The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1911-09-04

some good strikes have been made has this been
the Capital has been chary where quartz
concerned TO the same extent it was
careless and easy when placer prospect needed as
sstance, and it truly be said that the bulk of
the development of the hard rock has been
done absolutely ION shoestring." Those who
conversant with the history OF the various proper
ties know this be entirely true, and, in the
light of this knowledge, the fact that much has
been accomplished is to them all the more re-
markable.
Take the Rhoads mine, for instance, a property
that today seems destined to produce millions,
ago. After he had satisfied himself from the
paintings he got from float the slope of the
Bedrock hill that ledge existed in the immed-
late vicinity, Mr.. Rhoads work systematic
cally tracing. When he had found unmis-
taxable lead between walls in shaft he recorded
his claim and then turned in alone absolutely
without backing to develop it. In the face of set
backs that would have discouraged most men he
persisted in his work, driving, single handed, an
almost incredible amount of tunnel, and succeeded
in taking sufficient highgrade to keep
going This supply of the sinews of increas
ing as he progressed with the work he able
to put men at work about year after he had
opened his prospect, and today, with fye-stamp
mill in operation the property, he is taking
ore from four Slopes that will average about 1920
the
Similar conditions have pertained in the opening
up OF many of the properties that look very
promising today and there can be no contradiction
Of the statement that if capital had been available
in moderate amount, for the more extensive
working of the prospects, there would now be sew
eral producing mines. The success that has
attended the work the Newsboy and Rhoads
mines at very small cost indicates that the field
is one that should appeal particularly to the in
weston who, with moderate amount OF capital, fs
looking to get in the ground floor
In many instances the prospectors have been
working their claims only at intervals, having had
money could be accumulated to provide grubstake
to continue the work in tunnel shaft. Also to
this lack of may be ascribed, in large meas
ure. the fact that much more tunnel than shaft
work has been done this being because the
work in tunnel be much more easily
performed by working alone than the
work of sinking. Had this condition not existed
there would undoubtedly have been attained much
more depth than has been the case, as the in
dividual worker has been forced to content him
self with tunnels and crosscuts in many cases
gaining little cover" where the same amount Of
energy expended in a shaft would much sooner
have demonstrated the value of his prospect.
In addition to the insufficiency of capital there
other hindrances to the work of the prospector
that not always encountered in handbook
tries. Among these perhaps the chief is the physi-
cal character Of the surface of the ground render
ing the tracing of float, it does, peculiarly
difficult matter. Nearly all of the hills of the
Tanana valley covered with a most luxuriant
growth of vegetation and underbrush, and when
these removed there still remains upper layers
of slide rock and gravel to be cleared away before
the of the float be discovered Natural
ly, in many instances, scores of small holes to
bedrock have be sunk before the prospector finds
what he is after or discovers that he is on a
blind lead. The scarcity of water on the hill