The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-08-16
IN YUKON TERRITORY
Interesting Facts Concerning This
Remarkable Region.
First Provision for Preservation o.
Law and Order In the Mining
RexiOns-lm me nse Gold
Output, Etc.

Seven years ago the sole representa-
lives OF authority on the Upper Yukon
were a detachment Of 20 Northwest
mounted police under Maj Constantine,
sent up by the Canadian government 10
maintain law and order as best they
could. They built a post at Fort Cudahy
on the Yukon, % miles on our side OF
Alaska, near the mining town OF Forty
Mile Gold digging had been going on
there for ten years before, but English
men had heard nothing Of it, and would
only have smiled If they had. The do
miniOn government thus took actual
possession Of the gold country, which
was supplied entirely by United States
trading companies. working up from
the Boring sea, says the London Times.
In the summer OF 1896 the great gold
deposits in tbs Klondike creeks were
discovered. and when the news reached
England ~ months afterward no one
knew where they we're. Was the Klon-
dixie in British Columbia or Alaska?
Nobody thought of the Northwest terri
tories, little knowing that they
stretched far beyond the nC..hern
ranges Of the Rocky mountains Within
a couple Of years Yukon, on account OF
its remoteness and inaccessiblity. was
taken out OF the jurisdiction OF the ter
ritorial government and created sepa-
rate territory. under commissioner
and council and now the force OF police
is 290 strong. with detachments
throughout the whole basin OF the Up
per Yukon.
1t is satisfactory to be able to obtain
some interesting facts as to this re-
/ markable region derived from sources
Of less doubtful accuracy than the lit
orature Of company promoters.
Assistant Commissioner Wood, in his
report for last year, states that the total
output of gold for that year up 10 Oc-
tober 81. not including White Horse
| and Forty Mile for that month amount
ed. according to the records. to over
| s12 700 geo The amount upon which
royalty was collected up to April 90 was
$4,000. The five per cent royalty on
gold mined was on that date abolished
ard an export tax OF 21a per cent in
stituted in it's place which tax was paid
on the remaining 81 $50 Goo This is
computing the value Of the Gust at 81
per ounce. which is by no means the true
value of the gold as the greater part o.
it is worth over SIG, some going as hief
as ST.
were in operation in GOO cases in thu
vicinity of Dawson. In December las
this number had increased TO over 600
Development work in the quartz ha
also been prosecuted with the creates
vigor. and several new quartz strike
are recorded. Assays have been mad
which run very high, in some instance
averaging $40 to the ton.
The assistant commissioner give
particulars Of very interesting ex
pertinent which was being conducte
on Colorado creek Two, years ago
shaft was sunk below the gold bearip
crawl 1G feet. and through the sup
. posed bedrock, until another bsd c
, gravel was reached which yielded fai
, pay. The sinking was continued. whe
second gravel bed was found at
feet containing gold in paying quar-
titles. and again one at 1876 fset. Sti
deeper another bed was reached cor
tanning gold. and the question was
What would be found on the actu;
. bedrock? The Yukon council made
grant to assist in the prosecution OF II
work
a At the depth Of 2221A feet an unde1
e ground stream OF water was strucl
+ which quickly filled the shaft and cor
tinuously flowed therefrom In a vo
: ume exceeding two good sluice head
Thus the water question in the futul
In the mining area may be solved, bl
! meanwhile it was a serious menace
n the town of Bonanza and the claim
a below it. since the water froze short
II after its exit from the shaft. and for,
OF over 40 men was required to keep
channel open for IT, II it had been a
- lowed to freeze near Bonanza it won
have formed glacier which won
a have ensulfed the town and put a ste
h to mining on the creek below It, TT
Il government then took charge and let
contract tn cap the gusher. so that II
water could in future be controlle
Incidentally these operations seem
= show the approximate thickness of Il
permanently frozen surface of Il
ground.
II Not Extinct.