The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-20
Mining Conditions 'Round Nome
|. Are Satisfactory. "
IMPROVEMENTS ARE PERMANENT
English Company. Is Preparing to
Prospect the Tundra with
Oil Drills

Special to The Journal. q" 'st
Tacoma, Wash, Aug. 2O.-Advces from
Nome say the town is quiet because the
people are at work in the mines. Those
who came to Nome this year came with
definite object In view. They brought many
tons of machinery, and the dry warm sea-
son up to this date has made freighting
across the tundra and over the mountains
comparatively easy task. While the lack
of water has been detriment to miners
owning developed property as many mines
have been shut down for two weeks, there
has been ideal weather for prospecting
and for transporting machinery and sup
plies to claims.
review of the work, development,
prospects and general conditions on the
peninsula is very satisfactory to the man
who has pinned his faith to the country
and remained.
Ophir creek, in the Council district,
where gold was first discovered on the
peninsula, never has produced great
amount Of dust, because the country is
fiat and difficult to work But long bitches
that carry water ten and twelve miles
! have been made. and this season miners
will be able to work advantageously. The
railroad, in process Of construction from
Council City to the mines on Ophir, will
greatly facilitate the handling of machin-
cry and supplies. There are at least a
Candle creek, on the Arctic slope, is q
| scene of great activity. H. O.. Blanken-
ship, the discoverer, staked many claims
on this creek by power OF attorney, and
on some jumpers and snipers are at work
taking out all the gold they can before
the arrival of owners and laymen. 1t is
reported they have completely gutted No
8, and are at work on No. 10, both Blan-
kenship's properties. One hundred mer
working n uJo
The Kougarok was a disappointment
last season, but this year it looks good
Here is another illustration of the reward
of labor. Superficial prospecting caused
disgust; patient perseverance has devel-
oped pay. = :'-''|
The work in the Nome district Is of 6
permanent character. The Miocene Ditch
company has a force of several hundred
men at work on it's big ditch from Osborn
creek to Anvil and Dexter. The ditch will
be seventeen miles long, The Hot Ali
| Mining company will complete ditch this
week from Divinity creek to it's rich Gla-
cier bench. This ditch will be seven miles
long and Will carry three .sluice heads Of
water. But by far the greatest enterprise
| is the pumping plant of the Wild Goose
company. The building and machinery
were put In last winter on Snake river
near town, and the company is now laying
| the pipe line to Anvil mountain. The work
will represent an, investment of 100000
This pumping plant: is one Of the largest
in the world. 1t will have capacity to lift
100000 gallons of water to the top o.
Anvil mountain every twenty-four hours
and will furnish a means of sluicing hall
a dozen creeks and benches that are
| known to be rich.S- !. =.
These are only the 1host important fea
lures Of the work that is under way. Al
English company has representative her,
who will. prospect the tundra this seaso1
with oil drills. He expects by this methot
to learn Of thehvalue and extent of pay
in this kind Of ground. Last winter som.
work of this kind was done with steam
, drill, and the assays,iof the sand from
! every hole sunk shoNed values that woult
make rich mines if~they could be worked
by ordinary processes : But the bedrock
here is forty to, fifty feet Deep and IL
places the super-strata are frozen solid
But frozen rock and glacial ice will no
thwart human ingenuity when gravel con
tanning 81 to 81 cubic yard in gold lie:
| beneath it. -, :y.,~,