Arizona republican., 1898-03-27
The Misfortune Of Winter Bound
 ProSpectoTS in Alaska
TURNED TO GOOD ACCOUNT
Discovery of Rich Fields in
 American Territory
The Trails From Skaguay and Dyea Beginning to Reopen. A Recom-
 medallion to ProSpeCtorS to Avoid
 the Former Entrance to klondyke

Seattle, March 21.-(Special cores pondence of The Republican, )-The people who went to Alaska last fall by way of St. Michaels and were later ice bound on the river were not so much to be pitied as every one thought. They turned out in force at Munook creek and found little Klondyke of their own. Advices came down on the Queen last Thursday that exceedingly good diggings have been found in this creek and it's tributaries, and have been worked to profit all winter. This news is of great importance. In the first place these new diggings are on tween the mouth of the Yukon and the eastern boundary of Alaska In the sec ond place, we now know that gold eX- ists in paying quantities in Munook creek, Beaver creek, Birch creek and Forty and Sixty Mile creeks, all on the southwestern bank of the Yukon, on the opposite side from the Klondyke river, Indian river and Stewart river deposits. 1 am not given to enthusi- asm, in this Yukon matter, but the evidences of great placer country are certainly coming in, in way to stag ger the skeptic. Seemingly reliable news comes from Hunker and Sulphur creeks of rich fields. And on the 18th instant J. J. Wallace of Saginaw, Mich., arriving on the steamer Del NOrte, brought direct news of rich dig gings on Walsh creek, just below the mouth of the Big Salmon river-the latter diggings apparently as good as those on Bonanza and Fl Dorado creeks.
 Thus we have a gold bearing region extending from Walsh creek to Mu- nook creek, an air line distance of some coo miles. The gold deposits ex- and new discoveries are being con stantly made between these extreme points, tending to show that this is one continuous gold bearing region not a series of independent deposits. ] Walsh creek is the most recent of all ] these finds, and the least developed. l But the surface gravel pans richly. By | last advices from there, 1855 claims were located, a town site staked off and Central City" fairly launched on it. They do things quickly in the l Yukon country.
 The spring clear-up is expected to l yield from $15,00O,O0O to S2O,000, 900.
 Many people seem to have made good money there-some have certainly made great fortunes. On the other
 hand I have seen letters from man who has not made a fortune there 1 who simply has some claims that he doesn't think much of. But he is
 making money, and has nothing to
 complain of, except that the man
 whose wife used to wash for him at home is now worth oyer a million and is meaning to take a trip to Flu rope this summer. He expects tC
 strike it yet, though, and see Europe himself.
 I really do not like to send such 2 glowing account of the condition of af
 fairs there, for I know how these sto- ries grow with every mile they travel But the evidence is getting too over
 whelming so far as the great eXten
 of the deposits is concerned. AS tt
 the hardships to be endured they, a least, cannot be exaggerated, for I be
 lieve from all I hear that no man wh(
 has not been there can realize them
 News from all points is coming ou rapidly now and we shall soon knov
 more definitely what the country real ly is as producer. One thing shoult never be forgotten, however: Thos who come out are the successful ones
 The others have to stay and their let ters do not come to the surface. Fail
 ure does not court publicity.
 Very bad reports come from th Copper river and Port Valdez. Tn
 snow is soft on the great Valdez gla
 cier, twenty seven miles across, an
 thus it is almost impossible to ge
 over it, and very dangerous. At place on the trail slip would send on down hundreds of feet, and dange from creVasses Is ever present. Som prospectors have been mad enough t abandon the greater part of their out , fits and ''go in light" They will prob
 ably never be heard of again.
 On the trails at Dyea and Skagwa
 the conditions seem GO be slowly i'm
 proving. Men and freight are nov
 slowly getting ahead. The snow ; beginning to soften and by the middl
 of next month will begin to disappear