Iditarod pioneer., 1916-07-01
DnEDGE;S| COMING
Editazod Bids Fair to Beco1ne the Center of Operations fer an Increased Number of E7od-
 egn filming Machines

Il begins to look as though this district and immediate vicinity were to become the center cf an immense dredging industry. The costly methods of placer mining by which the rich deposits of Tat Otter aa! other creeks formerly were mined are g:y- ing place to the u0ndCr0us d-edge with its wonderful effectiveness and economical op- eratcn, and the success which has attended the operations of the dred-es already iA- stalled have tuned the eyes of the operators 10 this modern method of mining. There are many creeks in this distrc; which could be successfully mined by means of dreige which otherwise might remain undeTelcFaJ.
 Many !n4uires fer Dredges
 Last winter che Of the Seattle newspapers noted the fact that there had been mere in quirv from Western Alaska as to the cost of installation and operation of dredges than e!er before and it was intimated that sev- eTai new ones were to be installed, although the locations were not given Recently The Pioneer announced that dredga was to be installed on CanGle creek. in the Kus50- l,wim district, and it iS said that the ma chine Is now on it's WGy to the scene of its future operations, to be installed during the coming winter. Fer several years past there has been tslk of installing Gredges in the Ophir district, and 1t now appears that ar rangements are we'll under way for placing enc of the machines cn Yankee creek, where options have been taken upon extensive areas.
 A Prospective Installation
 It has been whispered around for some time that dredge is to be in,talIed on a promising creek near the center of the dis trict which has developed extensive depos it's of low grade grayels, and while nothing definite can be learned, 1t would not be at al surprising were the news made public al any time It is known that options have been secured recently by wsll-lsnown oper atCrs on many of the claims on this un- named creek and it is said their intention is to install the dredge in the near future
 New Dredye for Otter Creek
 At the present time there is a dredge in transit to this district for installation on Otter creek or some one of its tributaries. 1t is said to be expected at Dikeman at any moment, if it is not already there, and is to be operated by Riley & Marston or one of the subsidiary partnerships of that firm. Last fall considerable new ground was ac- quired by that wel-known mining firm, the holdings of James ChroniSter and Gas per Ellingen being included. It is thought probable that the ground so acquired is to be worked by the new dredge. No informs tion is obtainable as to the size or capacity of the machine, but it is said to be small dredge of the pattern now operated by Riley & Marston and using fuel oil or distillate. It is said that it will be installed immedl- ately.
 UnexpIainabIe Secrecy
 One of the features of all these reported | developments is the unexplainable secrecy maintained in connection with them. In 1 most new countries, and especially in min ing communities news of contemplated developments are heralded to the world as an evidence of the faith which capital | has in the country and its resources. Not so in this district, however It cannot be that the modesty of the operators is re sponsible for this, as none of them is known | to be of meek and lowly disposition But | the fact remains that the mining news of the Iditarod district is guarded by the men who put their capital, energy and brains into their operations as though it repre- sented some state secret, the revelation of which would mean death and destruction to the one who allowed the press to gain = :+;,,o-i0n of wh o+ ,uac pOiOU or,