Iditarod pioneer., 1916-10-07
THIS YEARS GOLD OUTPUT
 HAY EXCEED LAST YEARS
 IF WEATHER IS PROPITiOUS

The 1916 mining season in the ldtarOd district is rapidly drewing to a close, but 1t is possible that with present weather c0ndl- ticns work On several properties will con tinue until the middle of the month. Heavy frcsts have been experienced during the past week at the Happy and Chicken creek workings. and operations have been consid- erably intcrfcred with; but there has been an abundance of water, and Gt last ac- counts there bad been no shutdown.
 On Willow creek the plant of Frank Man ley is practically closed down, the small force of men still working being engaged in cleaning up operations. The drag line scraper was put out of commission early ill the week Jonas Brewis is still working on this creek
 Dave Strandberg, at the Up-Grade, at the head of Flat creek, Is working full blast, ard with better water supply than at any time during the season, he Is handling an immense amount of dirt He expects to be running until the 20th of the present month if conditions remain favorable.
 The Yukon Gold CJmpany's dredge on Flat creek, has made rapid progress toward tie mouth of the creek during the season, and is now approaching the town of Flat. This dredge usually operates until late ln November, and doubtless will do so this year
 Bates & Co.,. on Otter creek. closed down for tke sesson during the week and there is little mining being done there except by the C!redge of Riley & Co. George Riley ex- pected to have his new ciredge at the mouth of Black creek working by the first of the month, in spite of the fact that some cf the machine parts had not arrived from the Outside; but he was delayed by the little annoyances incident to the starting of new machinery. The boat has been in the water for some time past, and during the week the machinery has been under test. It probably will be in running order by the time this appears and will continue in operation until extreme cold weather makes Iredg2;ng unproitable The Otter creek .iredge has been running continuously dur ing the season with the exception of short time required for the installation of the new semi De;ssel engines, which are tremendous success and as fuel-sayers have exceeded expectations.
 But little has been heard in Iditarod re- gently from the Ophir district, but at last accounts work was being carried on under favorable conditions, with a prospect of an increased output Trails are not passable at present, and travel by the water route has been light since the early part of the season.
 The same is true of Candle, Moore, Donln and other creeks where work has been go ing on during the past season But little will be heard from them until after the freeZe-up.
 Output of the District
 While it is too early to give figures on the product of the Iditarod district for the past year, there is every indication that it will equal if not excel, that of 1915. A dry spell during the summer threatened to ma terally reduce the output but 1t did not last long, and the copious rains of the past month have enabled the hill miners to do some heavy work, so that what promised to be a poor season will no doubt prove to be one of more than average production.
 To those of pessimistic turn of mind regarding the future of the camp there IS lesson in the figures of the production ot the Iditarod district. The tearing down ot buildings in the town of Iditarod which have lain idle, to provide lumber for new camps, seems to have conveyed to men ot little observation the idea that the ldltarod district as gold producer is on its last legs As a matter of fact the reverse is true and instead of decreasing, the product ot the camp for the past three years has steadily increased.
 The product of the Iditarod district for 1913 was less than s2,OO0,000. That of 1914 was s2,O58, ,39O.4o, and that of 1915 was s2,21O,0O0 For 1916 the probabilities are that it will reach two and a quarter millions. This prediction is based upon the fact, that seems to be well established that the shipments of gold from the camp during the navigation season just closing was con siderably higher than during the open sea son last year.
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