Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-05-11
LETTER FROM kLoNDIKE.
Roscoe Young Writes an Interesting Des
cription of the Gold Region.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

/
STEWART RIVER.
Some of its tributaries are turning
out little gold, but 1 have never
heard Of anything better than 25 cents
per pan, which, of course is good II
there is enough Of 1t, but there doesn't
appear TO be enough Of it.
Henderson creek empties into the
Yukon about three miles below the
Stewart river from the same side, and
it is reported that there are two
claims that are turning out from forty
to forty-five cents per pan. There are
lots OF people on the Stewart river
this winter and have been expect
ing to hear Of something better.
Besides the rivers l have already
mentioned, emptying into the Yukon,
are the White, Pilla, Little Salmon,
Big Salmon and hundreds of smaller
ones, all Of which have been more or
less prospected this last summer with
out any very favorable results, though
it may be that some OF the many peo-
pie wintering on the different strea ms
will have something to report in the
spring that will surprise us all. l
hope SO anyway.
l think, however, the Atlin Lake
country is turning out some good gold
10y good gold" l mean turning out
well, any of it is good enough if we
can only get the quantity. It's a
phrase that is used so much here that
l use it without thinking) and | un-
derstand there are about 1000 people
preparing to enter that field this
spring from the outside. II they do
1t is my opinion that it will be- as bad
ly overdone as this part Of the coun-
try 10 now.
KLONDIKE MINING.
The working of placer mines in this
country is new experience to all the
miners of the world, except perhaps a
few Russians. The cost of working
the mines in the Klondike and Indian
river districts this winter Is estimated
to average from eight to ten dollars
for each cubic yard of "pay dirt
handled, and it is estimated by ex-
perts that the average yield Of about
eighty of the richest claims in these
districts will be s35 per cubic yard.
There are probably $50 to 200 more
claims that will pay to work, but will
not yield any great fortunes to their
, owners unless expenses are greatly re.
duced.
1t 10 claimed by old miners of long
experience that the richest mines in
this country have never equaled the
richest mines of Montana, California,
Russia, Australia or Africa. That Is,
they will not yield the profits If you
take into consideration the difficulties
and cost of mining In this country.
There has been some very rich pans
of dirt found here, but have come to
the conclusion that they were taken
from sluce boxes or rockers, because
the averages and outputs don't justify
one in believing such ridiculous stories
as were circulated throughout the
United States last year.
have talked with good many ex.
perIenced miners and, also with the
assayer for the North American
Trading and Transportation Company
about the quartz in the Yukon valley
and they all agree that there has not
yet been anything found that carries
enough gold to pay for working
However, there has not as yet been
many men in this country who
were competent for that kind Of pros
pecting until last summer and 1t Is
hoped that some good quartz mines
may be located this year, as the pros
pectors are turning their attention
more to that line.
In regard to the government l will
only say that most Of the people pre-
fer the miners laws Of Alaska to that
of the Canadian government.
Dawson City at the present time has
population of about $4,000 people
The main street, on which nearly all
of the business houses are located, IL
about six blocks In length, with a
few small shops and trading places
scattered along three or four blocks
farther. The North American Trad.
ing and Transportation Company and
Arctic Commercial Company have the
fine large stores and several large
store houses. They also have some
very large stocks Of goods and still
they hold the prices of goods higher
than they ever were, except during
the scare last winter. The LaDue
Company also have few good build
ings, but LaDue doesn't cut such a
figure here as he does in the States;