The evening times., 1899-07-08
ALAsKA's NEW GOLD FIELDS.
Rich Find in the Peninsula North of
ST. Michael.
(From the 81 YoEk SUM


Placer gold running as high as sS.52 to
the pan is reported to have been taken
out in the region CT the new gold discoy-
cries near Cape Nome, Alaska, just across
Norton Sound from ST. Michael The sit
uation of no geld field in Alaska is easier
to identify without a map. because 1t IS
OH the peninsula that forms the nearest
approach Of America to Asia. West of it
is Behring Strait and south is Norton
Sound. into which the Yukon empties. The
report sent home by Major E. S. Ingraham
of Seattle is that six of the fourteen men
sent out a year ago at the expense OF
Prince Luigi of Italy, and Seattle business
men panned out in four days OF September
last, little less than Si.S00- Miners are
are pouring into the district, and 800 To-
cations were made up TO February.
This report shows how little is yet
known of our great Territory. Here is q
rich mineral region that can be reached in
a couple of days from ST. Michael but no.
body dreamed CT its value. Il was ignored
at the very doors OF st. Michael, from
which place dozens OF steamers have
started for the gold fields of Forty Nile
and Dawson, 1000 miles away. The PEN
insula is not mentioned in the reports the
Government published last year on the
mineral resources OF Alaska Gold. silver.
and copper however, are indicated on some
of the recent Government and other maps.
This region, however. according ID tie
strange story Of Mr.. John Cccke Green
has not been wholly unknown, for the
peninsula has been the scene fer fftean
years past of a unique and romantic min
ing enterprise. if the narrative MI Green
published few months ago Is credible
1t is.a strange and unusual story, but the
Sun is not aware that it has been dis
credited in any quarter. Green says ne has
been quietly working mine for eighteen
years on this peninsula.
He says that in 1880 a sailor narcei
Hoefner, who had been On whaling
cruise 70 Behring Sea, told some friends
in San Francisco that his ship rad an
chored in Gaiovine Bay. On the north side
of Norton Sound. and he found ashore a
colony of Eskimos who had an abundance
OF lead, of which they made bullets and
untensils. They said the lead came from
| the mountains to the north and there were
vast quantities of it, Hoefner's captain
| gave him a few days leave, and, with two
native guides, he went to the lead mine
and secured few pounds OF the Gre,
which proved to be silyer-lead, and which
he exhibited at San Francisco.
Mr.. Green says he heard the sailor tell
| his story, had the ore assayed and made a
| bargain with Eoefner tc pilot an expedi-
| tion to the place the following summer
Ihey found everything at GalOyine Bay
when they reached it in the summer Of
1881, as Hoefner had described. The Fish
River empties into this little bay, ard up
{, this river the sailor took them in a small
| boat for seyenty-f five miles and then
struck out twenty fH-i,es to the north
! east, to the foothills OF the Omilak Noun
| tains, where they came to the mine, which
Green believes is the largest deposit or
vein of lead-slver ore that has yet been
discovered. 1t was no trouble to get out
the ore, and in a few weeks a hundred
| tons were aboard the vessel and the ex-
pedition returned to San Francisco
| Every season since then except two
| Green gays he has been able to get to the
| mine and transport to the coast in one
way or another enough ore to load a small
vessel. He has always sold the product in
San Francisco for enough money to pay the
| expenses of the expedition, support his
! family for a year, and leave handsome
| balance in bank. The ore on an average
has turned out "A per cent lead, 142 ounces
| silver, and several dollars gold to the ton
| He has used on his trips nine different
| vessels, which he names. and one of which
| was the Alaska, lost in 1888. She had sew
| enteen men in the crew and a cargo oi
| ore from Green's mine. and was never
| heard of after she left Galoyine Bay. This
| silver mine is about seyenty-fve miles
northeast of the gold discoveries made last
| fall None of the Government exploring
| parties in the field this season will enter
| this almost wholly unknown region or al
least exploration in this district is not in
] cIuded in the published programme.
i