The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-11
Miners Unwilling to Stake Out
Claims Under Present Con-
ditiOnS.
Doubt as to Whether the Diegings Are in British
Columbia or the British North
west Territory.
BY HAL HOFFMAN.

Robert Moore, an experienced miner OF
Juneau, says:
Il do not think the ground as a rule
is rich enough to work under the Brit
ish Columbia laws. OF course there are
now some claims that are paying con-
siderably more than wages. On the day
left Miller and McKinnon took out g
nugget which weighed SIS co. which is
the largest yet found. They employ
three men and clean up from q to 81
ounces every three days, which is
Of the first claims staked. 1 looked
over two of the best creeks.
THE action of the railroad hands
who have stampeded in from Skagway
is outrageous. They overrun the coun-
try like q wild mob, knocking down
stakes that had already been located
by those who had preceded them, and
putting up stakes of their own. They
were on top for a while, but were pretty
soon called down for this. in some in
stances very forcibly. When we came
out we met good many men still go
ing in, but the starch Is pretty well
knocked out of the general outlook by
the mining laws, and a disappointment
over the surface prospects.
About 1000 men are in there now.
There will be a winter camp all right,
Dul L 10 not llllllh II Will COIIipdIG with
Dawson. At the mouth of Pine Creek
the largest camp is located. A few
stores are selling provisions and there
are some tents where liquor is Sold
The Juneau expedition under the
leadership of Surveyor A. E. Johnson,
sent out by the Chamber of Commerce
on August Is to discover a short trail
to Lake Atlin, has returned and re-
ports success. The object of the Cham
Ia,- &c 70 $40 fI.h ao Il
of the Takou inlet and river, twelve
miles away, and then put on a pack
train over portage about forty miles
to the lake. Others who composed the
expedition were Messrs. Pond and Hill
and several Indian packers. The dis
lance up the inlet to the mouth of Ia
kou River is seventeen miles; then
there are forty-two miles of summer
navigation for small steamers to Ink
lin River or South Forks, thence ten
to thirteen miles of trail or canoe to Sill
yer Salmon River, thence forty miles Of
dry level gravel portage to Lake Atlin
which the expedition traversed by we'll
defined Indian trails in eighteen hours
Pine Creek is then eight miles away
There are three small lakes and lots of
game on the trail. Mr.. Johnson said:
From the Silver Salmon it is a low,
open country with no noticeable di-
vide. We get fresh moose meat from
the Indians, and also had plenty of
berries. There are oceans of fine grass.
1t is the best trail for cattle I know of
in this section. In my judgment 1t Is
the easiest and quickest route to Lake
Atlin. The total distance from Juneau
is about Ill miles. A first class horse
trail from the head of navigation
could be made for about $4,000"
Last night at a meeting Of the
Chamber of Commerce steps were
taken to raise money for the purpose
of improving this trail. A letter was
read at the meeting from Portland
Or, projectors stating the capital Is
since the failure of the Stickeen River
railroad, being interested to construct
a railroad over the Takou trail to Lake
Teslin, which has long been considered
one of the shortest and most practic-
able routes to the headwaters Of the
Yukon.