The Alaska prospector., 1904-02-11
The Great Copper River Valley.

tvna and Chistuchina rivers, n distance Inf about 40 miles and is from 25 to D miles wide. There is also much good agricultural land along the Chittyna and other smaller rivers.
 The sub-soil is sedmentary and shows that at some time the valley was the bot tom of a sea. The soil is loam and alluyial deposits, and is from one to four feet deep: is very productive and easily worked, though it will not produce we'll the first season for the reason that the ground is covered with heavy coat of moss, the roots of which, like the grass roots on the plains west of the Mississippi, must have one sea son to rot, after which it will produce abundantly.
 The first attempt at agriculture was made in the year 1902 at the Agricultural Exper- mental Station near Copper Center. where oats, barley and rye were raised of good quality. There were also gardens at Ton sina and the Copper River Crossing where such vegetables us potatoes, cabbage and turnips were raised in abundance. Red clover and timothy also grow we'll there, the latter being one of the natural grasses of the country.
 Almost the entire valley is covered with timber consisting of spruce, cottonwood and birch. This timber is not large enough to make it valuable for export, but is sufficient for the needs of the country, and is easily cleared for the reason that the roots of the spruce, which is the principal timber, do not penetrate the ground deeply, and quickly decay.
 The climate is good. There are neither cyclones in summer nor blizzards in winter. High winds are exceedingly rare. The snow and rain fall is about one-third of the amount that falls on the south side of the coast range of mountains. The snow in winter averages about two feet in depth. and there are occasional showers in the summer, giving sufficient rain fall to ma ture the grains and grasses that have been mentioned. Currants, blueberries, huckle- berries and raspberries grow in profusion The extreme ran,ye of the thermometer is from one hundred above in summer to fifty below in winter, though, there are but few days in wintes when men cannot labor out doors comfortably.
 The vast deposits of gold, copper and coal that are known to exist in the mountains surrounding this valley make it certain that the people who take homesteads in the valley will always have market at their door for everything they can produce. at price much above the level of the market prices of the world.
 Miller Culch Mining District.
 By c. H. KRAExER, OWNER VALDEZ co.
 Miller Gulch is small tributary of Slate creek in the Chisna Mining District. The discovery of this gulch was made in 1900, and eight 60O-foot claims were located.
 Mining operations began in the spring of 1901 and the output for the same season was about $95,OOO. In 1902 the cleanup reached $2OOOOO; in 1903 $225,OOO. In two more years it is safe to say these claims will produce $5OO,OOO more, making total of a MILLION DOLLARS IN GOLD taken from gulch l5O feet wide by 48OO long.
 The mining season in this camp is three months long. The wages paid have been and will be $l2.5O per day. After the creek bed proper has been worked out. there are still some rich benches to work, on which have been found 40 to 60 cent pans in the large deposits of gravel lying all over the low foot hills. These benches will undoubtedly yield more gold than has been produced on Miller gulch and Slate creek combined.
 In the opinion of experienced operators in that district very small part of rich gold deposit has been found. A little more bona fide prospecting will undoubtedly un cover a richer and more extensive deposit than has yet been found.
 Salmon Fisheries Near Valdez.
 
 One of the oldest industries of Alaska is that of salmon fisheries, which were estab- lished in this locality late in the eighties, and which have increased their production
 A T. T