The Nome nugget., 1902-10-15
OVER IN
 COUNCIL The Seasons Work Has Been Satisfactory.
STRIKE 0N RICHTER
Said by Judge Ferguson to be a Genuine One- Output
 of 0phir.

Judge Waiter II. Ferguson. late U. 5. commissioner at Coanci Git. |, in Nome hav!ng arrived Thur~d4y. He laid down the cares of office on Oct. l, and will herc",tcr devote his time tO d more lucrative calling that Of miuing. Judge Ferguson has been tt resident of this section since early in 1899. and filled the office of commissioner al Council sircc, August 1900. He Is also an enthusiastic believer in tue future mining greatness of Council disfrt' [. Speaking yesterday of the mining stu ati0n in thi, sect.on he said:
 The strike on Richter creek is gen uinc, but low extensive it is do not know. On No. j above got j0 cent, 70 q pan. and two men -lu.ced SiGl in one day. Nuggets var! ing from - cent, 70 s5 were found. Thi, claim is owned by Lutsiuger X liot,, and Wa, bought by them from Pete DutpIi for $Itb. With- in d week they took out the purchase price. The rest of the creek has been proepected only in a small way. but coarse gold hu> been found on every claim up to No. 24. Richter creek is a tributary of the NcuhMl and k three miles above Ophir on the opposite side of the river
 "The Casadcpo4a section has turned out more gold this season with les, work than ever before. This i~ the first season of legitimate mining in that sec tion. Among the known producing creeks are Quartz, Ruby, Willow, Ban ner, Boulder and Dixon.
 "Ophir iS keeping up its record d, the banner creek. Mr. Hunter, If the Northern Light Mining conn any. has dug ditch six miles long, bringing water from Dulc4 gulch and ..ittie Ieo- sic creek. The work Was expensive, much of it being rOch work. The ditch carries water tU No. below on Ophir The Northern Light company owns Nos. l, , and ; below on Ophir besides several benches in that vicinity. Work; on discovery claim has been closed for the season. No. Il above, owned by John Dexter, has been worked by E. T.. Dyer with excellent results. No. 6 above, owned by Soderherg & Co.,. has been operated by McArthur & Deizcue and Is showing up well. On No l5, owned by thc Wild Goose company, they are work ng aA incline with der- ricks and hoist, and three or four strings of sluice boxes. This famous mine will yield more than ever before. Or No. II the SeHne, boys and George James are also using a derrick and hoist. and the claim is q paying one.
 livery claim on Crooked is working full force up to No. :. The total out put of Crooked this season will prob ably reach $25O,000.
 "The Wild Goose company $ railroad is in active operation between Council and No. l5 Ophir. The road is busy hauling general freight, timber and wood. This company's $ big ditch is  nearly finished from the upper end of the canyon as far down as Crooked creek crossing, and the ditch will prob ably be finished this fall, with the cX- ception of rock work, as far down a, No. l5 Ophir.
 Ut is a hard matter to estimate the gold production of Ophir this year, but it will reach $l,000, GOO.
 ''There are large bodies of low grade gravel in Council district which must be worked on an economical plan, but large section of 1t is not poor mans country.
 "Business in Council is fair: there are ten saloons where there ought to be only three, and the same may be said of restaurants. Business generally is overdone.
 Judge Ferguson will remain in Nome until Nov. l, and this winter he will spend q considerable portion of his time in this city.
 No More Dust.
 The leading merchants of Dawson