Douglas Island news., 1898-11-23
THE NEH GOLD FIELDS.
A Trip into the AtIin and Pine Creek Country, by Douglas
 City Man
MR. P. H. MCGUIRE TALKS,

Mir. P. H. McGuire, of Douglas City, accompanied by man named G. ". Mathews, left this city sometime du ring the latter part of last February on prospecting tour, into the Lake Teslin country. Before returning, the party went down the lakes and were within thirty miles of Pine Creek which has since that time become fa- nous as new mining region. A trail into these new gold fields has been found and improved, by way of Doug las City and Juneau, and from the fact that the McGuire party passed over greater portion of this new inlet, the 1 News man concluded that few items of interest concerning the trail and country could be gained for our read CTS by looking up the prospector and interviewing him.
 "I understand you have once been very near the Pine Creek placer mines" said the News man, "and we would be pleased to have you give the readers of the News some information concerning l it." .."
 "Yes, Mir. G. W. Mathews and myself left this place the latter part of Febru- ary of this year. Of course we knew nothing concerning the strike at Pine Creek and wore simply out prospecting. We first headed for Lake Teslin, and the first forty miles is made in boat, going down the Gastrineaux channel to Bishops point, thence up the Taku inlet 28 miles, which lands us at the mouth of the Taku river on the ice. The mouth of this river is about three miles wide. We went up Che river to the head waters of the Taku, distance of about fifty miles, to the confluence of the Inklin and Knacunaw rivers where the Taku river begins. We then followed up the Knacunaw to the Sill yer Salmon which was about twenty-six miles. From the Silver Salmon to Lake Teslin is distance of about six ty miles and is low and practically level country. We each had four dog team and carried ill all twenty eight hundred pounds to the lake. The most difficult part of the trail we en- countered thus far was in going around the Sinwauklin mountains, which took l two or three days of our time. From Lake Teslin we returned to the Silver Salmon over the same route we had previously travelled. We went up the Silver Salmon river into the Atlin lake country where we were within about thirty miles of Pine Creek"
 "What can you say as to the practi- cability of this route you travelled over 1 as summer route to Pine Creek ?" was asked.
 "Well, think the route to be practi- cable The packing part of the route i in the summer would be about fifty miles. There is plenty of good feed along the way and horses and cattle could be used. The soil is principally of gravelly nature and very firm. A survey has recently been made which confirms my judgment. For winter travel it is good, all one could reason ably ask for"
 "How did your prospecting tour pan out?"
 "We found colors on three of the riv- CTS we were on and also several creeks, but did not go to bed rock. I shall rs turn, however, after the holidays and more thoroughly prospect the streams. I know the gold is there and expect to find it. We were probably the first per sons who ever prospected on the rivers ! have mentioned"
 MT. Mcclure further said that he thought small river steamers could go up the Taku river as far as the Inklin during the high water season, and pack ing can be easily done from there into the Atlin lake country.
 ! Mr. McGuire has been in Alaska for the last two years and at present is ein- ployed at the Treadwell mines. He is man of intelligence and education, a close observer and possessed of good memory, good talker and we believe his description of the route over which he travelled is truthful. His appear ance denotes man of abundance of nerve and we sincerely trust that his second trip up the Taku may prove more than successful. yes that he will