The Chitina leader., 1915-10-19
DRILLS NEEDED CH|SANA TO
 PROSPECT

Editor Daily Times:
 would like to give you few facts about the conditions in the Shushan- ma.
 The work has ceased and the camp | is abandoned, with the exception of I some fifty or sixty people, who will re- main and prospect this winter. These fifty or sixty people still have con- fidence in the camp. We are all glad the most of the no-good element and knockers are gone. A great many men came into the country with a good grubstake, but made no use of it 2. I can mention a number of them who never left the cabin, and many more who have never seen Bonanza, Eldo- rado or any other creeks in the dis trict; who sold their outfits and hit the trail, and it has made great diff ference in the feeling of those were trying to do something. Everyone was glad to be see the "misfit" go. have spent many, many years all over | Alaska, but the element who stam> peded to Shusanna were the oldest bunch have ever seen. Among them came sneak thieves and hold-up men from Dawson, pimps and tinhorn gam blers from Fairbanks, cache breakers and murderers from Nome, etc. The riff raff of rotteness from all parts of Alaska and the outside took refuge in the little camp of Shushanna and lived and thrived, robbed cabins and caches, committed depredations and murder; jumped claims and brought about liti- gation and trouble for the rightful owner. But now we are almost clear of this element; they have gone down | the river or over the hump of ice that that separates us from outside hu- manity,th people remaining here are now getting their winters meat. But they have to go fifty miles further now than they the first year on ac- count of the havoc wrought by the would be" hunter who would go out and cripple sheep, caribou and moose and leave them to wander away and die. The cost of provisions in Shu- shanna has been a vital subject, and only can be overcome with the de- velopment of the country. We have had no assistance whatever in way of building trails and bridges only indi- ! vidually, and about 100 miles of rough mountainous, glacial country separates us from the nearest point of transportation.
 The past season has been very dry, no rain at all even Bonanza was short of water for slucing, only on the lower end. The James-Nelson people are installing a large hydraulic plant on Bonanza and expect to operate exten- sively next summer. The "pay" gold that has been taken out of the district so far, was taken with very little min ing, the ground on Bonanza, Little and Big Eldorado cts. all being shallow. The outlook for Big Eldorado is good and almost the entire creek has been let out on lays for next season.
 ] Now comes our great want. Shu- shanna district lies in that great allu- vial belt. This great belt reaching out across Alaska and Yukon terri tories has produced countless millions l in placers and quartz etc. and as a matter of fact less than two fifths of | this great country lies unexplored. Getting back to Shushanna what we need here, is assistance. This is big country with 25 or 30 fine big creeks with fine wash gravel that will pan to within a few feet of surface. But on no creek in the district, except Bonan- ga and Eldorados, has a hole been put to bedrock. Alder, Johnson, Trail. Rabbit, Ruby, Notch, Copper, Lime, Powell, Wilson, Bryan, and msny more with put single hole to bedrock-Why? Simply because it costs too much for foodstuffs and freight, and not many men in camp who ever get the money together at one time, to buy enough grub to last them while he puts a hole to bedrock.
 On Alder creek two holes are down over hundred feet, but owing to the lack of pumps and other facilities for taking care of the water these had to be abandoned.
 MT. Capps, geologist of wide re-
 pute says Alder is one of the ancient channels and deserves a fighting chance as do all the old channels and in all probability when Alder creek has