Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-01-16

TUESDAY, JANUARY fs, 1906.
dixie. / had to go to attend a claim
jumping case in which I was inter
ested and which wen. III got these
nuggets and this dust out Of that
claim. II s
There are about twenty-five OF the
nuggets and they formed a necklace
around Miss Kelly's throat. The
nuggets were Joined by short strands
Of gold chain Suspended from
them was a glass locket half full Of
gold which Miss Kelly had panned
out of the claim over which she had
the lawsuit. ~ .s5
81 am interested in twenty-one
claims in that district don't ex-
Ipect that every one viii develop into
a paying mine. am sure of the
one over which / had the suit, how
ever. 1t is a very rich claim. One
or two of the others / expect to de-
velop into valuable mines in time.
This is a richer and better district
than the Klondike. There are not
pockets of such greatsyalue scattered
here and there, but the gold is more
evenly distributed and runs about
IS OF SO to the cubic yard. There
are a good many cubic yards in my
claim, which is twenty acres in ex-
tent, so expect to get lots of gold
out of it. The Tanana district is
much bigger than the Klondike, be-
ing 200 miles square. The district
was discovered only three years ago,
T but in that time 100000 has been
shipped out of there to the minis, in
addition to what remained in the
country for use as currency.
| .sThe trip now is regular pleas
ure trip compared with what the trip
to Dawson was when first made it.
There are as good accommodations
on the steamers on the Yukon as on
those Of the Mississippi. From the
Yukon there is a railroad over the
White Pass to the Tanana River.
Fairbanks is connected with the
Tanana River by another short road.
| BY the usual route Fairbanks is
fabout 900 miles from the coast, al
| though it is only about half that
distance by air line from the Gulf of
Alaska, the closest arm of the ocean
! But the district between the Gulf of
Alaska and Fairbanks is mountain
Gus and impossible. Fairbanks is
| LOO miles northwest of Dawson.
Dawson was almost entirely depopu-
Hated when Fairbanks was founded.
And the country up there is not as
| rough and lawless as the reports
would seem to indicate. Instead OF
the. country being oVerrun by high
twaymen, there has been but one
sstage holdup in the Tanana district,
and the robbers got but $40 then. "
81 have built a house on my claim
near the shore of Devils Lake. ]
have had steps cut in the bank Of
1.-THE lake in front Of my house and
have built a bathhouse close to the
lake. Bathing there is good. Devils
Lake is a salt water lake, although
Years ago it held fresh water which
Iteemed with fish. Suddenly the
water turned salt and the fish ali
Idied. This happened within the
memory of some of the old Indians
land some Of the early settlers who
are still living there. The Indians
named it Devils Lake on account 81
1.-THE change in the nature OF It'll
water. The reason has never been
discovered, but Il think that prob.
ably 1t is due to big salt beds III the
/ bottom Of the lake. The govern:
Iment is now stocking the lake with
Isalt water fish The lake is sixt,
miles long and from q half to three
lmiles wide. There is ford acros.
1.-THE narrowest part OF the lake which
lis but q few miles from my Farm
The water was originally shallow
there and the Indians completed I'll.
work Of making ford BY filing il
q great part Of the pass. The lax,
is 9 great place for hunting vii,
n geese and ducks Ait times it
waters are covered with millions 3
white swans, but the hunters do no
modest them. 55ts3
There are lots Of prairie chicken
and grouse in the country aroun,
the lake There are also . goo
many wolves. These put In most q
their time foraging for the farmers
I Ichickens. ! have known them /
j come on 70 the porch Of my hoas
/ at night But they are the snaa