The Alaska prospector., 1904-03-17
ELLIOTT CREEK MINES
One Of The largest Deposits Of Copper On The In-
 terior.

velopment work done on many of the properties located in this sec tion of Alaska. Tbe locations are numerous and are all satisfactory, but lack of money has left many of them in the prospect stage, with nothing but the annual assessment work done.
 The locations along Prince Will liam sound have up to the present time received the most attention. owing to the fact of their being easy of access. The Ellamar mines are making shipments on every steamer, and the Beatson property. on Latouche island, has made two shipments of 100 tons each just to get the dump cleared away, as no attempt will be made to go into the regular shipping of ore from that mine until it is in condition for the best and most economical handling of ore.
 At Landlock bay considerable activity has been going on all win ter. A number of properties there are being opened and up are prov ing very valuable.
 There is much of similarity in the copper from all about the sound, it being of the sulphuret variety. But as the coast range is crossed the formation changes, and the ore is of an entirely different charac- ter and of far higher value. Most of the copper locations of the inter for country that have been made thus far are on the lower tributar- ies of the Copper river, on the Chit tyna and the 'Kotsina. Nothing more than assessment work has been done on any of these, but na- ture has developed some to a won derful extent, and probably none more so than the Hubbard & Elliot claims on Elliott creek. As exten- sive development work will be start ed on this property this year a de- scription of it will probably now be in order, as we prop SC, when oc- casion permits, to write up the various locations of this section.
 In the spring of 1898 Charles G. Hubbard and Harry Elliot, as part ners, came in with the rush to seek gold. They crossed over the glacier and headed for the Copper river which they reached in the spring, and while nearly all turned up the river from Copper Center the two partners turned down, and by chance went in on the Kotsina. The country looked good and they stayed with it, prospecting in a careful and systematic manner till they finally ran upon vast body of ore on small tributary. which they named Elliot creek. The discovery was made during the second year of laborious prospect ing. They were alone at the time so that there was no need for haste in locating. They settled on the property and studied it up very carefully, following the lead and noting the outcroppings at various points. They worked diligently till they understood the exact lay of the ledge or lodges, and staked enough claims to cover what they at that time supposed would em- brace it all. Coming out in the fall they brought samples from all the outcropplngs and sent them to the states for assay; the returns showed the character of the ore to be a very high grade of bornite glance and black oxide, producing as high as 6S per cent. in copper with values in gold and silver.
 
 During the first years of discov- cry they located 8 claims, and in 1900 they were forced to sell an in terest in these 8 claims to secure sufficient money to keep up the assessment work, which has been we'll attended to ever since. Eacl seasons work has added to theil discoveries, and to-day they have 30 claims of 20 acres each, all join.