The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-04
HOWARD BROTHERS, Distributors,
South Barre, VT.
GOLD PLACERS IN ALASKA.
Report Issued on the Headwater Regions
of Gulkana and Susitana --.sers.


The United States geological survey
has just issued bulletin 49s, "Headwa'
ter Regions of Gulkana and Susitana
Rivers, Alaska by Fred II. Moffit a
report which deals primarily with tho
district including the Valdez creek gold
placers but also gives an account OF
mining developments during the last few
years in the Slate creek district, at the
head of Chistoehina river. Slate creek
and its gold placers were visited by W
C. Mendenhall in 1902 and Were de-
scribed by him in the surveys profes.
sional paper Al. Mr.. Mendenhall also
visited Delta river in 1898, but the re-
gion west of Delta river, including the
head of Susitna river has never been
described geologically before the field
work of 1910, on which bulletin 40s is
based. was undertaken. During the
summer of 1910, D. c. Witherspoon,
assisted by G. 4. Griffin, made surveys
for topographic reconnaissance map
to be published on a scale Of to 100000,
or about miles to the inch. This
map is the base of the geologic map
accompanying the report.
Gold has been found in its bedrock
source in the slate area south of VALDEZ
creek and is present in some of the
stream gravel deposits within that area.
Most of the placer gold from this dis
trict, however, has come from an old
filled-in channel or canyon once oce,i-
pied by Valdez creek and from the
stream gravels of that part of the pres
ent channel of the creek which lies be-
low the point where the old and new
channel is in large part a recoueenta-
ton from the rich auriferous filling of
the old canyon. This old channel re-
raphy on which the present stage is
superposed, the whole process being
closely connected with the intense glacia-
ton which this region has undergone
and which is not yet completed. The
old channel and the three or four creek
claims below it on the present stream
an excellent example of the
Importance of recommendation in the
production of rich gold placers.
Lucky gulch, small branch of Valdez
creek, contributed an important amount
to the gold production of the district
and Rusty creek promises to become
producing stream also. Mining on Val
iez creek has been carried on under
difficulties arising from high cost Of
and labor. shortness of
working season, and other troubles sueh
that il could not have been profitable
If the gravel had not been remarkably
rich. The gold production of Valdez
creek, including that Of 1910, is probably
not far from S275,000.
Slate creek is rs miles east of VALDEZ
creek. 1t is the site of an older camp
than Valdez creek and with it's tribu-
.ary, Miller gulch. has been the great
EST producer of placer gold within the
Copper river basin, having yielded more
han one and half MILLIONS of dollars.
It's gold is derived from mineralized
lrea in slate Diorite intrusive rocks
ire present and in these respects the
deposits resemble those of Valdez creek.
L is believed. however, that the slate
If Valdez creek is younger, although
he diorite intrusives are probably %
he same or nearly the same age. TIE
iNHtsA Rpiu uepOslls VI Dldle Cfteh aHu
Miller gulch are approaching exhaustion
Ind the camp has reached that stage
where its future will depend on the in
reduction of more economical means of
mining than have been used in the
,ast.
A copy of the report may be oh
aimed free on application to the Direc-
or of the Geological Survey, Washing
on. ID. c.