The Nome nugget., 1903-08-05
C0UNCIL.
 DISTRICT And Work Under Way in That Section.
COST OF SUPPLIES
Seriously Retards Extensive De- yelOpnent Work...Mining
 on Various Creeks.

Walter II. Soderberg, one of the lucky owners in the celebrated Hot Air mine on Glacier creek, has just re- turned from trip of one month to the Council City country, where he is heavily interested, together with A. F.. Guinan, also a partner in the Hot Air mine.
 In an interview with NUGGET rep resentative Mr. Soderberg said:
 "There will be a great many mines opened up in the Council City mining district just as soon as the new railroad from Solomon to Council is finished. At present it is almost impossible for men with ordinary means to develop property, owing to the outrageously high prices necessary to be charged for all materials foodstuffs, feed, etc., required in mining. The cause of this is chiefly owing to the expensive freights, the rate from Nome to Col ovin bay being Sl5 per ton, from Colo win bay to White mountain BIO per ton, from White mountain to Council City S22.50 per ton, from Council City to any point on the Wild Goose rail road Sl0 per ton, u total of S57.50 per ton under the most favorable circum- stances. To properties not along the line af the Wild Goose railroad (that is from, say, discovery to No. 15 Ophir) one has to use teams for hauling, and an ordinary team will not haul more than l,500 pounds. Teams are worth $25 per day when hired to freight with. For what stuff we took in this year our freight bills amounted to SG,000, where we have reasons to know we could save two-thirds of this amount by freighting on the Council City & Solomon River railroad when finished. Lumber is sl30 per thousand, hay Sl05 per ton, oats $ll3, coffee and doughnuts 50 cents, etc.
 Stiff Prices.
 "At first glance one might think that these stiff prices would make it a good country So it would if the mines were small. rich placers, producing each owner considerable profit, but such is not the case. The bodies of gravel are apparently quite expensive, and the gold is distributed throughout the deposits from the surface under the moss and grass to the bedrock and from rim to rim. It is, therefore, neces- sary to work them on rather exten- sive plan, as was Anvil creek, Snow gulch, Dexter and other creeks in the Nome district, that is by shoveling in, pick and shove, work by men, and working narrow paystreaks. You can readily see that one has to use every effort to operate cheaply. especially in the ,beginning, which is always the hardest of expenses advanced, in order to have anything left for the owner. have been told that mines which have produced S200, GOO in a 1.300-foot claim have not netted their owners $25, 900, owing to the conditions which have prevailed in this section and by at- tempting to work the properties in the crudest sort of way, and 1 know that by working these same mines as they could have been under conditions that will prevail in 1904, from present ap- pearances, that b per cent of the gross output would be a liberal expense ac- count. and mine producing S200, ,0CO will pay sl70,000 in dividends.
 "Many owners of properties are poor and unable tc open their mines, and others who have the means are using good judgment and awaiting the com ing of the railroad and cheaper ma terials. There is no particular fun in working out rich claim and paying all out for operations.
 A Great Ditch.
 ''I visited with Mir. Charles D. Lane and rode over the Wild Goose com pany's big ditch with him. It is with. out question one of the finest in exist ence. The big canal commences al about No. 34 above on Ophir creek and when finished will be approxi mately II miles in length at discovery It carries 5000 inches, and will cos about $200,00 when completed. It i: | finished to nearly No. 15 Ophir creek and is furnishing water to No. 27 where the company are successful! using a hydraulic elevator. Another elevator is being installed on No. l! and will soon be in operation. The. each handle large amount of gravel The big ditch will practically contro all the mines on Ophir creek, whicl have to be worked under a grea pressure, that is to say by elevators and giants. At the lower end of Ophi