Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-21
KOYUKUK DISTRICT.
Alaskan River Has Been Develop
ed as Gold Producer.
METAL COARSE but OF GOOD QUALIFY.
Moro VIII be Heard Of This Country
Next sprlng-Many Farmers Locate
ing In Warrington Timber
and Mines Of the State.

Seattle, WASH, Nov. 14.-After the
usual period of hardships, suffering
and privation, the Koyukuk (Alaska)
river district has developed as a gold
producer, and oft repeated rumors APP
pear now to have much foundation of
fact. Well known Seattle people, re-
Gently from the north, bring stories of
strikes" on the Koyukuk and the at
tendant stampedes from other sections.
There were reports that gold had been
found on that river early this sum-
mer, but little credence was given
them. Next spring more will be heard
of the Koyukuk district, and it is pos
sible that the stories told by prospect
os who went into that district seven
or eight years ago, will be verified.
They reported that there was gold
there, and have insisted that they were
right, Notwithstanding that many adj
verse reports have been made since.
The location of the new discovery is
fully $50 miles above Arctic City, and
near what is known by well informal
prospectors of that district as Myrtle
geek, The gold taken out is coarse,
but of good quality, and does not APP
pear to be pockety. Miners are al
ways anxious to find out how a district
looks on this point, because if the gold
is found in pockets an entire claim
may be worked and only small
amount of the yellow metal be found.
The railroad companies report more
farm people locating in Washington
state during the present year than for
several past. More than 5000 people
have located in the central portion of
the state, on irrigated farm lands, not
to mention the thousands who have
come to Seattle and ether cities of the
Sound country. The roads also report
large increase of lumber shipments
east, some lumbermen reporting an in
crease of one-third over last wears
shipments.
A well informed man whose business
makes him well posted and competent
to speak says: with the rapid in
crease of the timber and mining in
dustries in western Washington, and
the alrge influx of people to the cities
and towns, there is splendid oppor-
tunity for the establishment of cream
cries and fruit and truck farms in that
locality, that would yield an immense
profit. All this increase seems to be a
perfectly healthy and legitimate
growth, nothing in the nature of a
boom, and the only famine seems to
be on the part of those engaged in
manufacturing and other businesses to
get help enough
As an indication of the growth of
the principal cities of the far north
west, postal statistics form substan-
tial basis from which to formulate an
adequate conception. The receipts of
the Seattle office from the sale. of
stamps and for box rent for the year
of greatest depression was $s2, 100; for
the year ending October 81, 1899, S133,-
055, an increase of $50,946; that of
Portland $15o,777, as against s194,51a
for the present year, an increase of
$43,755; that of Spokane $4O,56O as
against $s7,432 for the present year,
an increase of $46,s72; that of Tacoma
$4s,295 for the year ending March 81,
1897, and $60,881 for the present wear,
q gain of $12,5s6.
AS the war in the Philippines pro-
crosses, the question of the best and
most feasible shipping port on the Pa
cific coast is apparently now agitating
the government officials in that other
Washington, ID. CO. The shipping OF
the Third cavalry from Seattle and the
successful trip to the Islands has been
an object lesson to the officials. The
horses arrived in such prime condition
that they were in active service forty
eight hours after landing. A compar.
atively few were killed or disabled on
the trip. They were landed twice en-.
route-at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and
Kobe, Japan. One thousand mules are
being shipped from Seattle.
i o. NJ. Moore.
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