The San Francisco call., 1899-05-19

she had little time to make choice. The
Bar is lying where she was caught by
the Ice and her position is extremely dan
gerous. The Ice has been cut around her
and her officers hope that she may have
water enough on top of the ice to enable
h her to run to a more protected position
comes. The Arnold, Captain McNoble in
command, Is In comparatively safe guar
ters; AS the water rises the boat wifi be
hauled in close back of and in the shelter
of the island, and unless some accident
happens she will weather the storm.
The long days are gradually dissolving
the snow and the period of interrupted
communication on the river, the trails
being impossible because of rotten ice is
at hand. This, that leaves to-day, will
perhaps be the last mail out-the last, at
least, that starts with any reasonable
certainty of getting out before the river
ice breaks. The system to which the car
onel Steel and the Police Department
may. however, prove successful in keep
ing up communication later than even
they themselves will guarantee. 1t is
time, then. to say a word that may be
final before the clean up as to the result
of the winters work in the Dawson dis
trict, although it be only repeating what
has been said time and again through the
winter. Conservative estimates by the
best posted people place the output of the
Klondike and Indian River districts for
the year at from twenty to thirty mil
lions.
In the list of creeks Ell Dorado will still
stand at the head with an output of five
or six millions. Bonanza, with her Won
derful benches, will make a close second
with yield of over five millions. Hunker
and Dominion will dispute for third place
with something like three and a half mil
lions each. Sulphur, which has proved
something of q disappointment, rather
because or its deep dtggtngs, perhaps,
than because the gold is not there, will
not turn out more than half a million.
Gold Run and Eureka creeks which this
winter have entered the lists of good pro-
ducers, and Quartz Creek, which has de-
Veloped better pay on the benches than
quarter of million. All other creeks and
benches, including Thistle Creek, Stewart
River and other independent districts con-
uguous to Dawson, may be set down at
ply kept up It's lick in turning out a
steady stream of gold. Bonanza, that
last year took on the shape of a disap
pointment, has developed in much better
form, so far as indications go, this year.
Gold in paying quantities is being taken
out as far up as the eighties above, while
the sidehils have been a surprise and
wonder.
Many small .gulches entering Bonanza
on the left limit. that is, on the Ell
Dorado side, have, proven big producers,
and Victoria. The hillsides bounding
these have. also discovered big pay. A
year ago they had not been prospected
and We're not even staked in the great
stampeding season-the winter of 1898.
Bonanza is now being prospected all the
way, and It is not Impossible, will furnish
hill of the creek from Discovery to forty
below on the left limit are being bored
into until they present the appearance
from below of long succession of earth
works.
The output. of Hunker this year will
greatly exceed that of last The benches
here, too, have turned out very rich.
Last Chance, a tributary of Hunker, was
until lately little thought of, but the side
hills through certain area have been
true of Gold Bottom, another tributary:
Dominion Creek over in the Indian
River division has had varying exPe-
thusiasm being felt in its name at times,
while at others claim owners fell into
was elusive and pockety. On the whole.
however, the creek will make big returns
for the labor. The best results come from
between the discoveries and to 20 below
and 10 above upper Work has been done
at intervals along the creeks as far down
as 200 below, and good prospects have
some pay dumps will be taken out down
in the hundreds.
The diggngs at Stewart River and
Thistle Creek, of which much has been
reported here during the winter, will not
advance much above the prospecting
stage, although all rounded up there will
prospects at Thistle Creek and tributaries
are definite and tangible and indicate ex
cellent diggings. / have seen a pocketful
of gold that averaged in size from a grain
of wheat to a marble taken out of two
holes on one claim. There ought to be
more where ii came from.
AS for the other diggings at Circle
City, up the Kuyukuk and toward the
upper lakes, they are too distant for me
to venture to speak of as something that
I know about. AT Circle City, l learn,
the same active operations are going on
there that have been progressing for
some years with the same good results.
On the Kuyukuk nothing can be looked
for this year more than the results of
prospecting as it was invaded in num-
hers only this last fall. l have, of course.
heard many reports from there, but they
vary.
The slow approach of spring and sum-
mer, the warm, long days and cool
nights has the effect of disSolving the
snow very gradually. The sunny side of
the hills are already bare in spots, the
much used trails are worn through and
on the ice of the small streams are be-
coming difficult to travel over. The
freight rates are going up in consequence,
and again the question of the suffciency
of the supply of water for the wash-up
is raised. Many believe there will not be
enough to clean up the dumps now stand
ing. Thus early, however, this is some
thing in the nature of going to meet
trouble. Business has already revived
somewhat in anticipation of the big out
put and miner and merchant are in tune
with the sunlit springtime. The second
winter of the great Klondike stampede is
safely and successfully over