The leader., 1904-03-19
CENTRAL ALASKA SURVEYED
Travelling Exceedingly Difficult, Game
Numerous and Climate More
Kindly Than Supposed.

I
Kindly Than Supposed.
Two parties from the United States
geological survey spent the summer
Of 1903 in central Alaska. One party,
under the leadership of Mr.. T. G. Ger
dine, assisted by Mr.. r. B. Oliver.
effected topographic survey of the
district, and the other, headed by Mr..
L. M. Prindle, made geologic recon
naissance Of the same field.
The topographic party, which In
cluded nine men and 10 horses, left
Eagle City. on the Yukon river, on
June 81, and travelled westward for
about 100 miles. The trail leads up
the valley of the middle fork of Forty
mile river to Joseph creek, then up this
creek to its source. Here the divide is
crossed and the trail continues down
the Goodpasture river On leaving the
Goodpasture river the party continued
westward, crossing the headwaters of
the Salcha and Chena rivers, until tbs
Tanana was reached. A few days De-
fore they arrived at Fairbanks on the
| Tanana river, where are the newly
discovered diggings, forest fire was
encountered that proved serious OBJ
stacley 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 procee ded in northeastward
direction, passing through the Fair
banks and Birch Creek gold fields and
ending their labors at Circle City, on
| the Yukon river.
Triangulation was carried westward
along this route from longitude 141
degrees to the Tanana river and OBJ
servations and data were collected that
will enable the survey to compile a
map Of large area lying between the
Yukon and Tanana rivers in central
Alaska. -
The geologic party included Mr..
Prindle, cook, a packer and seven
horses. Work was begun at Eagle,
| on the Yukon river, on June 16, ami
finished at Fairbanks on September IL.
The purpose of the work was to get
as clear an idea as possible of the pres
ent condition and future possibilities
of the country from an economic view
point. 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 min
ing camps were visited and many To-
| calities were examined where prospect
ing is in progress.
The region visited includes the min
ing districts of Fortymile, Seventymile,
Birch Creek and Tanana. The Forty
mile and Birch Creek gulches were
worked long before the days of Daw-
SON and Nome, and many miner after
failure at the latter places has re-
turned to make living at the old dig
gings. The Tanana district is a COM
paratively new field for mining en-
! deavor and has attracted men from all
the older camps.
Travelling in this region presented no
serious difficulties. The country is of
plateau-like character, furrowed 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 Greek, 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,
where, at a depth of 20 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 becom-
ing more comfortable, by reason of the
increasing frequency of small vegeta-
BILE gardens, where lettuce, radishes,
turnips and potatoes are grown, which,
together with an abundance of the ma
tive blueberries, cranberries, and oc-
casional red raspberries, add material
ly to one of the greatest pleasures of
life in Alaska good meal
The drought of 1903 brought hard
sip of more than one kind to the Alas
kan miner. Not only did his vegetable
garden suffer but his placer interests
as well. AS the placer miner is de-
pendent upon an adequate supply OF
water. the hot, dry weather of June
and July worked considerable injury to
the miners in much of the area ira
versed by the Prindle party But in
spite of drought, short seasons, poor
means of communication, high prices,
exorbitant freight rates, and duties TO
pay at the boundary, many men are
making living in that portion Of our
possessions and are awaiting more Or
less impatiently the time when better
conditions will prevail
The Kiwi.