The Alaska prospector., 1902-08-28
Dist IN ALASKA
EXPERTS BACK FROM THE
INTERIOR
Aizind is All Right
They are Greatly Impressed by the
Properties in Chittyna
Country,

| Country.
The placer mines on the tribu-
taries of the Nizina river are prov
ing to be one of the richest dis.
coveries made in Alaska.
The reports that continue to
come from that locality, not only
verify previous reports, hut show
that the original discoverers had
but a slight conception of the value
of these deposits of placer gold, ma
tive silver and copper. About 500
claims have been staked and in
every instance where they have
been prospected, they show up well.
Mr.. Robert Blei of New York and
Geo. NJ. Esterley of this place, ar
rived in town the Odd inst. and
they fully confirm the reports that
have been published from time to
time in the PRospEcTop.
Their trip was hard one, as the
appearance of the several members
OF the party and their eleven horses
testify. They crossed the Kotsina.
Kennicott and Nizina rivers with
considerable difficulty and no little
danger. as they are glacier streams
and were very high. Blei came
near losing his life crossing the
Nizina. His horse got into the
quicksand and it was only his cool
ness and presence OF mind that
saved horse and rider from crossing
the river into that great beyond.
Blei is the fortunate possessor of
l43 claims in this locality. having
first acquired an interest through
a party OF five men sent i'm at his
expense last March. After the dis
coverv was made he bought the
other interests, thus making him
heavy owner in one OF the richest
placer camps in the North.
There will be no development
work done this season. as they are
not prepared, but they have salts
fed themselves by prospecting as
to the value and best method of
WoIhlHS Ill tlit luluTt.
The gold is very evenly distrib-
uted, running from two cents pan
at the grass roots to $2i on bedrock,
at Il depth of three and Il half TO
four feet. Three, four and five dol
lar pans were not at all uncommon.
Beside this small nuggets of native
silver are found and a large amount
of native copper. This copper is
found in nuggets varying from the
size of pea to chunks weighing
80 or 40 pounds. and an ASSAY
shows it to be very rich, one ASSAY
running over s. 900 to the ton in
gold.
A test run was made with the
primitive appliances at hand, viz:
four lengths of leaky sluice boxes
and three men working four days,
of ten hours each, cleaned up 81
ounces of gold. This included the
time consumed in cleaning up.
Messers. Keller and Blake, two
mining experts representing Mr..
DeLamar, of New York. were pres
ent at the clean up from beginning
to end and say that taking every
thing into consideration, it is GER
tainly wonder.
The benches show up fully as
well as the creek bed and are esti-
mated to he just as valuable as the
creek claims. Chittitu creek,
White gulch, Blei gulch, Rex gulch
Young creek, Calamity gulch, and
Dan creek are all very rich. Rex
gulch is the favorite and Dan creek
n close second.
Two men Koppus and Herman
who own No. on Rex are sluicing
in small way and will bring out
from $4,000 to 100000.
Another party sent out by Blei
have located a bunch of 2l copper
claims on the Kennicott, and min
ing experts who have examined
them have pronounced them very
rich. A good find has also been
made on the Kuskalina and num-
ber of placer claims have been To-
Gated.
Biei. in company with Mr.. C. hen
and o:her experts, will lea"e On the
Excelsior for Seaf'le. Houston,
Texas. New York and London. re-
/ turning here ahcG' Jan. ID, with
large supply of provisions, ;ou.1, etc.
c,p.i2usa 81 = ur,h "syc