The Nome nugget., 1903-11-21
PROSPECTS OF THE
 k0TzEBUE SECTION
An Interesting Resume of the Work That Has Already Been Done, and Forecast of the Future-An Immense Cold. Hearing
 Area Which Invites Attention.

In July, on the lnmachuk, Old Glory was working again and putting out ex- cellent cleanups, though only three or four claims were being worked. The Italians quarreled and split up; Han mum was found to be rather low grade, and the party known as the Dashley party, including Dashley, DeBuhr and McGrogan, were following up their prospect of the summer before on the main river. They soon struck rich pay on the side of the running stream, and this gave new impetus to the devel- opment of the Inmachuk. In the win ter some drawers were at work, and much general prospecting, assessment here and there by the party mentioned on several of their claims, and in the early spring by Fox Bros. X Shipsby, Fred Ruhl, Dick Hogendorn. Billy Moves and perhaps by few others. But most of these men found pay. and good pay; and it constituted the most substantial find that had been made in the Arctic, and one of the best on the whole Seward peninsula.
 This was last winter. On Candle the prospecting was confined principally to the creek claims away from the creek bed. Various results were obtained, and opinions are still divided as to whether or not the creek claims of Can- dle will pay to drift. They certainly will not, as rule, unless men do their own work. The bench claims, however, have only begun to receive attention. The fall before number of men went into the Kobuk, and strike was made on the Shunnak river.
 Last summer the creek claims of Candle were again worked, resulting in good grub stake to all the workers and something very much better to those who had ground-sluiced on the banks and one or two bench claims. This winter ten or twelve drawers will under more favorable auspices. Early in the summer q wide old channel was found on the left limit, carrying gold, which, if properly handled, will pay richly.
 On the Inmachuk about p drawers will tear the ground up in fine shape, and there should be good cleanup, and better still great deal found out about the creek in general. The Ko- bukers ought also to be heard from to some purpose next spring. as, with all ing last summer, few men cleaned up $6, 900 or SS, 900, as nearly as the writer can estimate. Bear creek I consider one of the most promising of local creeks. Pay has been found at widely separated points, and while most of the men who worked there last spring were disappointed, high freight and provis-
 ions and the fact that they did not know exactly where or how to attack the ground, satisfactorily accounts for it. The gold is of high grade, and tim Der and game are plentiful.
 In general one may say this of the district: It is as extensive in it's area of gold bearing ground as all the other districts of the Seward peninsula put together, and assuming an average richness as great as the Nome districts, it's final output should be as large. , There are the same opportunities for hydraulic mining, and the water to do } it. There are timber and coal conven- tent to about half of the district, and the mining season is not appreciably shorter, although the navigable season is somewhat shorter than at Nome. The country is in it's infancy, yet it's probationary period has passed. It has weathered the diseases of infancy and , it's growth is assured. The rapidity of ] that growth is of course uncertain. , There is pay on the beach at Alder creek between the Kugruk and the , Keewalik. There is pay on . little . gulch running into the sea near Alder. l There is pay on at least one creek at the head of the Kugruk. These are finds isolated from the larger creeks and rivers already noticed and are men. tioned to show how widespread is the distribution of gold in the district, just as is true of the Nome district of the peninsula.
 The climate is not exactly salubriOus . but is apparently not more internal ] than on this sioe of the straits. It must 3 be remembered that the difference ir latitude is merely matter of 60 or 7( miles and there is greater protection