The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-06-11

Seward Peninsula in 1929 and 1880. using plane. When likely looking country was sighted, he landed and banned out gravel in the most promising streams. He reported he found "colors' in many places, and often in sufficient quantity in his judgment to warrant more thorough exploration.
 Convinced it was a job for which certain types of aircraft were es- pecially suited, he undertook to work out a program to that end He found his backing in Detroit and the present expedition is the result of his work of financing and organization in that city.
 Aided by Newspaper
 He frankly admits his success in that undertaking was made possible by newspaper-the De- troit News which, last March, sent one of it's planes, The Detroit News No. 1, to an undesignated region somewhere north of Car cross. A. M Smith with Mitchell, and Pilot Frank Byerly, all of whom are with the present expe- dition, made the flight. "Stam- pede" John StenbTaten was picked up at Carcross and also went to district. J. H. Eastman and J. w. Painter, Detroit, also accompanied the expedition, MT. Stenbraten came here sometime ago at MT Mitchell's request and has been connected with the plans until to- day when he announced he would not accompany the party to the field.
 They studied the country, banned gravel and, after spending several days on number of creeks, Smith made his report to his paper. The plane with Mitchell, Eastman and Painter, returned to Detroit. Smith remained in the north and has been here since that time.
 The report of this survey smoothed out the financing" MT. Mitchell said today. The Detroit News, however, has no financial interest in the company.
 First Objective Yukon
 Mitchell admitted the first ob- jective is somewhere" in the Yu- LyoY, rarrito,-, D,,t 4too+ ie o l1;, country and as he pointed out, "Airplanes can go fast and far ' However, enroute here MT. East man is reported iii press dispatch es received by The Empire to have said the party was headed for Scurvy Creek, which lies east of Wolf Lake and flows into the Lizard River from the south. He was also quoted as saying it would pros pect north from here and would eventually go to the Great Bear Lake
 Mitchell himself was silent on that point. Generally, it is be- lieved by local prospectors and mining men who have studied that section of the Northwest from of ficial Canadian government geo. graphical reports and have talked about it with those who have seen the country, that the party will head directly for the upper Liard River watershed. Geologically it is regarded as favorable for placer deposits, and it is an ideal country for the use of such aircraft as is used by the Detroit company.
 Many Reports Circulated
 As is usual when any consider able number of men band together to go into any new mining area many stampede rumors" have been in circulation here for several days Stories of a rich strike, all oi which have failed of confirmation have been whispered. Out of one hole, enough gold was washed ir a single day to pay for one oi the planes" was one true" yer sion of the origin of the eXpedi- tion. Others were more conserva- tive, but still highly favored, and all to the effect that another Klon- dike was in the making.
 These have been lent some col or by the purchase of supplies anc equipment here, aIi by the ever growing number of men coming here mostly from Detroit to make the trip. Gold pans were in de l mand, so much so that local out filters strocks were quickly ex.