The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-02

Near at hand pleasant grassy slopes with
Zine streams and meadows reached to the
waters edge
The first great rush was joyous but as
the gold fields neared the gold grew more
elusive. The locations near discovery
were already staked and those who came
after We're driven to less inviting ground
were, indeed, forced TO prospect for them
selves. Is This they had not planned to do.
Their hope had been to profit by the skill
and toll Of some other man and after
to sell at a high price as the excitement
grew. Being shut out of Pine creek on
which the discovery lay, they waited sui
lenly, swearing at every soul but them
selves, until some other actual miner made
a strike, then they rushed. after. one
such rush had already taken place, a mad
midnight frantic scramble took place
about Aug. 10, a rush which resulted an
very little to most of those who took part.
For while they staked claims for them
selves and others they never returned to
look upon their stakes again. They only
succeeded in confusing the actual miner
and blocking the game. Ultimately their
meager store of grub vanished and then
profane, sullen and Vituperalve they
started for home, loudly proclaming the
iniquity of the officials and the utter
Worthlessness Of the gold fields.
The boundaries of Attn lake are even
yet untraced upon the map. For nearly
a hundred miles its position among the
mountains can be traced from the hills
above the clump of tents called "TalSu
City" il reaches from the coast range
just back Of Juneau to the range of noun
tains which walls Teslin lake on the
south. It's shores are low hills with allu-
vial terraces reaching to the water, with
immense peaks in the back
ground at the south, west and north.
powerful stream which takes its rise in
. h1 erlao of no a
the southern end and a smaller stream
called Pine creek which takes its source
il another and superb lake flows in al the
southeast some thirty miles from the
southern end. This creek is the
one on which the first discovery was made.
Other creeks enter along the shore on
both sides while far to the north a big,
dome-like mountain seems to divide the
northern lake into two diverging arms.
Pine creek rising IN Lake Surprise (Which
is said 10 be nearly sixty miles IN lenStn)
flows down through a series of wooded
terraces into the lake and Is about elgh-
teen miles long.
Some two or three miles from the mouth
of Pine creek a small creek which has
been named Spruce enters from the south
east and Birch creek comes down from
the hills and enters Pine not far from
ten miles above the lake. The entire re-
gion shows signs Of upheaval, glacial ac-
ton ana uIG. init IL 10 hIlOL win STU
throughout all its wash is pretty well de-
termined, but whether in paying quanti-
ties or not remains TO be seen.
Not Like <IondiISe Country.
This thing Is certain, the whole region
is utterly different in contour and forma-
ton from the coast range. 1t appears
dryer and much more alluVial. Its peaks
resemble those OF Montana and Colorado.
There Is scarcely trace OF the cold, gray
granite of the coast range. They all are
iron stained, rotten" as the miners say.
and covered with slides" Small assures
stll in volcanic action are reported from
some Of the valleys.
on its face 1t is an ideal mining coun-
try. Should the camp deyelope II will be
a city served by boats Even now, twenty
days after the first rush, boats come and
go In shoals The beach before "Atlln
city" IS fringed with water craft like the
wharf Of a New England fishing village
1t Is necessary 10 be a sailor or at least
a boatman, az well as a prospector, IL one
wishes to be successful In the Atlin lake
gold country.
When / arrived trails were already beat
en-, sluce-ways were being dug, lumber
was being rip-sawed by most awkward but
determined men. The feeling was buoyant.
permanent camp was being estab-
lished. THE gold is here" said
those best informed, but 10 what quaint
ties no one can tell" During my stay
pans yielding as high as 50 IN coarse gold
were taken from the bench claims which
only a few days before had been consid-
cred of no account.
The best results came from the dry
benches, high above Pine creek. This
would seem to indicate that the placers
were due 10 quite other causes than the
flow of this meager stream. If this should
turn out 70 be true then an Immense
placer field requiring extensive systems
of hydraulic mining will be opened next
year
The country Is not only most beautiful
II Is fairly accessible. II may be entered
by way Of The White pass or ChilkooL
routes, thence by wafer down Bennett