The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-12
The Upper Tanana River and Its Trib-
utarics Reported to 0fFer Great In-
ducements tn Fortune Seekers,
HFFAIRS ALONG THE YUKON
CAPT. RAYS REPORT MADE PUBLIC
ny THE WAR DEPARTMENT..
Trouble Threatened ut Various Points
and Serious Danger of Suffering
from Lack of Provisions.

WASHINGTON, Feb. u.-Pursuant to in
structions from the acting secretary of war.
special supplementary report has been
prepared by Mr. E. Hazard Wells, who
acted as agent of the War Department in
bringing out Capt5:n Rays dispatches. Mr..
Wells has been in the Yukon country three
times. has traversed interior Alaska in
many directions and has a practical knowl-
edge of the country that is possessed by few
persons. He says, among other things:
There are undoubtedly large deposits of
gold in Alaska, rivaling those of the British
northwest territory. noticed excellent min
eral Indications the Tanana river and in
other localities in 1890 discovered true
assure vein of quartz eight feet in diameter,
with well-defined casing rocks, on the upper
Tanana This quartz evidently contained
metal Specimens which / secured to take
out TO San Francisco for assay We're SUISSE
quentIy lost in a river catastrophe. Numer-
Gus creeks entering the upper Tanana re-
vealed colors of gole in the sands. All of the
gold-bearing streams of Alaska so far dis
covered, namely, Birch creek, Miller creek,
Forty-rnie creek, 5txty-mile creek and Sew
enty-nnile creek. head in the vicinity of the
Tanana river and flow away to the north
east. On the southwestern side and heading
near the Tanana are the noted Copper and
Sushitna rivers, the latter being the gold
bearing stream which recently came into
prominence through the placer discoveries
on Cook S inlet The Copper river is popu-
larly supposed to be located in the heart of
a mineral belt 1t is a reasonable deduction
that all of the streams flowing away
from the Tanana to the northeast and
southwest bear gold and that the Tanana
itself must cut through collaborating coun-
try. This opinion is shared by nearly all of
the old-time miners now located in Dawson.
Recently excellent prospects were discov-
cred upon an American creek, a tributary of
the Yukon in Alaska, just below Forty-mie
creek Miller creek. Birch creek and other
streams within the boundaries of Alaska in
the Yukon valley still offer inducements to
placer miners | do not believe that any bet
ter mining region will be discovered in
Alaska than will be found in the great
Tanana valley"
CAPTAIN RAYS REPORT.
The War Department to-day made public
the advices received from Capt. p. Fl. Ray,
of the Eighth Infantry who was sent to
Alaska to report on conditions in the min
ing country. The reports embrace period
running from Oct. to Nov. 3, sand are dated
from Circle City and Fort Yukon. They
show a very serious state of affairs; that
trouble is threatened at various places, and
that there is serious danger at some points.
of lack of food, owing III large measure
to the failure of the transportation compa
MES TO get in sufficient supplies. In re-
port dated Circle City, Oct. 3, Captain Ray
recommends, should the department decide
TO establish a post on the upper river, that
the mouth of Mission or American creek be
chosen as the site, with a subpost, if neces-
sary, at Circle City. The best interests of
the service, he says, require permanent gar
rsons to be located well away from mining
towns, so that the troops, If required to act,
will not be biased by local influences. On
the food question he says The question
of food here is a very serious one, and the
action Of the n. A. L. and T. Company is
causing much friction. my best en-
deavors to reconcile all differences peace
ably and get all people who are without pro-
visions down to Fort Yukon as soon as pos
slble where there is an abundance of food.
i learn that while food is scarce In Dawson
City. the miners in the outlying camps are
fairly well supplied. The stores (two) are
selling very conservatively The eating
houses are all closed save one. While /
consider the situation critical, / do not be-
Neve there will be any great loss of life be-
You'd that incident to Il climate so rigorous
this That there will be much suffering
along the river and the trail, owing TO the
rashness and ignorance of people unaccus-
toned to this climate. no well-inforrned per-
son here viii deny, but there is nothing
that should cause undue anxiety or alarm
among people IN the States who have
friends in this country. There are fabulous
stories being circulated and will be pub
iished about the prices paid for food L
have verified instances where 500 was paid
for fifty pounds of flour. but such eases are
rare. were outside deals and not the pre-
yallng price,
ACTION OF THE MINERS.
A report dated Circle City. Oct s. deals
with the subject of miners meetings, sew
eral OF Which Captain Ray witnessed and
noted their actions 1t shows that Captain
Ray was able to persuade the men at Circle
City to take no more provisions than they
needed To save themselves from starvation
and that they agreed. The agent of the
company .should open the company store
house and Check the stores landed by the
committee, no part OF such stores to be
removed without cash payment at the COM
pany's own price. On another occasion the
troable was due to the fact that the master
OF the Weare would not proceed to Fort
Yukon with fifty people belonging IN Daw-
son who had come down rs volunteer
crew at the request of Manager uealy to
handle her for the round "trip. SO that they
could obtain winter supplies. The men APP
pealed to Captain Ray who says: Il took
them before the agefft of the company who.
after hearing, their case, admitted that the