THE ALASKAN GOLD FIELDS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY OFFER FOR CAPITAL AND LABOR.

BY SAM. C. DUNHAM.

[Bulletin No. 16, the issue for May, 1898, contained an article under the above title by Mr. Samuel C. Dunham, an agent of this Department, giving the results of a personal investigation in the mining districts of the Yukon Valley and adjoining territory. Mr. Dunham has since returned to Washington, and supplements his former statement with the following report of his later investigations from January 8 to August 1, 1898. He acknowledges his indebtedness to Mr. John D. McGillivray for valuable information.-C. D. W.]

The ice in the Yukon broke at Circle City on May 12, but the river at that point was not free of running ice until the 19th, when small boats began to arrive from upriver points. This date found the community with food supplies sufficient to last until the arrival of the first steamboats, although there was a scarcity of some articles, such as canned fruits and condensed milk. Moose meat was scarce during the carly part of the winter, and sold as high as $2 per pound, but later it became plentiful, selling as low as 50 cents per pound. On January 10 there were about 200 people in the town, but a month later the population had increased to 350 through arrivals from Fort Yukon and Dawson, while at the break-up of the river there were less than 150 people there, large numbers having departed in March for Dawson and many having gone to the Birch Creek mines to prepare for summer work.

About 350 men passed the greater part of the winter at Fort Yukon, and many of these were engaged a large portion of the time in cutting wood for the two commercial companies. They received $5 per cord,

and cut about 6,500 cords. Eighteen men from Fort Yukon spent two or three months in prospecting on the Upper Porcupine and Salmon rivers, returning in April or May, and reporting that nothing had been found. A party of twelve went to the southward on a prospecting trip in the Beaver River country, and had not returned up to June 27. It is therefore impossible to verify the current rumors relative to rich strikes on that stream and its tributaries. Twenty-one went to the head waters of the Gens de Large River, a stream emptying into the Yukon from the north about 30 miles below Fort Yukon, and from there crossed over to the headwaters of the Koyukuk. They reported that good prospects were found on numerous tributaries of the Koyukuk, but no ground of unusual richness was found. The diggings are about 400 miles from the mouth of the stream, and can be reached by small steamers. During the latter part of the winter a few men left Fort Yukon for Minook, and a large number went to Circle City and Dawson, so that by June 6 there were but ninety people, exclusive of Indians, in the town, and all but ten or twelve of these left for upriver points during June.

There was considerable sickness at Fort Yukon, and the small hospital was full nearly all winter, three deaths occurring. There were fifteen men who were too old or feeble to work, their ages ranging from 55 to 70 years. Much sickness prevailed among the Indians, principally of a pulmonary character, and there were nineteen deaths between August 1, 1897, and June 1, 1898.

A record of the temperature last winter and spring at Fort Yukon, which is just within the Arctic Circle, shows that the average temperature for December was 8 degrees below zero; January, 24 degrees below; February, 29 degrees below; March, 6 degrees above; April, 36 degrees above; May, 49 degrees above. The coldest day was January 16, when the thermometer registered 62 degrees below zero. The longest period of continuous low temperature was from February 14 to 23, inclusive, the thermometer showing for the ten days the following readings below zero: 40, 48, 52, 521, 42, 52, 54, 42,56,38. While dwellers in more salubrious climates will no doubt read these figures with a shiver, the old-timers are unanimous in saying that the winter of 1897-98 was the mildest ever known in Northern Alaska. Be this as it may, the weather on the Yukon last winter, on account of the dryness of the atmosphere and the absence of winds, was almost uniformly pleasant. A temperature of 50 degrees below zero there brings no more discomfort than 30 degrees below in the Dakotas. The writer has experienced far more disagreeable weather in Minnesota and Montana than that which prevailed last winter at Circle City.

The principal interest in mining on the Yukon still centers in the Klondike district, but there was considerable activity during the winter on the American side. A number of stampedes from Dawson to the Forty Mile, American Creek, and Seventy Mile districts occurred, and all of the old creeks in those districts were restaked, while many

new creeks were located and to some extent prospected. The most notable developments were on streams near the head of Forty Mile, the best results being shown by Chicken Creek, which enters Forty Mile about 125 miles from its mouth. Discovery claim on Chicken Creek is reported to have produced $70,000 during the season, only five men. being employed. Dome Creek, in American territory, has shown $4 to the pan. Large areas of placer ground on Forty Mile and its tributaries were located in 20-acre claims for hydraulic purposes, quite a number of associations of eight persons taking up 160-acre tracts, as they are allowed to do under the United States mining laws. Many claims thus relocated have in the past produced from $6 to $10 per day to the man, but were abandoned for the richer ground on the Klondike, and it is the opinion of experts that large returns will be obtained under hydraulic processes. Several companies have made contracts for the introduction of hydraulic machinery, and it is probable that during the season of 1899 a thorough test will be made of the possibilities in this direction. The output for the past season is estimated at $200,000. Several hundred men ascended Forty Mile during the spring, and in the latter part of June prospectors were passing up the stream at the rate of fifty per day. As most of those entering the district are practical miners and fairly well outfitted, it is safe to predict that Forty Mile will show a large output as the result of the coming season's work. The American Creek district was thoroughly prospected last winter and a great deal of development work was done, but it was impossible to secure any accurate data in regard to the output. It is reported that some claims yielded 3 ounces per day to the man. Several claims have been sold at prices ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. of Mission Creek, of which stream American Creek is a tributary, a town known as Eagle City has sprung up during the past few months, and on June 25 there were about 300 people there, living principally in tents. A number of substantial log houses have been built, and many more are in course of construction. This is the natural distributing point for the Forty Mile district, there being a short portage over a low divide, and the mines at the head of Seventy Mile can also be reached from American Creek. The commercial companies are establishing trading posts at Eagle City with a view of supplying the American Creek, Forty Mile, and Seventy Mile diggings. Capt. P. H. Ray, U. S. A., located a military reservation at Eagle City in February last, and has recommended the establishment of a post there.

At the mouth

Much prospecting and some development work have been done in the Seventy Mile district. Over forty new creeks have been staked, the locations numbering over a thousand. A few sales are reported at small prices. Old timers have great faith in the future of Seventy Mile, and hundreds of men will try their luck in the district the coming year. A town site has been located at the mouth of Seventy Mile Creek, and the place is known as Star City. A number of buildings were in course

of construction there June 25 and the town contained a population of about 250.

The Birch Creek district, for which Circle City is the distributing point, still maintains its position as the richest and most productive gold field on the American side. A score or more of the owners of Birch Creek claims returned from Dawson during the winter and worked their properties in a limited way, the scarcity of miners and supplies making it impossible to operate the mines to their full capacity. Early in June the owners of two adjoining claims on Mastodon Creek sent requisitions to their agents in Circle City for 200 miners for summer work, but they were able to secure the services of only 8 or 10 men. At that time about 350 men were at work in the district, and it is estimated that the output will reach $500,000, half of this product coming from Mastodon. Eagle Creek has produced some dumps which washed up $2.50 to the bucket or 50 cents to the pan. A rich discov ery was made during the winter on the North (or Miller) Fork of Eagle Creek, prospects showing as high as $2 to the pan. Many 20-acre claims have been located in the district for hydraulic purposes, and a number of properties have been bonded, sales of this nature having been made at prices ranging from $5,000 to $40,000. Wages remain at $1 per hour.

Coal Creek, 50 miles above Circle City, was thoroughly prospected during the winter, and was staked for 30 miles. While no large pay was found, the creek promises well for hydraulic operations. This statement is also true of many creeks in the American Creek and Seventy Mile districts.

On April 16 a discovery was made on Jefferson Creek, a small stream coming into the Yukon from the eastward about 4 miles above Circle City. The discovery was made about 8 miles from the mouth of the creek, 13 cents being found in the first pan washed. A stampede immediately followed, and within two days the creek was staked from its mouth to its source, a distance of 16 miles, and many of the tributaries were also staked. Some attempt has been made to boom this creek, but up to June 25 no pay had been found, although a shaft had been sunk to bed rock, the prospectors employed in this work reporting that they did not find a color.

About twenty Birch Creek miners left the district in midwinter on a prospecting trip to the Tanana River, whence marvelous tales of rich placer ground have come for several years. They struck the stream about 150 miles southwest of Circle City, and sank several holes to bed rock, but found nothing. It is reported that a party of prospectors who reached the headwaters of the Tanana by way of Forty Mile Creek found good pay on several small creeks, but these reports lack confirmation.

The Minook district shows very satisfactory developments as the result of last winter's work. Three or four steamboats, having several

hundred passengers aboard, were caught in the ice last fall in that vicinity, and a town known as Rampart City sprang up at the mouth of Minook Creek, about 50 miles above the Tanana. The town, which is well built, had a population during the winter of four or five hundred, many of whom thoroughly prospected quite a number of the principal creeks in the district. No ground of value has been opened up on Minook Creek. Little Minook, which enters Minook Creek about 8 miles from the Yukon, has proved to be the best creek in the district. There are about thirty claims on the creek, each 1,000 feet in length, and most of them paid wages. From No. 6 to No 10, inclusive, the claims are rich, so far as developed. No. 8 produced $30,000 from 45 feet of ground. This output was the result of five months' work by two men. Nos. 6 and 9 are also very rich. On Hunter Creek, 2 miles nearer the Yukon, coarse gold has been found all along the creek. Two men on No. 1, above Discovery, shoveled in for a short time from the rim. rock, 10 feet above the bed of the creek, and averaged $20 each per day for the time employed. There is pay in the benches along Hunter Creek. Quail Creek, which is near the head of Hunter Creek, was discovered late in the season, and 15 or 20 men are working there. The ground is shallow, making good summer diggings. Prospects running from 25 to 40 cents to the pan have been found. On Julia, Leonora, Miller, Hoosier, Gold Pan, and Chapman creeks, all of which run into Minook parallel with Little Minook, coarse gold has been found. The claims have not been worked, but simply represented. About April 10, 1898, a discovery was made on the hillside above No. 9, on Little Minook, and within a few days $1.60 to the pan was obtained. There was immediately a stampede, and the hilltops between Little Minook and the Yukon were all staked. This formation is similar to that on the hills between Eldorado Creek and Skookum Gulch in the Klondike district. It is supposed to be an old river bed or glacier channel, and can be distinctly traced for miles by the bowlders and the gravel shown on the surface. With a crude rocker $67.50 was taken out in six hours, and the hillside claims have yielded nuggets weighing from $4 to $8 each. Work is being prosecuted there now. The claims are 1,000 by 660 feet. Surface water is utilized in the spring for washing up the dumps. Minook gold is coarse and very pure, the returns of the Seattle assay office showing that it mints $19.50 per ounce. The largest nugget taken out in the Minook district during the winter weighed $184. A great many nuggets were found, the owner of No. 8 on Little Minook having taken out $3,500 in nuggets weighing from $6 to $60 each. There are a great many creeks in the district which have not been staked or prospected. Several quartz locations have been recorded, but they have not been proved to be of value. The ore is refractory, selected specimens assaying as high as $200 per ton. There is plenty of wood on every creek for cabins and firewood, while there is an abundance of water and sufficient grade for sluicing. The