Douglas Island news., 1904-03-02
Geological Survey in Central


 Gerdine, assisted by Mir. R. B. Oliver, effected topographic survey of the district, and the other, headed by MT. l.. M. Prindle, made geologic recon naissance of the same field.
 The topographic party, which includ- ed nine men and twelve horses, left Eagle City, on the Yukon River, on June 21, and travelled westward, follow ing the military telegraph trail for about 100 miles. The trail leads up the valley of the middle fork of the Fortymile River to Joseph Creek, then up this creek to it's source. Here the divide is crossed and the trail continues down the Goodpasture River. On leaving the Goodpasture River ths party continued westward, crossing the headwaters of the Salcha and Cinema rivers, until the Tanana was reached. A few days before they arrived at Fair banks on the Tanana River, where are the newly discovered diggiugs, a forest fire was encountered that proved serious obstacle to progress in work and travel. This fire had been raging for several weeks and had burnt over hundreds of square miles in area. From Fairbanks the party proceeded in a northeastward direction, pas sing through the Fairbanks and Birch Creek gold fields and ending their labors at Circle City on the Yu- kon River.
 Triangulation was carried westward along this route from longitude Al deg. to the Panama River, and observations and data were collected that will enable the survey to complete a map of large area lying between the Yukon and Panama rivers in central Alaska.
 The geological party included Mir. Prindle, cook, packer, and seven horses. Work was begun at Eagle, on the Yukon River, on June 16 and finished at Fairbanks on September Il.
 The purpose of the work was to get as clear an idea as possible of the present condition and future possibili- ties of the country from an economic viewpoint, and at the same time to learn something definite of the geology of specific gold-bearing formations. With this object in view all the active mining camps were visited and many localities were examined where pros pecting is in progress.
 The region visited includes the min ing districts of Fortymile, Seventymile, Birch Creek and Panama. The Forty mile and Birch Creek gulches were worked long before Dawson and Nome, and many miner after failure at the latter places has returned to make living at the old diggings. The Panama district is comparatively new field for mining endeavor and has attracted men from all the older camps.
 Travelling in this region presented no serious difficulties. The country is of plateau-like character, furowed by canyons. By keeping on the broad backed ridges between the stream courses, good progress was made and the mobility of the pack train was greatly increased. The water was low most of the season and the streams were usually forded without difficulty.
 There are many caribou in the hills during the fall and winter months. Hundreds of them were seen along the trail from Eagle to Birch Creek and from there to Fairbanks Creek, and it was most interesting to watch them feeding quietly in the green mountain valleys and exhibiting only curiosity in the presence of men. In some camps these animals are killed in the winter and kept in cold storage during the hot summer months in the old mine shafts, i where, at depth of twenty feet, the frozen walls sparkle with ice crystals and the conditions are most favorable for the preservation of the meat. The climate of central Alaska is much more kindly than is generally supposed. The gulch life of the miner is every year becoming more comfortable, by reason of the increasing frequency of small vegetable gardens, where lettuce, radishes, turnips, and potatoes are grown, which, together with an abun- dance of the native blueberries, cran- berries, and occasional red raspberries, add materially to one of the. greatest pleasures of life in Alaska-a good meal