The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-12
ALASKA, TOO, HAS GOLD
Discoveries Predicted Which May
Eclipse the kIOndike

Washington, Feb. u.-Pursuant to in
structions from the acting secretary of
war special supplementary report has
been prepared by Mr.. Z. Hard Wells,
who acted as "a gent for the war depart
ment in bringing attention TO Captain
Rays dispatches. Mr.. Wells has been in
the country three times. has traversed in
terror Alaska in many directions and has
a practical knowledge of the country that
is possessed by few persons. He says
among other things:
There are Undoubtedly large deposits
of gold in Alaska, rivalling those of the
British Northwest Territory. noticed ex-
cellent mineral indications upon the Tan
ana river and in other localities in 1890
1 discovered true f1ssure vein of quartz
eight feet in diameter with we'll defined
casing rocks upon the upper Tanana.
This quartz evidently contained much
metal. Specimens which secured to take
out 20 San Francisco for essay were sub
seqUently lost in a river catastrophe.
Numerous creeks entering the upper Tan
ana revealed colors of gold in the sands
All Of the gold bearing streams of Alas
ka so far discovered, viz: Birch creek,
Miller creek. Forty Mile creek Sixty Mile
creek and Seventy Mile creek head in the
vicinity of Tanana river and flow away
to the northeast. On the southeastern
side and heading near the Tanana are the
noted Copper and Sushita rivers. the lat
ter being the gold bearing stream which
recently came into prominence through
the placer discoveries on Cooks Inlet.
The Copper river is popularity supposed
10 be located in the heart of the mineral
belt. It is a reasonable deduction that II
all the streams flowing away from the
Tanana to the northeast and southwest
bear sold that the Tanana itself must cut
through a gold bearing country. This
opinion is shared by nearly all of the old
timers now located in Dawson. Recently
excellent prospects were discovered upon
an American creek, a tributary 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
inducements to placer miners. I do not
believe that any better mining region will
be discovered in Alaska than VIII be found
in the great Tanana valley.
a Settle, Wash. Feb. u.-Early in De-
cember James T. O'Brien, who recently
arrived here from Dawson City. discov-
ored cropping OF a quartz lead while
crossing the ridge between the head OF
Eldorado creek and Quartz branch. a
branch Of IN Indian river. He brought
out samples Of ore from the bottom OF
the shaft and LETT them at Juneau to be
assayed- Today Mr.. O'Brien received
letter from John Odds. proprietor Of the
Occidental hotel at Juneau. which stated
that the report ot the assayers At the
Treatweil mine gave the value OF the ore
as $50 in gold and nintv ounces IN silver
The ledge from which this remarkably
rich ore was taken IS three feet wide and
gives every evidence Of bein a true lead.
Victoria, 3. c. Feb. 1-Acocr5inz TO
news from Alaska By the City Of Topeka
ore 81 the small steamers plvlnE between
Juneau and Skaguay brought word just
as the Topeka sailed that FIVE me7 had
bear frozen . death on the Chnkoot
Pass and three others brought % Dyea.
although their names or places we're not
obtai1abia-