The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-09-30
COEUR DALENERS SPENT
THE SUMMER IN ALASKA
TALKS ENTERTAINMENT OF FAR
NoRTH-sAYs COUNTRY HAS
A GREAT FUTURE.

w. 3. (Tom) Wilkinson Is in the
city, having arrived the first of the
week from his home in Walla Walla.
Mr.. Wilkinson is an old-time Occur
ld'Alener, but has not made his home
here for many years. He was en-
Iployed In the mines and mills at Muir
ray in the days of old, the days of
gold" and was afterwards employed
in the mines at Wardner. He is meet
ing many old friends here and will
meet many more at Wardner and KEEL
logo, where he goes today. In COM
owners of the Guelph, he visited that
property yesterday. Fol- many years
Mr.. Wilkinson has devoted much of
his time to prospecting, and only q
second trip to the interior of Alaska
In quest of the yellow metal. In 1899
he discovered the Wild Rose mine at
Pierce, from the operation and sale
OF which he derived a competency and
which enables him to devote much
time each year to prospecting, an oc-
l%cupation to which he is naturally in
clined and which he follows with ex-
%ceptional energy and intelligence. He
has penetrated the vast mountain
ranges of British Columbia, the rug
ged barriers of central Idaho, the bar
rem wastes of Nevada, the golden
OlIfnhAS nf TNa1tFAsa IL 49,
sands of Death Valley, and now the
lure of gold has called him to the gla-
ciers of Alaska.
In company with S. S. Henderson
and w. E. Tibbs. Mr.. Wilkinson went
to Alaska last May. He landed at
Seward and from there crossed over
to Tyonook, an Indian village at the
head of Cooks inlet, from which place
he went to the Hama lake country. He
found evidences of placer gold in many
places, but the ground is generally
flat and in the summer so saturated
with water that 1t is impossible to
prospect to any extent. He found
much copper, but the distance from
transportation and the great difficulty
to be overcome in the construction of
railroads renders the deposits practic-
ally worthless. Last year he discov-
cred a large and promising gold ledge
which he located and which he ex-
poets to be able to handle successful
ly, as 1t Is within a mile of tidewater.
He also reports large beds of coal
been discovered in that sec
tion.
The scattering population of Alas
ka. long distances between towns and
lack of means of transportation have
combined to make it necessary to
adopt unusual means in order to give
people the benefit of justice dis
pensed by the courts. Mr.. Wilkinson
describes what is locally called the
Floating court" as a system which is
we'll adapted to the condition of the
-erritory. Instead of limiting formal {
of civil and criminal cases tn
terms of court at Valdez. the
headquarters for the particular dis :
riot visited by Mr.. wilkinson, the c
Judge goes to the people involved in
meshes Of the law and tries the g
on the ground, whether it be u n
or civil action. Most of the a
.rlminal cases tried in this way are
.gainst Indians, and in civil actions a T.
Of important mining cases E
ave been tried and settled by this E
court without the delay and e
incident to such litigation in p
he states. But the trials in the C
floating court" are mostly criminal c
nd the accused generally Indians, and y
Indian wife of a white man is G
sually the official interpreter for the d
ourt. II
Mr.. Wilkinson says Alaska is al -
lady feeling the benefits OF the y q
railroad which will soon be G.
nder construction. This road will "
at Seward and extend t. the g,
NOUS coal fields and thence to Gt
airbanks, a distance of about 500 q
lies. Docks to provide terminal fla ~,
are now being constructed at II,
ward by the government, and as a HI
suit of this activity during tae 1885, III
" months Seward has been trans IT.
rmed from a dead town of weather IA
Urn buildings into a modern city If Ha
wards of 1000 people, with concrete M
'lks, paved streets, up-to-date bust. 'Iol
SIS establishments and attractive Ka
mes. The building of this railroad Ko
,ne government is going TO work a Lei
AT transformation in Alaska, in Mi
opinion of Mr.. Wilkinson, attract Mo
attention to the great milieral ard Me
Ter resources of the territo'v and No No
king them more accessible for pro- Nc
BILE development. Nc.
Nc.
"