The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-01-01
OuArtZ Claims.

seven quartz claims nave Deen located
already in the vicinity Of Forty Mile
and Dawson. One of these, named Cone
Hill, about two and half miles uI
Forty Mile river from the Yukon, is a
veritable mountain of gold bearing rocl
and would require generations to work
out. Assays show from So to $ll pei
ton. The only question is, will that
amount pay for reduction under the
conditions there existent and the enor
nous freight rates incidental to trans
portation to that vicinity: About 4(
miles farther up the river two large
claims have been located by an eXpcr
miner hailing from the United State:
who has had considerable experience il
Montana aud other mineral states and
ne assured me that the extent of tho
lode OH which these two claims are sit
uated is such that il is greater than
anything else in the world. his assay
showing the value to be about s. a ton
On Bear creek a quartz claim was 10
Gated last winter, and drew UP the pa
pers for the owner.
l have been told that gold has beel
found at the head Of Lake La Barge on
stream Towing into the lake from tn
east. Prospects, too. are found on tn
Dalton trail, Oh the other side Of tn
Yukon river. \ man riding across tn
Al.ek on this trail was thrown from hi
horse, and in clambering ashore caugh
at small tree, which pulled out by th
roots Where he landed he saw some
thing shining on the rock. He picked
up and found that it was gold. II
showed ne this gold at Fort Cudahy i
July, 1896, the amount being abuu
$l.60. Other prospects have also bee
found along the same trail about mid
way between there and Selkirk.
From these circumstances and discOy
cries il may be assumed that in all thi
country there is gold. while in this pal
ticular zone it is especially abundant
This zone lies outside of a range {
mountains which extends TO the wesr
ward Of the Rockies and has the sam
general trend. 1t consists of cretaceor
rock, rising into very high peaks
| river just below the boundary.
| Copper and Coal.
Another product of the country til;
| demands attention Is copper. 1t Is doub
less to be found somewhere on the Whit
river in great abundance. although I'll
location Of the main deposit bias Yet
be made. MIR. Harper saw large piet
Of pure copper III the possession Of Il
| Indians. Indeed. | have seen it mvsel
1t comes from the vicinity of the Viii
river somewhere, just where mas yet
be disclosed.
Silver has also been found, and lea
and, III addition, 10 work these VIII,
the proper time and facilities come. v
have coal in abundance. 1t is foul
running along the base Of the last
scribed range of cretaceous mountain
4 deposit OF coal in this range ru
right through our territory. At tv
points near Forty Mile it crops o
prominently, III one place only abo
three quarters of mile from the baI
of the river Yukon. \ short distan
above this it crops out again, only abo
eight miles from the Yukon, and whe
ever the Cone Hill mine, which ha
spoken of before, is worked the coal
work it with is only some IL or
miles distant from the scene Of ope1
tions.
About 80 miles farther up. on one
the many SIrNill atflucnts Of the 1uko
1t again crops out few miles from I
bank Of the main river and at Fife
Mile creek and ut the head of {
Thronday there are also outcroppinSs
COAL On the upper branches of I
Stuart coal is said 20 occur i'll t
; drift. and again about six miles abe
} the Five Fingers coal crops ont on t
banks Of the Yukon river In fact. the
, is any amount of coal in the coun;
with which to work our precious mi
!. erals when we obtain the necessary
, cilities.
, Character of the Country.
| Regarding the surface of the count
5 sssi the difficulties of prospecting
, says:
! Passing down the river in n boat c
, sees u succession of trees. 10, II. ii "A
, l6 inches in diameter. and he natura
, comes to the conclusion that it is a W
timbered country. and so it is-alo
: the margin of the river. But let h
. disemhark and go inland and he W
l find the ground covered with what ;
t locally known AS "niSgerheads, viii
l consist Of columns of decayed Goa
$ grass peculiar to this region, They ;
: .ormed by the annual growths of gras
s decaying and falling down. while "
r after years the roots Of the growi
grasses bind this together into All
t most solid column, which stands NJ
Q y bed of mud. To walk across a nigg
4 head swamp is one Of the most fatigui
exercises one can take. You cam
! walk Oh them-you must walk betw.
4 them. Put your foot OH top Of one
h them-it sways under you, and do
t you 60 to your knees in the mud
Q tween them. The result is that
: miners and other residents of that col
8 try keen as far away from the niXg