The Alaska prospector., 1904-02-11
The Shushitna Placer Mines.
BY J0nN '. osTRANnFR.- -ArToRNgY.


 In the summer of 1903, q party of Valdez prospectors. headed by Peter Monahan, one of the most reliable and best informed prospectors. in Alaska, discovered Valdez creek, on the headwaters of the Shushitna l5 days took out $1750. A cut to bedrock on No. ? above showed two feet Of gravel. Twelve pans of gravel averaged $1 per pan. Provisions growing scarce, the party re- turned to Valdez in September, via Copper Center, making the trip in eleven days.
 The country about the headwaters of the Shushitna is many thousand miles in ex- tent, is practically unexplored, and as fav- orably located for carrying placer gold as is Valdez creek.
 gings, via the glacier route, and 26O miles via Copper Center. The government trail and mail route via Copper Center is kept open during the entire winter. The glacier route is shorter and is safe and easy. After crossing the summit, B miles from Valdez, the trail is over level country There is good grass for the entire distance in sum- mer.
 The Shushitna is tributary to Cook Inlet but the distance from the Inlet is almost as great, and the country is rough and broken and is inaccessible from November 1st to May 1st, because the Inlet is full of ice and closed to navigation. The distance from Seward, Resurrection bay, at any season, is much greater than from Valdez, and lies over an almost impossible country.
 Alaska's Great Need.
 In an interview discussing Alaska Judge Wickersham said:
 "Alaska needs a good many things, and needs most of them badly. Southeastern Alaska needs special attention in some re- spects, but northeastern Alaska needs per haps the most consideration to matters for it's general benefit. The senatorial commits sion visiting Alaska this year looked things over very thoroughly, and will bring a number of important matters to the atten- tion of congress.
 "Of all things, Northwest Alaska needs roads more than anything else. It is ap- parent, and was so recognized by the com mission, that, most of all, Alaska needs d national road running from Valdez up the Copper river, and over the mountains and down to Eagle City on the upper Yukon, with a branch road extending from the crossing of the Panama river, northward to the Panama mining district The distance from Valdez to Eagle City by this route is 450 miles, and from the Panama river crossing to Panama POO miles. There would be no difficulty in constructing this road from an engineering stand point, as the trail has been travelled back and forth by by men and pack trains for the past five or six years. The present rough trail and primitive methods of transportation make the traffic rates excessive and the back lying country will never be given the prop CT opportunity for development until such a road was put through"
 Are there any other natural resources in that territory besides mineral deposits to warrant the construction of such a road?" was asked.
 Ut doesn't need any other" was the reply. "That is one of the richest countries in the world in mineral wealth. Gold in the Panama district, copper in the Valdez and Copper river country in immense quan- titles, and coal and oil in the Kayak coun- try a short distance below Valdez. The road would open up vast tracts of rich territory and facilitate the mails"