The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-12

the channel on Douglass Island, is the
great Treadwell mine. which, taken to-
gether with the Mexican and the Ready
Bullion properties, operated In connection
with it, is probably the largest quartz
mining plant in the world. Upwards of
1000 men are employed here working two
shifts a day. The output is about 5000
tons Of ore a day, which is crushed under
$50 stamps. The total product of the
property since it began to be operated is
variously estimated at from $12 1000 to
500, 900, oOO-more than enough. at any
rate, to pay the purchase price Of the
whole district of Alaska. This great
property has its romance, too. The story
is that the Treadwell mine was forced
upon San Francisco builder, John
Treadwell, in 1881, to satisfy a loan of
$780, The ore ranges in value from $3.50
to IS or 81 a ton. The expense Of treat
ment is only about $1.35 ton, SO that
the profits are very large, even on this
comparatively low grade ore. The situa-
ton, right on the shore of the sea, makes
the cost of operating much lighter than
ut would otherwise be. The company
makes excellent provision for its men in
the way of reading rooms, lighthouses,
bowling alleys and billiard rooms and lee
ture and amusement halls and hospital
accomm odations. Only two holidays.
Christmas and Fourth of July, are recog-
nized In the mines, the work being car
ried on day and night on all other days
Juneau, which it should be borne in
mind is across the narrow channel, is
the center of region in which there are
5000 men, including the Treadwel en-
ployes, engaged in mining and prospect
ing. New strikes and the transfer Of
what are known as the Nowall properties
for So, 100000 to the Treadwell people,
insuring economical and profitable oper-
alton, have combined with other things
to give Juneau something of a boom.
| Juneau is an incorporated town of about
1000 people, thrifty, attractive in APP
pearance and situation and has promise
of growth and stability. 1t takes it's
name from Joseph Juneau, a prospector
who won the confidence of the Indians
and learned from them where they got
| their gold ornaments. They took him to
what Is now known as Silver Bow basin.
and then requiring that he should be-
come a tribesman and preserve their Sc
cret, it was with great difficulty that he
escaped to Sitka to report his great find.
Late in the evening we approached what
looked first like a small forest fire, but
which we afterwards discovered to be
mosquito sInudgeS around the tents Of the
men engaged in clearing the ground for
| the new military post at Haines Mission.
The government IS preparing here a four
company post which is to be the principal
military station In Alaska. It's location
! is doubtless determined by the boundary
dispute, Haines being a point from which
troops could be moved promptly to the
disputed territory If necessary. AS evil
dence of the fact that clearing the ground
and improving a farm in that part Of
Alaska is a serious business, it cost the
! government $195 an acre to clear the
! ground for the post The conditions were
average and it Is probable that the con-
tractor made very little If anything on
the job.
I When we awoke on the morning of. July
l3, the Dolphin lay at the dock in Skaguay
at the foot of the celebrated White Pass,
over whose rugged and icy heights thou
sands of pilgrims to the Klondike Mecca,
| both men and women, struggled and
4 toiled during the winter of 1898 But
that is reserved for another chapter.
il u. S. McLain.