Bisbee daily review., 1908-12-13
THREE NEW
 PLACER FIELDS
 ARE IN ALASKA
Inoka, Gold Hill and Ruby Creek Districts Prove Gold Bearing Formations To Be Greater Than Supposed.

Three new localities for placer gotd insthe lower central part Of the Yuko.l valley, brought to the public notice; within the last two years, are of par ticular interest because they show that the gold bearing formations oT the valley are of much wider extent than has generally been supposed. Says the geological Press Report just issued
 Last summer, A G. Maddren, of the United States Geological Survey, made reconnaissance trips to these locaii- ties, which are known as Gold Hin Ruby Creek and the Inpoko.
 The Innoko district is more widely known and discussed than the Colo Hin or Ruby Creek district. Since the discovery of placer gold in paying quantities. in 1906, on some of the headwater tributaries of the InnoKo river, that part of Alaska has receivef more attention from prospeetors look, ing for new fields than any other dis u1ct in the Yukon valley. Probably as many as two thousand men have visited the mnoko country and remain
 
 son. Many of these men have come from the older placer districts up the Yukon, especially from Fairbanks: some have come from NoHse, and a few from the smaller settlements on the lower Yukon.
 The InnokO, the lowest noteworthy i tributary of the Yukon, entering from the left, is about 300 miles fong, ano las been the principal route to and from the diggings on it's headwaters | During 1906 small stern-wbeeled stea, mers ran up the river to Dichkakat about 250 miles from Anyik. on the Yukon. From Dichkakat it is IyV miles farther by river to Ophir. the principal settlement, at the digings. and this distance is travelled in pol | ing boats that hold about one ton oi ] freight. The most serious drawback to prospecting in the Innoko country IS | the difficulty and cost of getting sup 1 plies to 9 centrally located distribut ing point convenient to the creeks on whicl pay gravel has been discovered So far most Of the provisions have been shipped into the district from Fairbanks, and by the time the freighl is delivered at the town Of Opnir the transportation cost has reached the enormous sum of $500 a ton.
 The Innoko country has been stalk ed in wholesome manner, about E, 600 locations being on record. Oi this number only about twenty-five claims were worked during the sum mer of 1908, and practical y all ot these were on Canes, Little and OphiI creeks. About 150 persons are nov ! wintering in the nnoko district.
 The name Gold Hill is applied to an area ill the central Yukon valley about twenty-five miles below the mouth of Panama river, that lies along | the north side of the Yukon and cx tends westward from the western i slopes Of the valley of Tozitna river to the higheer mountains north of the 1 United States telegraph station calico 1 8irches. Roughly, the district enr braces an area extending twenty miles north and south, covering abou, | 6DO square miles. Most of this area i consists Of mountains that form a di vide, extending east and west, about midway between the courses of the Yukon and the headwaters of the Me lotzina. This divide separates the re | zion into two areas that are draiDec to the north and south by creeks | The principal southwark flowinf | creks, named from east to west as the, | join the Yukon, are Grant, Illinois and Mason, and their tributaries; those flowing noTthwaFd into the Melotzitna named in the same order, are Moran Eureka, Hudson Langford and Tiffany creeks and their tributaries It is the gravel deposits of these creeks that i the placer gold is found. Practically all the alluvial ground on these streams has been located for placer mining. The locatoTs are mostly asso- citation groups that enable few men lactuaIly present on the ground, pre- sumably provided with the powers of attorney from a number of absent per sons, to tie mp completely many thous- ands of acres of alGyial deposits bear i ing placer gold. The result of this practice is that many intending work- CTS are unable to acquire grouna rigats. and that the healthy growth of the placer mining industry is being retarded in 9 very discouraging man her
 Open-eut ground-sluicing operations have been begun at several localities in the Gold Hill area, but owing to the scarcity of water, due to the ullus- ual drynes of the summer of 1908. there has been thus far little produc- tion of gold.
 The area known as the Ruby Creek district-from the name Of the small stream on which gold was first dis covered in the area-lies on the south bank of the Yukon, directly south and oposite the mouth of the Melotzina river, about 175 miles below Tanama, or 1lo miles above Nulato. For a distance of ten miles along the south bank of the Yukon, the Ruby Creek country presents rolling hills from 100 to 300 feet nigh that overlook the river with bluffs 200 to 300 feet hign. This district received consideraDfe attention from prospectors in the win ter of f907-190S. Large tracts were located as placer mining ground on Ruby. Melozi, Big. Main, Boston, Bo. nanza. Beaver and Dome creeks. and their tributaries. A number of boies were sunk to bed rock during the winter and prospects of gold gre re tod fN 4