method of meiting the frozen earth After gold is discovered, the miners cut down a Present quantity of timber, and then they burn a hole, or rather two holes, about 6 feet long by 4 feet wide, putting in two fires in each hole during the day. Each of these fires will probably burn out about 8 inches of dirt. The Marvellous richness of Klondyke. From the "Bullionist," 18th October, 1897. in order to mine it. A poet "dazzled The news from Klondike is of a mingled character, but nothing could be more emphatic than statements contained in the New York papers within the last few days as to the enormous quantities of gold obtainable in the neighbourhood. In a dispatch received by the Journal of that city from Mr. Joaquin Miller, the wellknown American poet, who writes from El Dorado at Klondyke, Gulch, Klondike, he says that "he has been fairly dazzled with gold." He describes in detail sixteen rich claims, several yielding over 80,000 dollars per foot. One owned by Captain Ellis, of California, yields over 1,000 dollars per pan, or 10,000 dollars every 24 hours. That gentleman showed Mr. Miller three bags, each containing 50 lb. of gold dust, also numerous oyster and tomato cans and old boxes filled with gold dust, and invited Mr. Miller and others who were present to help to help themthemselves. The latter remarked: "Wherever we go nuggets. we find men with heaps of gold." On Sunday the New York Herald published a communication from Sitka, in the adjoining American territory of Alaska, announcing that marvellous gold discoveries had been made in Cook Another Inlet in the same region. The newly discovered gold- discovery. field is said to be easily reached, and to have a mild climate and a fertile soil. London "Standard's" Special Correspondent, 26th August, 1897. Visitors invited selves to "marvellous " up like coal or It is reported from Klondyke that miners who Gold heaped possess buckets full of gold are living on two spoonsful potatoes. of beans and a bit of bacon daily. A steamer has started to return to the East with several tons of gold of the value of over three million dollars, heaped on deck, under Official report of 70,000,000 tarpaulin, like so much coal or potatoes. M'Kay, a returning miner, says there is more gold than any man has yet dreamed of. A Correspondent, quoting the statements of this man, says the miners' tales make one's heart jump and the pulse tingle. From the Special Correspondent of "The Standard" of London, 31st August, 1897. The steamer "Portland" having failed to meet at St. Michael's the Yukon River steamer with its tons of gold worth several millions of dollars, brought to Seattle only 18 miners with 575,000 dollars of gold. Mr. Ogilvie the Dominion Land Surveyor, whose dollars of gold capacity or integrity in sight. The greatest gold find in the world's history Glowing accounts of the country's wealth. says, in November he of the Dominion that informed the Authorities This quantity he now Reuter's Agency, Seattle, August 30th. The Steamer Portland arrived here to-day. She brought gold to the value of about 500,000 dollars Old timers, who realize the state of affairs, predict death and distress during the winter. Those who are returning now, however, admit that the strike of gold was, and is, one of the greatest in the world's history. They also predict further gold finds in future From "Morning Post's" correspondent. NEW YORK, August 29th, 1897. "The steamer "Portland" arrived yesterday at Port Angeles with 100,000 dollars in gold, and a party of early pioneers returning home from the Klondyke goldfields. The passengers are full of glowing descriptions of the mineral wealth of the country, and speak of gold galore New discovery in all directions. They say nothing of the terrors and priva galore. Gold of gold near Junction of Porcupine Rivers, exceeding Klondyke in richness. tions described by later adventurers in the same region. They speak of a splendid gold discovery in the Monnet Creek, 800 miles from the mouth of the Yukon River, and outside the boundary of British America. The wealth there is said to exceed that in Klondyke. When asked to reconcile the smallness of the quantity of gold brought in his ship with the glowing statements of the from the Official passengers, the Captain of the "Portland" explained Over £14,000,000 that he was compelled to leave St. Michael's before the Klondyke arrival of the treasure boat from the Yukon. Mr. Ogilvie estimate. is quoted as saying that the 600 claims already staked in the Klondyke region will yield 70,000,000 dollars in gold to their owners." "Standard" (London) 27th August, 1897. REUTER'S-VICTORIA (B.C.), August 26th. According to an apparently authentic report from Dawson City, gold to the value of six million dollars is there awaiting shipment in June. "Daily Chronicle," 4th September, 1897. A report received at the Department of the Interior to-day (Washington, 3rd September), from the Governor of Alaska, states that two-and-a-half (2) tons of gold dust have been shipped this season from Klondike. New discoveries of gold are constantly being made. Mr. Thomas Deasy, Chief Officer of the Fire Department of Victoria, British Columbia, writing to Commander Wells, R.N., Chief Officer of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, on August 27th, 1897, states: 6,000,000 dollars worth of gold awaiting ship ment. "Situate as the writer is at Victoria, the nearest The greatest goldfields on shipping port to the mines, he has an opportunity to earth. truthfully depict everything connected with the greatest goldfields on earth. From Cassiar to Alaska, covering thousands of miles of Canadian territory, gold has been found. Scarcity of provisions and long distance from civilisation retarded the miner. The frozen North had terrors which only the most hardy of mankind could endure. Snow and ice, precipices and gorges, dangerous rapids on the rivers, impenetrable woods on land, every mile meant privation. At last a whisper was circulated in the nearest camps that untold wealth could be found further up river. Places where miners made good pay were deserted. Towns and villages added hundreds to the rush. Eventually the news reached cities, and thousands are on the way to the Mecca of the North. At the present writing two steamships are on the way Mines will be opened up on the Mackenzie. out with tons of gold. The great Yukon country is no place for the 'tenderfoot.' Strong men, with means enough to outfit for a year or two, will be successful. The country will produce more wealth each succeeding year. It is practically undeveloped. Hundreds of thousands will scatter over the numerous creeks and rivers, eventually opening up mines on the Peace, Pelly, and Mackenzie. From this city many left in the first mad rush, and many will return to winter. Those remaining took into consideration the difficulties to be surmounted, and preferred to await until next spring. If 10,000 men should delve all the coming winter, only a small expanse of territory will be opened up. New Gold discoveries of great richness. The first copy of the International, published at the new town of Warder, on Lake Tagish, in June this year (1897), states: Two prospectors have come in from the middle fork of the Salmon River, a section that has never been explored, bringing a quantity of gold taken out there in a few week's work. The amount of their cleanings was close to 1,000 dols. An interesting feature of the matter is that this gold is washed from the decomposed surface of a mountain which they declare to be all ore. The mountain is porphyry. The gold is found all through it. They do not claim the rock is high grade, but they assert that it is all good ore. A. H. Pettengill, ex-chief deputy county auditor, who now owns and operates mining interests on Upper Kettle river in Stevens Country returned to Colville recently from a trip across Colville reservation, and if his statements are true, the portion of the Colville reserve lying along the boundary line between Stevens and Oakanogan Counties will rival even the palmiest days of Cripple Creek. A Mr. Allison bonded the claim from the original owners for 10,000 dols. In a very short time he secured 30 sacks of ore. Noone is allowed to visit the works of the mine, which are a little more than the mere uncovering of the vein. How wide the pay-streak is, is yet a matter of the most random conjecture, but no one will doubt that it is wide enough, for out of less than 50 lbs. of the ore from the ledge, 800 dollars in pure, yellow gold was pestled out in a common mortar. A Quartz Reef on the White Pass. The correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette writing from Vancouver, on September 9th (1897), states that news had just reached Vancouver of the discovery of a ledge of quartz 20 feet wide, which assayed from 86 to 73 dols. per ton. It was discovered by a man named Wade, who, on a trip from Lake Bennett, at a point contiguous to the White Pass, picked up four pieces of quartz rich in gold. He then uncovered the ledge above mentioned with a wooden spade and took some pieces to the Treadwell Mine for assay. A Stupendous Output of Gold predicted for 1898. The Daily Mail correspondent states in the issue of October 11th, 1897-" Judge Malony, of Juneau, Alaska, who is returning with a party from Klondyke, says that not one-fifth of the gold now in sight has yet come out of Klonkyke. He is afraid to offer predictions of a fabulous yield, lest he might be charged with exaggeration. Mr. Galvin, of the same party, who sold one claim on Bonanza Creek for 100,000 dollars, predicted that 250 tons of gold, or 130,000,000 dollars would be shipped from Klondyke next year. His companion placed the amount at 300 tons." "Westminster Gazette," 10th November, 1897. The son of Mr. Lyman Gage, the Secretary of the Treasury, has just arrived at Butte, California, from the Yukon gold district. He confirms previous accounts of the richness of the Klondyke Valley, and asserts that the first steamer that gets away in the spring will bring 15,000,000 dollars worth of gold from the Klondyke. Previous Klondyke's confirmed. account of great richness G |