Douglas Island news., 1904-11-09
Noxt week J. P Bartell and E. H.

Er
 Next week J. P. Bartell and E. II. Paten will commence sinking shaft to bedrock through the blue clay. The work will be done in the Sd basin, on Spruce creek. A number of the miners think there is pay in the gravel wash beneath the clay.
 The Missouri M. Go. is building a house on their quartz claim in the 4th basin. They expect to keep two men there during the winter, driving tun- uel on the ledge.
 Tom Butler and Jack Parmo have fin ished the contract at the Apache mine, and left here yesterday in small boat, for Douglas Island
 The dredger Elwa has been roofed over and laid up for the winter, in the slough near the mouth of Shuck river, Superintendent Roe went to Seattle week ago and will return when the river opens in the spring, and resume opera tions on the Shuck river bars.
 The old bachelors of Windham Bay, about fifteen in number, are making preparations to have a Thanksgiving dinner. The bill of fare calls for most everything except sour dough, pan cakes and 'porky hog"
 MT. Smith, who is interested with the Golden River Placer Co.,, came up from Seattle last week. He spent one week at the company's placer camp on Shuck river, and was well pleased with the work being done there. The company expect to have their dam across Shuck river completed in time to commence shovelling into sluice boxes as soon as the ice breaks up in the spring.
 Considerable development work will be done during the winter, in the mines near the 2d basin on Spruce creek. The basin is situated about IF miles east, from the east end of Windham Bay, and is one of the four basins that was extensively worked for placer by the old timers. Considerable gold has been taken from this piece of ground, and it is still good for S2.OO per day to the man. The best paying part of the ba- sin is about ii mile long and 400 feet wide: about 15 of it has been worked, 1 It lays between Silver Creek and Sum dunn mountains, and is a natural catch for the gold which has been washed from the numerous lodges both on the north and south sides. There are eight claims located on the north and twelve on the south side, each claim showing free gold on the surface of the lodges. i So far very little development work has ! been done on any of the claims. This winter more tunnel work will be done than at any time heretofore.
 The California Alaska M. Go. has let a contract to R. V. Rowe to drive an other 100 foot extension to the tunnel on the Doctor claim, situated near the southwest corner of the basin. The Yellow Jacket M. Co., has had two men driving a tunnel on their property the
 last two months, and the Missouri M. Co.,, whose claims are situated at the south side of the basin, will have their electric plant installed in about two weeks. and will keep men at work day and night during the winter, with Bur, ley drills. J. P. Bartels and E. II. Pat en have also commenced driving tun- 7 nel on their claim the "Dark Horse,' ; about a fl mile up the mountain, south of the basin. All of the above claims
 show considerable free gold on the sur. face of the lodges. The tunnel work
 being done now will determine whether ) or not it shows the same at depth. Ii
 it does the 2d basin mines will make 2 one of the largest and best paying 7 camps in Alaska. J. Il. X.
 WINDHAM BAY, Nov. l, 1904.