The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-19
ORIGIN OF KLoNDIKE GOLD.
Canadian Geologist Writes Entertain
ingly Regarding Upper Country.

Tho following article on the origin OF Klon-
dixie gold viii be of interest 10 the mining
readers OF this State. Tho articles Is by IL. G..
Mcconnell OF the geological survey of Cam
dn. and appears In the Mining and Scientific
Pretss
There is nttlc doubt that the Klondlkc gold
Is dctrItol In origin and has been derived from
aurifcrous quartz veins cutting the Schists of
the Klondlke series The veins small and
the number destroyed and concentrated
pebbles and houldcrs In the valley bottoms Is
almost incaIculablc The hgh-level white
channel Rravels have volume on bonanza
and Bunker creeks alone OF nearly 100000. go
cubic yards and nearly half tho deposit con
slsts OF nunrz grains, pebbles and bouldcrs
derived from veins. This figure. large ns 1t iss
represents only fraction OF tho vein material
destroyed, tho volume OF tho gravels was
originally at least a third gr"eter. and a
further allowance must be made Tor the largo
percentage OF quartz ground up and carried
away. Tho total poduction Of ths camp Will
probably approach 800 OOl U0O; the average gold
tenor of the quartz. therefore. did not exceed
few cents 10 tho ton,
Basis of Opinion.
The derivation Of the placer gold from
quartz veins as pointed out by Spur In re-
Gard TO the EortyMc district is evident from
the character Of the grains The greater part
OF tho geld occurs In Irregular 1attcncd discs
and bulbs similar TO those in the veins Many
OF the grains and most OF the nuggets enclose
qunrtz, and Il few themselves enclosed in
quartz Pebbles ana bouldcrs spcckcd with
sold are also occasionally found \ boulder
from bonanza creek. near Di6covcry. weighing
sixty ounces. contained twenty ounces Of gold
the gold is afforded by its worn character in
the creeSe. whilo the younger grnins and mug
gets found in the Gulches are always rough
nnd angular. The richest qunrtZ so far discov-
cred occurs near the head OF Victoria gulch
tributary OF Bonanza creek. The partially
dccomposcd slide rock. which covers the
face OF the hillside below the quartz outcrop-
pings contains coors OF gold and IL Is sig
nifcant that Bonanza creek is rich below the
mouth OF Nictorla gulch, and practically bar
rcn above. Victoria gulch is Itself gold-bcar-
ing, and the gold obtained from near its head
that that all tho gold In Bonanza creek cnme
from Victoria gulch. mono OF tha heavy gold
has Travelled far and the valley was probably
repeatedly enriched from veins along It's course
and from the older Et1vcls. but that of
It was derived seems certain.
Origin of Placer Gold
"whIlo the greater part OF the placer gold
has been derived from broken quartz veins
from water carrying gold In solution,
boulder found in OF the workings on
partially covered with thin spccks and scales
OF crystalline gold. The crystals wore ar
ranged In dcndftic manner Some OF them
were firmly attached 10 the rock and others
separated easily from IL. Tho angles OF tho
crystals were sharp and showed wear OF
my kind, while the boulder itself quartz-mlca
cid not belong 10 the rock originally. and. tha
only explanation of It's occurrence seems to
he that II was taken up by some solvent and
rcdcpoSltcj on the surface of the boulder. A
number OF thin specimens of nearly unworn
crystalline EOlu often urndiltlC In structure
have been found on Eldorado and other Klon-
dixie creeks, and they may have originated In
this manner The bulky, octahcdral crystals
fthc common crystalline variety were proba-
bly, derived. like The nuggets, from veins Sew
cral specimens OF these have been obtained
from the Victoria gulch quartz.
Character of Common Vein.
quartz veins are exceedingly abundont in
the schlst OF the klondlko series, and also oc-
cur, but moro sparlngy In tho Nas.na schists
and In tho Mooschidc dinbase. The veins as
a rule. are small and non-persistent. varying
in size from mere threads up to masses of
quartz 100 TO lOo feet In length and from four
10 six feet In width. Large veins occur occa-
sienslly, ono on the Yukon river, below the
mouth Of Carnoo creek, measuring over thlr-
~ feet in width. Tho common vein OF the
district is generally lcntlcular in outline the
lenticlcs in the majority OF cases. measuring
only fcw inches in width and few feet in
length. The larger veins swell out. In places.
any distance. They follow The planes OF schis-
t"sity. or cut them at a small angle. In somo
enclosing sehiSt nearly coincide. the dips
proved TO be In opposite directions. Branching
veins are not uncommon the branches often
cutting directly across the schists.
Little Variety in Quartz.
Tho metallic contents OF the quartz voIns
present little variety Iron Is usually present
In the form ot pyrltc and. less frequently. mag
hetite. often In sufficient quantities TO give
per pyrite and galena. .hc latter sometimes ar
gentifcrous occur less frequently. and free gold
mas Deen Iound IN n NUMBER OF veins. OCCASION
olly In considerable quantities A short lens
of qunrtk found near the head OF Victoria
gUlch WAS studded Mt one end with numerou,
grains and smnll nuggets OF gold. somo OF then,
well crystnllzed The gold occurred mostly M
or near the surface. very little being found in
the interior of the vein. Small veins Carving
grains OF gold have been discovered on nearly
all the producing creeks
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