Evening star., 1901-11-22
Production Will Last for Twenty
Years.
r. WHIfEHEAD'S INTERESTING TALK
He Does Not Favor Civil Govern
ment
w AGE CON IONS


years, and this production will range from
| the present minimum OF between four and
five million dollars a season to a maximum
| of between twenty and twenty-five million.
| This is the prediction of DIR. Caben White
| head, who has just returned from Nome.
| where he has been for two seasons The
doctor will make a report for the director
OF the mint the gold conditions OF
Alaska.
DIR. Whitehead was seen by a Star
porter this morning at the Treasury De-
partment. Before him on the desk were
several large heaps OF coarse gold, besides
a very tempting display Of nuggets. Two
thousand dollars was the value placed by
the doctor the largest pile. This gold
was produced from the property OF the
District Mining Company the stock of
which Is owned by several gentlemen in
this city. The pile represented two weeks
work in prospecting and mining on the
claim owned by this company, and subse-
quent working Of the mine is expected 10
prove very lucrative.
On a Business BASIS.
In the opinion of DR.. Whitehead. Alas
kan gold mining is being placed on busi-
ness basis. The indiscriminate rush and
furry of the excitement days are over. and
the output of a season can now be moro
nearly estimated. The gold resources Of
the country have not been over-estimated,
and the work of giving this gold to the
world is now beginning to be carried on
with the most approved methods. On ac-
count of the rigors of the long winter, the
mining season lasts but about 100 to 129
days a year, and in the season just closed
this time considerably shorter than
usual. For this reason the production,
which amounted 10 about four and one-half
million dollars, was tritie less than that Of
last season.
THE most striking development this
year." remarked DR.. Whitehead, is the
opening up of bench claims. These are the
old channels of creeks, lying above the
present beds of these streams. Many OF
these claims are proving most valuable.
1t has also been demonstrated that hydrau-
lie mining can be carried on in Alaska. It
was at first believed that 1t would be i'm
possible to run bitches to carry the water
used in this method, but it has been found
that these bitches can be constructed very
easily, and hydraulic mining will be one Of
the most effective methods of gold produc-
tion in the future. This will result in a
larger yearly output of the mines This
output should continue for twenty or twen-
ty-five years. However, the country is so
new, and in comparison so very little pros
pecting has been done, that an estimate of
what Alaska Will produce Is very hard to
make. The maximum of twenty million
dollars a year should be reached"
Does Not Favor Civil Government.
DR.. Whitehead does not favor a civil gov
ernment for Alaska He declares that the
government, through its appointments. has
done more to hinder the development of the
country than anything else. The country
should be ruled entirely by the military
arm of the government for many years to
come, according to his belief.
The epidemic of blackmail law suits
which prevailed in the gold districts last
year, tied up nine out Of every ten pro-
ducing properties, according to the doctor.
and in not one out of every ten of these
suits was there any legitimate cause for
litigation. The investigation of Judge Ar
thur H. Noyes of the Nome district, United
States Attorney Joseph II. Woods of the
same district, and Special Agent Frost, for
merly of the Department of Justice, which
IS being conducted before the United States
court of appeals at San Francisco. has al
ready put a decided quietus on this sort
of litigation. Judge Wickersham, who was
appointed as federal Judge to the Eagle
City district from the state of Washington,
is filling Judge Noyes' place at Nome, and
it is declared that petition will be pre-
sented to the President this winter from the
business interests of Nome to have Judge
Wickersham permanently transferred to
Nome.
The Alaska governmental situation, ii is
expected, will be presented to the President
this winter in most forcible manner and in
several phases. The forces for this contest
what the outcome will be is looked forward
to with considerable interest by those who
know the present condition and needs of the
territory.
Conditions of Work and Wages.
While the cost of living has been ma
terially reduced in the past two seasons.
the conditions of work and wages are not
such as to justify the laboring man to go
there. Wages are about So a day, with
rd N considering this he Of
transportation and the very short yearly
working period have to be reckoned with. Dr.
Whitehead looks for an influx of about five
thousand men next year. Expert miners
are needed and men with capital are need
ed. and these two classes stand the best
chance of success in Alaska.
There are, of course. many thrilling
stories of enormous wealth acquired in a
short time which can truthfully be re-
lated and the conditions. which make cir
cumstances of this kind possible are not
materially changed as yet For instance,
Dr. Whitehead tells of claim which last
year went begging for purchaser at 500.
This year it sold for 81 200 cash and 81 500
to be taken out Of the ground The ex-
penditure of $500 in working this claim
demonstrated that il was easily worth S1oo-
600. DR.. Whitehead came very near get
ting a one-third interest in this mine, but
was just little too late in his negotia-
tons.
The story of the Pioneer Mining Com
pany is one which bears many tellings.
This company is composed of the Sweeds,
Jafet Lindeberg, John Bryntsen and Eric
Lindbloom. Lindeberg was reindeer herd
er, Bryntsen was a coal miner and Linden
bloom was deserting sailor from the
United States ship Alaska. They formed a
prospecting company, and were the original
discoverers Of gold on the peninsula on
which Nome is situated. This company owns
and operate many claims. Year before last
they took out $3.50, 1000 last year their profit
was over million, and this year they
realized between five and six hundred thou
sand dollars.
Option ON Ten Boston Banks.