The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-03
DREDG|NGG0[D
Scientific Mining is Getting
Firm Foothold in the
Klondike.
Associated Pres. to The Evening Time.

Associated Press to The Evening Times.
Seattle, WASH, Sept. "a gold
dredging epoch is dawning upon the
Klondike. The rich creeks, early dis
covered, have already been worked
over by crude and wasteful methods,
and now are being subjected to an
other and a more scientific treatment.
A prominent feature of the new
workings is gold dredging. 1t has
proved very successful in the Klondike,
in spite of such drawbacks as difficulty
of transportation, high cost of install
latiOn and operation, frozen gravels
and short seasons.
Gold dredging in the north has
passed the experimental stage and be-
come an established and promising in
dustry. Extensive areas of low grade
ground, which have been lying idle
because under the former method of
mining the cost of extraction would
equal, If not exceed, the returns, are
beingmade productive through the use
of dredges handling three thousand
or more cubic yards of dirt every
twenty-four hours.
There are now in the Klondike.
either In operation or in course of in
stallation, nearly a dozen gold dredges.
Next season will see the arrival of
several additions to the northern min
Ing fleet, some of which will be nut to
work in the Forty Mile and Birch
Creek districts of Alaska. All these
gold ships" are of American make.
1t Is rumored occasionally that dredges
made In other countries are coming in
to competition with the American pat
&c ~ an
caused by the fact that American
manufacturers cannot at present fill
all orders promptly. The present in
ability to supply the demand is due
chiefly to Panama Canal requirements.
Machinery and appliances of kind
not made in Canada, for use exclusive
ly in alluvial gold mining" are ad-
mitted, free of duty into Canada and
Will be until at least one year from
now. Under this provision most of
the component parts of a modern gold
dredge may enter Yukon territory
without paying customs duty. Having
passed through the first and primitive
stage of gold mining (washfng out gold
with pans, rockers, cradles, sluices,
grizzlies, etc.,, the Klondike is now
entering upon the second stage of
placer mining development, employing
hydraulic and dredging machinery.
Later on will probably follow the third
method of harvesting the yellow metal,
quartz mining.
1T is expected that the introduction
of dredges will greatly increase the
output of gold in the Klondike. In
1905 this was reduced to about $780,
600, as against $10,350,OOO in 1904,
$lS,OOO,OO0 in 1901 and $22,275, 900 in
1900. Speculation Is already rife as to
whether this enlarged supply from the
Yukon, with Alaska's growing yield
of new gold, will not perceptibly affect
the general economic conditions in
America as whole.
During this year Alaska will probab-
ly furnish some $30,00O,000 of gold, as
against $14,50O,0O0 in 1905, $4,000, 900
in 1904 and $6,350,OO0 in 1903. It is
pointed out that seasons of exception
al prosperity have followed each of the
great gold finds of recent times-those
of Australasia, of California, of South
Africa and of the Klondike. Most of
the capital invested in dredging opera
lions in the Klondike thus far is owned
by citizens of the United States. AMI
most Of the gold cleaned up is sold In
Seattle.