benches on the
west side OF the creek. Bonanza creek
during the same period cut down below
the mouth Of Skookum Pup and left a
very rich bench about 100 feet above its
present level on the southwest bank Of
the mouth OF Skookum Pup and Adams
creek.
How to Find II.
The richness Of q claim depends, first,
largely upon the location on a creek.
About three miles from the head waters
seem to be the breast OF the creek and
the richest claims are generally in this
locality. II claim Is opposite or Just
below gulch coming in from the side.
thiS always seems to enrich the claims
This Is easily explained by the fact that
the gold comes out Of the pups and
lodges in the creek
second. upon the formation of the bed
rock. II 1t be OF loose slabs pointing IN
stream and lying so as TO form a natural
rirrfe. 4 win certainly prove rich. Should
u De or smooth nature the gold sweeps
right over II and is deposited only when
a rough rifle is encountered. Coarse gold
lies on bed rock or on a thin layer OF
cay FOUND on bed rock BY scrapiny the
bed rock in one instance the first result
went as high as 1915 to the pan, ten more
averaging $3.50. and sever as low as 50.
Character of Gold.
E'dorado gold Is poor in quality. but
the quantity makes up the deficiency Ad-
herring pieces OF quartz. and silver alleged
with god. bring its value to SIG an ounce.
Bonanza seems somewha. purer but Han
ker and Dominion furnish by far tia
brightest and purest gold. That OF Bou,d
er creek is reddish in appearance. due IN
some copper alleged with the native gold.
some very interesting fossil remains
have been found in the pIacers. On No
1s In Eldorado a fossil tooth OF a mast..
don was found in pay dirt Both on
bunker and Dominion sections Of a mas
todon's tusk were found in the drift. The
head and horns Of the musk OK are offer,
round In the drift, and one was remarka-
Die N having the cavities filed with sand
mixed with gold.
The e5.d belt runs parallel TO the Rocky
mountains. and in a northwest and SOUTH
east direction. The heads Of the Indian
ana McQuestion rivers and also the lef,
branch OF the Kiond.ke. may devotion soma
rich diggings and prospectors should keen
them in mind
They are 100 miles or more from the
Yukon and are difficult OF access ON ar
count OF the sw.ftness OF the Klona,ka
and Stewart rivers
Many prospectors are going TO Amer.
ican creek. Forty Mile and Seventy M,,a
nrn,on W.
Good reports come from tho=e crast.
the chief difficulty being the fact ,ha. ors
man may locate twenty claims and ha,d
them FOR year" ''o.S
THE FLIGHT OF rIar, Dovr