The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-10-29
STORIES OF COLD
FROM ALASKA
Shushanna Region Promises a
Rich Yield.
GOOD PAY; NO FACILITIES.

Expected That Fully Three Hundred
of the Three Thousand New Settlers
Will Spend Winter In Klondiks.
Seattle Word came out of Alaska
on July 10 last that new and star
tlingly rich gold strike had been made
on the extreme upper reaches OF the
Tanana strike which might rival
the Klondike in Importance The new
region was referred to as the Shu-
shanna, though the Biographies call
the river Chisana. pronouncing the
"ch" soft
The Seattle newspapers and the
news gathering agencies adopted the
word Shushanna. however, and by that
name the region is now known. This
new camp lies northwest Of the famous
Bonanza copper mine at Kennecott,
the terminus of the Copper river aud
Northwestern railroad. and is reached
| by very difficult. hazardous and try
| ing trail over Scolai pass, 125 miles
from the rail line.
1t can be reached by way of Daw,
son and by way of White Horse and
White river, as we'll as via Cordoya
and the Copper river railroad The
three routes offer little choice ia the
| matter Of freedom from hardship.
Immediately following the news OF
the strike stampede for the new
| diggings began Most OF those who
went were seasoned prospectors and
veterans Of the north country The
number might aggregate 5000. The
number who actually reached the camp
cannot have exceeded 1000. Only 30C
| will winter there.
| Pay has been found on Bonanza
| Little El Dorado. Gold Run and Snow
| Gulch. These streams are all tribu
| talies of Wilson and Johnson creeks
| two of the main sources of the Shu
| shanna or Chisana river. The ChiSan;'
and Nabesna are the sources of the
| Tanana.
The James claims yielded about 400
ounces OF gold up to August last and
the Whitman claims about 100 ounces
The total for the district for the sea.
son is probably in excess of $4,000, n
small yield. yet most promising when
it is considered that no one had more
| than length or two OF sluice boxes
and but little water.
The gravel is shallow up around the
discovery claims and the gold coarse
Down the creeks the gravel deposits
h.A
thawed. There is but little wood near
the scene of the discoveries, and, as
steam plants will not be available until
transportation is extended to the re
gion, no frozen ground can even be
prospected this winter.
i Discovery was made in June last by
w T. James, who had spent fifteer
years on the headwaters of White, Shu
shanna and Nabesna rivers prospecting
for quartz. Wonderful deposits Of cop
lper exist on all these streams, and bott
the Copper river and White Pass rail
roads have made extensive reconnois
sances and surveys in this region Hen
Try Bratnober and his agents have beer
active there also 1t was copper anC
not the possibility Of gold placers which
attracted prospectors to the Shushanns
region.
Another man hunting the red meta
was Carl Whitman. He was the sec
ond locator on the new placer field. III,
did not get started quite so early a!
James and did not make so good {
showing, the James ground yieldin,
about $4,000 this season. while Whit
ham took out only $4,000 Other pro
ducing claims were those worked b,
| Fletcher Hamshaw and Joe MeLennon
Il 1t was an Indian who told james
that gold existed on the Shushann;
,, creeks, high up above timber line
James verified the report, and he an,
his partner were soon taking out tn
yellow metal 1t was not an uncom
mon days work with three men an,
, two lengths Of sluice box to wash u
$4,000 A piece Of ground two fee
deep, eighty feet long and sixteen fee
wide yielded 35S ounces of eighteel
dollar gold. or more than $4,000.
II 1t was this phenomenal richnes
which started stampeders from al
parts Of Alaska to the scene. makin
| one of the most interesting rushes 0
. recent years. The trail requires te
! days for experienced mushers to nego
tiate from the end of the railroad t
!. the scene of the strike.
Mrs. Grace Bostwick. who, with he
q daughter, was the first woman owe
: the trail, writes of life in the ney
!. camp She says
IL 'One lives close to nature. for that
> certainly all one has to live close Il
a Nerves are unknown, and livers ar
a not objects of suspicion. Health stop
: Mt every campfire to call out greeting
: The worries OF outside life slip away
| Pit by hif varv nafilrallY one drnrI