The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-21
The Quartz (0qes Of SOUTHEASTERN Alaska Offer The Richest
Prizes to (niperS; The Product of 1897: The Great
TreadWeLI (0ipe and Its Heisbbors; Placer
l0i1es on Cook Iplet


Amid the furors Of excitement over the
discoveries OF gold on the Yukon river,
the rapidly increasing gold production Of
the free milling quartz mines OF South
eastern Alaska has been almost overlook
ed. Yet they have been for years produc-
ing an annually increasing quantity of
gold unit. in 1897 the total reached $685.
90. This total exceeds the estimated total
production OF the famed placer mines OF
For,y-Mile creek from their discovery TO
the present time. ana 50 great an addition
Is being made to the number OF stamps in
operation on the coast belt that The year
1885 may be expected 20 far surpass 1897
in the aggregate production.
The First stamp Min.
In 1873 quartz carrying free gold was dis
covered In the mountains near Si,ka, and
in 1879 the Alaska Gold and Silver Mining
Company erected a ten-stamp mill on the
Stewart mine. but the ore was too low
grade to pay and in 1850 the mill was shut
down. BY the irony OF fate, this failure
was the indirect cause Of the discovery OF
what proved TO be the greatest mine In
Alaska and one OF the greatest In the
world. Among the miners thrown out Of
employment were Richard T. Harris and
Joseph Juneau. who started on a prospect
ing tour. They struck gold at the mouth
of God creek. a small stream emptying
into Gastineau channel. found rich pros
poets all the way up and. carrying the dust
to Sitka, caused much excitement there A
stampede was the consequence, locations
were made al along Gold creek and in
Silver Bow BASIN town sprang up at the
mouth OF Gold creek. which was first call
ed Harrisburg. in honor OF Harris. hut
which was afterwards given the name OF
juneau.
The Great Trendwcll Mine.
Gastineau channe. to Douglas island. and
there p. r. De Vile. generally known as
French Pete discovered the now IA
nous Treadwell lode In 1851. after having
washed twenty-seven ounces OF gold from
the beach In three days. He sold II to
John Treadwell In 1859 for $50 and the
exclusive privilege Of supplying eggs.
butter and vegeta bles TO the camp from
his little garden and dairy at Juneau
Treadwell built fve-stamp prospe citing
mill gave five-sixths Of the property TO
the Treadweu Gold Mining Company IN
consideration OF the DEVELOPMENT OF the
mine and the erection OF a l20-stamp
mill. He afterwards sold his remaining
interest TO the company for $3.50, 0N0 just
one thousand times as much as he paid
for the whole II was not long before
the company had $40 or 400 men at work
and French Petes little garden and dairy
were unable TO supply the required
amount of milk. butter, eggs and garden
truck. The mill has 240 stamps.
which reduces 700 tons OF ore In twenty
four hours. at cost OF $ll5 per ton from
ok 70 dividends The gold Is extracted
rom the concentrates by the chlorina-
ion process The average mill return OF
The ore is about s. per ton. but from this
small value the mine has produced about
10000. and has pad about 81 900 in
dividends. The mill Is being enlarged by
he addition OF 500 stamps. the timhers for
Which were made and framed In Seattle.
The Treadwell lode has been thorough
developed for a length Of 800 feet and
AIRED for a distance Of 1--WE or six miles.
~ II has been found to contain mineral
for a distance not exceeding 5000 feet.
one point the ledge a;tains a width OF
: feet for n distance OF Geo TO 20 feet
hen narrows. though at its narr1west
s0lnt L is one If the Creates h-dies ~
IRE in the world Though the TreadweIl
IS generally regarded as I low grade
mine II would be high grade II only the
rich ore were m!lied. This rich ore occurs
In large bodies. sometimes Atty feet wide
and averages over so In value Although
the ledge rises to a great height above
the sea along the mountain, mining has
been carried to depth OF 200 feet below
salt water by the sinking Of shafts, and
machinery Is now being erected 70 sink
a four-compartment shaft 20 depth OF
1880 feet.
The Mexican. United and Ready Bui-
,scn mines. all on Douglas island. are
owned by companies allied with tee
Treadwell and having property on the
Treadwell ledge. The Mexican has 30
stamp mill. which has been running f1r
three years and has paid about $780, In
dividends The United ia building iee-
stamp mill this year and the Ready Blu
lion is erecting 10 stamps, max ng "A total
OF $50 stamps owned by the allied com-
ran!es There are several other mines ~
some promise on Douglas island. but they
have no. begun TO produce bullion
The Lynn Canal Mineral Heii.
The mineral be-: % which the Tread
well ledge forms part extends Tor NJ
miles each way north and south OF =
neau. and has been thus described ny l.
- To~ks thc mining engineer;
..C'orpruenrsrg hci0w the town OF sum
y,uro a " il. bet Of states bounded On the
west by the ocean and on the east ny
granite noun; Ans. At which the general
strike is nearly due northwest, the o,p
h.,sng usually to the northeast. but often
r.a-f4et:y vertical Lying n these sa'es
are efup,!ve dikcs o! rorphyry. which
usually have the same strike as the states,
.ns,s forming veins % contact. Large
masses Of greensboro ara also seen, as ar
the hanging wall Of the Treadwe!l. Asso-
csa,aa with The states and erupttve
free gold combined with iron sulphur
ets Some OF these veins are re-
rrarkahl. for their size. the Tveadweu
others FOR their extremely rich free god
contents. as az the Bad Eagle mine near
sam DUN. and IRE Comet rnlIe At Seward
.~t;y. These simp.e features are almos;
ifea'iras for i distance OK more taan one
hundred miles 20 Seward city. where the
states for the mos; part seem 70 disappear
Along his belt there Is now sIT.ag %
s-arup mills which even bsfose TIE resent
aa4ttioax a@4 So s.amps da-Iy rrdIcirg
81 sons OF ore. WITH the additional rs
stsr-9s 7r the Trcstwe.l. lfsl on TIE United
ard - CT .he Ready Bullion ard smaller
nils on otaer prope<-ses. ,.e total MI faf
exceed ! ~ before the end = rs sagaupr
~uu Dunn and Bernsrs Hay.
(yns. 81 the remarkably s'ch properties "
he Bald Eagle or SAM Dam say. -
which al I.s.-:oot tsnu.i rms f.: - less
a5erg ~ e.sh,-foot !esxe NR-ca e taps
Al a aep.b o. ~ geef- From IA ledge
eao tcnS cf ore averaging Sc Is was
.gslrs4 In fourteen Hlontnx a1d ras pFosiac~