Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-07-20
GOLD SHIPPED
IN BRICK FORM
FROM ALASKA
MINING AND FISHING TWO OF
THE GREAT INDUSTRIES OF
THE FAR WEST
BARABOO TRAVELLERS
SEE QUEER SIGNS
Fat Lady Causes Amusement-Shir
Officer Offers To Handle
Her as Freight
(By H. E. Cole)

| The two great industries Of Alaska
are mining and fishing, and Juneau is
one of the centers of the former. The
big Treadwell mine is just across the
inlet from the capital and the big
stamp mill is tearing down noun
tain to obtain the gold. This ore is
of low grade and costs about S1.20
ton to mine and extract the gold. The
ore is first crushed and then stamped
until very fine; after which it passes
through water and the gold is extract
ed. 1t costs but $1.20 to obtain the
gold from ton of ore, and about 1000
tons of ore pass through the mill ev-
cry day, Sundays included. The mine
ceases operations but two days each
year, the Fourth of July and Christ
mas. The profit from each ton of ore
runs all the way from SO cents to ST.
| If the profit we're but SO cents ton,
and 1000 tons were reduced every day
| it will be seen the mine would yield
! the owners a vast sum in time. At
/ this mine is the celebrated "glory
hole," where million dollars came
, out in short time The rock COM
menced to slide, several men were
killed, and the hole had to be aban-
doned. The cavity does not look to
be larger than barn, but is looked
upon with longing eyes by thousands
of visitors.
Just across from the Treadwell mine
is another mine which reduces the ore
by the roller process and the cost is
but 80 cents a ton. This is much
cheaper than the stamping process,
and the Treadwell mine expects to
change soon, the cheapness in cost
paying the difference in about two
years. These mines have enough ore
in sight to last from forty to eighty
years and in that time whole noun
tains, almost, will be converted into
silt and deposited in the bay. -
Gold in Bricks
All this gold goes to Seattle and the
shipments are SO regular and usual
that nothing is thought about it, The
bricks are placed in safes owned by
the express company, and the safes
are lowered into the hold of the ship.
We are told the safes were always
placed in the same position in all the
ships, so that in case Of disaster a
diver could go down and bring up the
gold. One of the mines brings out a
million year, and the Juneau district
is said to be the largest grade ore
district in the world
The finding of big nuggets does not /
often occur now. There are some who
continue to prospect and mine with a
small seive or other methods, but the
ground has been fairly well explored.
The seasons are so short, the cost Of
living so high, and the results so un-
certain, that none but those who love
adventure are spending their time in
seeking a fortune in this way. Many
difficulties must be overcome and lives
are often lost. Back from the coast
| the ground is frozen to the bed rock,
,, thirty or more feet below the surface,
! and never thaws. It has been frozen
solid for ages. In order to obtain the
gold the ground must be thawed and
other difficulties met. Fortunes have
! been made and are still being made,
but the most Of these are by the big
interests.
Gate to Klondike
Skagway sometimes spelled Skag-
uay) means the place Of winds. It
was once the mecca of the throngs
L that rushed to Alaska during the gold
stampede, but it has settled down with
an atmosphere the same as any other
place of the size. The dance hall is
gone, the saloon is gone, the gambler
lis gone, and save for the tourist or
through traveller, the place is very
Iquiet. There are empty houses and
comparatively quiet streets. A rail-
road extends from Skagway to White
Horse on the upper waters Of the.