The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-13

Without the blowing of horns or the
beating Of drums. the Oregranda Min
ing & Milling company of this city is
making quiet but active preparations
to do some extensive mining for the
yellow metal this summer on the tribu-
taries Of the mighty Yukon river, in
Alaska. and the methods adopted by
the company for the recovery of gold
galore is both novel and effective, the
intention being to engage in placer as
we'll as quartz mining.
The former, however, viii first en-
gage the attention of the company,
and dredging for gold viii be the order
of the day on the start, and arrange
ments are now being perfected for the
construction Of boat--a stern wheeler
which viii be equipped with dredging
machinery, pumps, etc, for river work,
while a quartz mill viii also be taken
along in case lodges in places are found
by the Adventures
This boat viii be built either at San
Francisco, Portland or Seattle, and
viii probably be IN sections, so that it
,Scan be shipped to the mouth OF the
Yukon by steamer, and il is expected
that D. w. Gamble, manager, and p.
L. Schmidt assistant manager and su-
perintendent, VIII leave for the coast
~
the purpose of seeing to the construc-
ton OF the vessel. which Will be 81 feet
in length. with 22-foot beam, and it
is expected that it viii draw from Is
to IS inches of water. 1t viii be a
doube-decker, the lower deck to
contain the machinery, while the upper
one will be occupied by the miners
and crew as &. dwelling, the boat to be
freighted with provisions and supplies
sufficient TO last for Is months at least.
The start will be made from the coast
some time in april, the party to be
made up of 10 men, most of them from
this city, and all of them stockholders
the company, and it is the Intention
TO Operate ON one of the tributaries of
the Yukon in American territory.
In speaking yesterday with Lem
Learn on the subject, the gentleman
declined to state just where the COM
pany would begin operations, and he
stated that if the plarB and objects
were fully known to the public at large.
considerable excitement would doubt
less ensue; in fact it would hardly DO
TO tell all that was known in the
premises, as much of what has come
TO the knowledge of the company,
reads so much like a fairy tale that
many would be disinclined to believe it.
1t has leaked out, however. that last
fall two men came in from the Yukon,
Lwho stated that in their migrations
fard investigations along the banks of
one of the streams flowing into the
river, they found that the sand and
gravel was
FULL OF PLACER GOLD.
They were without gold pans or any
means to sluice, but in short time,
by shOveling the sand from the bottom
of the stream onto large rocks on the
banks and then throwing water on the
same with buckets, they cleaned up
about $500 the gold being so coarse
that they were able to pick it out of
the gravel, after a liberal washing
with the primitive means at hand
These two men are interested in the
Oregranda company, and will accom-
pany the expedition to the land full
of promise, and if what they tell is
half true, the enterprise is bound to
many yards of gravel can be pumped |
up from the bed of the stream and
handled daily, and where the two men |
above referred to have cleaned up sew |
eral thousand dollars in comparative |
~ short time, the company should be |
able to recover millions with its i'm |
proved appliances, and if gold lodges |
are to be found, they no doubt will be |
able TO make another stake in this di- /
recIiof, especially as the party will in
clude in its personnel q number of eX-
perienced miners and millmen.
The officers and directors of the COM
pany are composed of well-known Salt
Lakers. as follows:
]. w. Smith, president: Edmond
Wilkes, vice president; Harry Duke,
treasurer; Lem Learn, secretary and
assistant treasurer; J. w. Burton, at
torney, and r. Service.