The Alaska citizen., 1916-09-18

try. one of the oldest mining camps i'll interior Alaska, and still one Of the least developed on account of it's distance to the north from all i transportation highways, yet bids fair to be the greatest gold produc- ing camp in Alaska. For, although the gTayels of it's principal streams have been worked for many years, prospecting work is going on, and finds of more or less importance are still being made.
 0. E. Williams, a prominent Koy- ukuk mining man, is one of those who predict big future for the 1 koyukuk country. He went Out 1 side from the Koyukuk on the last l tlip of the steamer Reliance, and will spend the winter at Oakland California, returning north in the i spring to resume his mining opera tions. He says that developments now under way in the northern camp and the encouraging prospects ] encountered would indicate that the i population 0i the great mining dis trIct lying north of the Arctic cir l cIe will te increased three fold within the very near future.
 The one big drawback to the i northern camp, according to Mr. N illiams, is the excessive cost of the transportation Of supplies. Bet ties, on the koyukuk river, is the head of navigation for steamers, and from there on up to Wiseman. the center of mining activity, distance of 80 miles by river, the freight is transported by horse scoWs at a cost of seven cents per pound. the cost in winter by dog team for the same distance being eight cents per pound. From Wise man to Hammond river and Nolan creek the two chief producing miles, yet the cost of freightlng to the mines is six cents per pound, owing the almost total absence of passable roads. In fact, all of the summer freighting to the mines is done by one man with a ona-horse wagon from 800 to 700 pounds only being hauled at one load.
 All of the roads and trails, which the koyukuk country possesses were built by the miners and freighters themselves They feel, however, that they are entitled to road at the hands of the government, ac- cording to MT, Williams. And feel ing as they do, some of the people of the Koyukuk have started an agitation for a road from COldfoot toward the Chandlar country, which, it is claimed, would connect with the Alaska Road commission trail already constructed from Beaver on the Yukon river, to the Chandlar country, within distance of 75 miles and through country where it is not difficult to construct trails It is pointed out that such trail would be a distinct advantage to the miners of the Koyukuk country
 But the lack of transportation ia cilities is not the only drawback presented to those who mine in the kOyukuk country. For summer min ing operations are hampered by a lack of water for sluicing. Winter dumps can always be rushed through with the first water which comes but during the hot summer months most of the creeks of the district go dry.
 Representatives of large Outside capital who have been sizing up the country for some time past have found opportunity where others have failed to see it, and have secured options on considerable (more than 300 acres) bench ground on the left limit of Nolan creek, owned by Pingel, Collins and Williams. They propose constructing a 32 inch pipe line for a distance of approximately 24 miles, which will make hydraulic operations on a large scale possible all through the summer months, and will a long felt want in the district The source of supply will be either Hammond river or the north fork of the Koyukuk, with the chances in favor of the latter, owing to the larger supply avail able. The other streams available will not be chosen, owing to their liability to go dry during the hot test part of the summer, when the water is the miners greatest need. The scheme does not pre- sent any great engineering difficult ty uncommon to such lines of en- 1eayor Surveys of the proposed route will be made early in the spring, as socn as it is possible to undertake such work.
 MT. Williams estimates the out nut of the Koyukuk country for the summer at near $5O0,0O0 Oi this amount approximately $307 900 ius already been a counted for The latter estimate of the output was