Arizona silver belt., 1898-02-24
AN EXPERTS OPINION OF
 klONDlkE.

In his latest letter from Dawson City, which is dated December 18th, Mir. John D. McGillivrsy, correspond ent of tho New York Herald, says:
 "While no doubt the gravel deposits of this country are as extensive as any that have been discovered in the world, they cannot, so as has been proven, be said to be of high grade. No such diggings as those in the best gnlches of California in early days, and in Aus tralia, Montana, Idaho and Colorado have been discovered, although hun treds of creeks have been prospected and probably not less than 10000 claims have been located in Alaska aud the Northwest.
 "There is nothing so remarkable Tn the pay found in Eldorado, the richest of all the creeks so far discovered. The best pans found there do not compare with many that were found in Cali fornia and elsewhere. It is true that the pay IS more evenly distributed than was usually the case in California and other diggings in the western states, and this makes the whole creek rather remarkable for the total amount of gold contained in it's deposits. But in all of Eldorado there are not over three, or at most four, miles of rich ground, and some of this will probably not come up to the general reports of the richness of the creek.
 "On Bonanza, the second richest creek in the Klondike district, few claims have proved rich enough to drift. It is now claimed here by men ir the best position to know that at most not more than lG0 claims on Bo- nsnza have been shown to be valuable. Those would cover length of little less than ten miles of the creek.
 During the last few weeks the North American Transportation and Trading company has purchased for the Cudahy Haley Klondike Mining company, of Chicago, twelve claims on Bonanza for SS65, ,000. All of these have been proved of value, and six are reported as among the richest on the creek. At this rate the whole 100 claims could be purchased for about S7,000, ,000.
 "Aside from these claims on Eldo- rado and Bonanza creeks, there are none ill the Klondike district in the many creeks which have been located which are claimed to be as good as the average of Bonanza. There arc any number of surface prospects that give promise of good mines, particularly on Huuker and two of the branches of India river, but the fact that the most promising claims in these creeks don't command more than a few thousand dollars shows that their value is at best only prospective.
 "Yet in all this Klondike district, on every creek that has been prospected, there has been proved to be large quantities of ground that will in time pay to work aud will yield large sums of gold. Some of these creeks may prove to be as rich as Bonanza or even Eldorado, but so far there is no proof of that
 ''There have been located up to the present time some 5000 claims, about a500 of which are 800 feet long, and the ethers 100 feet This means that between 250 and 300 miles in length of creeks have been located
 "Withln the same district are other creeks which will doubtless in time be taken up, and it is safe to say that when the cost of working has been con siderably reduced and improved meth- ods introduced large part will pay and pay well.
 Estimates as to the amount of gold contained in Eldorads and Bonanza creeks may be pretty accurately made when nearly all the mines shall have been prospected next spring. So far as is now known the only mines of proved value on Eldorado are about 30 of the first AZ mines, which extend up to the forks of Chief and Eldorado. Above that but few good claims have been found. A large part of the mines in Bonanza from No. 43 above to No. 70 below discovery, or IA in all, have been proved of value.
 The exposure to all sorts and condf-