| Show REPORT ON THE YUKON RfGIOND Conditions as They Existed Last Summer A DOCUMENT VERY COMPREHENSIVE Valuable Information For Those With Klondycitas Steamers Leave San Francisco and Tacoma For the Eldorado ITew Boats Ordered For Alaskan Ser i vice Crushing Disappointment to jl Many Comes In the Announcement Announce-ment That the Canadian Law Expressly pressly Forbids Mining by Proxy and Severe Penalties Are Attached For Its Violation Washington Aug 7The report on the Yukon gold region by Josiah Edward Ed-ward Spurr the geological survey expert ex-pert who headed a party that made a thorough investigation in Alaska last summer giving new facts about the interior was made public today I is a comprehensive document and reviews in detail the work in the various districts dis-tricts I says as to the Forty Mile gold district that in the latter part of 1887 Franklin gulch was struck and the first year the creek is estimated to have produced 4000 Ever since It has been a constant payer GOLD IS NUGGETY The character of the cold there is nuggety masses of 5 weight being very common The yield of the first year after the discovery of Forty Mile has been variously estimated at from 75000 to 150000 but 60000 probably covers the production The discovery of Davis creek and a stampede from Franklin gulch followed the spring of 1888 In ISai gold mining in the interior as well as on the coast of Silver Bow I basin and Treadwell received a great impetus The event of 1S92 was the discovery I dis-covery of Miller creek In the spring of 1893 many new claims were staked and i is estimated that SO men took I out 100000 Since then Miller creek nas been the heaviest producer of the Forty Mile district and until recently of the whole Yukon Its entire length lies in British possessions The output for 1S93 as given by the mint director for I the Alaskan creeks all but Miller I creek being in Americad possessions I was 138000 with a mining bpulation l of 196 The total amount produced by the Yukon placers in 1S91 was double I that of the previous year In 1895 the output was doubled again Forty Mile district in the summer of 1896 is described in the report as if it had seen its best days and unless several new creeks are discovered i will lose its old position The Birch Creek district was last summer in a flourishing condition Most of the gulches were then running miners min-ers were running on double shifts night and day and many large profits were reported On Mastodoan creek the best producer pro-ducer over 30 miners were at work I many expecting to winter in the gulch As to hydraulicing the report says HYDRAULICING SomE miners have planned to work I I this and other gcod ground supposed to exist under the deep covering of moss and gravel in the wide valley of the Mammoth and Crooked creeks by I hydraulicing the water to be obtained ob-tained by tapping Miller and Masto 1 doan creeks near the head I will be I several years before the scheme can be operated because both gulches are paying well and will continue to do so at least for five years Following is the report on the Klon dyke district With the announcement of gold herein here-in the winter of 18967 there was a genuine stampede to the new region Forty Mile was almost deserted The S30 men spent the winter on the Klan dyke in the gulches and at the new town of Dawson The more important parts of the district are on Bonanza I and Hunker creeks According to the latest information 400 claims have been I located upto Jan 1 1897 about half as many on Hunker creel There is plenty of room for many more prospectors pros-pectors and miners for the gulches and creeks which have shown good prospects pros-pects spread over an area of 700 square miles ESTIMATE FOR 1896 ESTDrTE The estimated Alaskan gold production produc-tion for 1896 made by the Spurr report is 51400000 The report points out the difficulties In the way of speedy development of the country First the climate with short summer season and long cold winter Prospecting is done in the winter more and more and the miners are thus able to begin work with the first spring thaw Whatever Alaska may be in the future fu-ture it is not now self supporting agriculturally ag-riculturally MOOS and caribou are variable in quantity abundant onetime one-time and disappearing from the region tme 12 months at a time Ten dOllars a day is the general wages paid 1 for a day of ten hours being paid in some of the more remote gulches In the winter the price for labor is 5 to i U per day of six hours Many times the miners have been at the point of starvation hardly a winter they have not been put on a short ration basis Universal suffrage is given and all have an equal vote Penalties Include For stealing banishment from the country also whipping threatening with weapons wea-pons the same murder hanging but there have been no murders so far MIXING LAWS The mining laws differ for different gulches Generally the claim is for 500 feet for gulch diggings from rlmrock to rimrock but in one gulch not paying pay-ing well an effort is being made to stake claims ftort feet long Crowded creeks are staked 300 feet to the claim and no man is allowed to stake more than one claim in his own name save the discoverer whorls allowed 1000 feet instead of 500 o The only officer in the republic of miners is the recorder appointed by popular vote Mere Police to be Sent > Ottawa Ont Aug 7At a meeting of the cabinetva decision was arrived at that on account of the fiscal reports from Dyea relating to the increasing rush of miners for the Klondyke fields I i was necessary to send another detachment de-tachment of 100 northwest mounted police to the Yukon district at once to maintain law and order A process of civil law is also to be established without delay A judge however cannot at present be appointed appoint-ed nor can a particular judicial district dis-trict be defined until special legislation for the purpose can be obtained from parliament at its next session One of the northwest judges therefore there-fore will be charged have the Yukon district especially under his jurlsdic tion which extends over that portion of northwest territory One Hundred Prom Frisco San Francisco Ausr 7Two more steamers sailed today for Alaska with prospectors for the Klondyke goldfields I gold-fields and their departure created considerable con-siderable l excitement along the waterfront I water-front They were the National City for St Michaels direct and the South Coast for the same place via Puget Sound Both carried steam launches and the National City carried a huge barge whlqh will be used for the transportation trans-portation 6f freight up the Yukon The National Citys passenger list numbered about 60 while the South Coast accommodated 40 passengers more Steamers Ordered Steame Seattle Aug Manager C H Hamilton of the North American Transportation company announces that his company has let a contract to Cramps the Philadelphia ship builders for two 2000ton steel steamers They will be the finest steamers on the Pa code coast and will be used exclusively exclu-sively on the Seatt St Michaels run The steamers will have accommodations accommoda-tions for 200 firstclass and 500 second class clas passengers Will Open Tip a Road St Paul Minn Aug 7A special to the Dispatch from Winnipeg Man says I Is reported that the Canadian Pacific railway and the Dominion government gov-ernment are conferring with a view to opening up a road to the Yukon from Edmonton Such a rpad is feasible and only between 800 and 000 miles long passing through a rich auriferous country coun-try The object is to give a short and safe road for prospectors and be able to maintain winter communication Two Steamers Leave Tacoma Tacoma Wash Aug 7The steamers steam-ers Queen and Willamette left for Alaska today the former early this morning and the latter this afternoon both crowded to their fullest capacity with hun The wharves werp qrowded dreds of people to witness the departure depart-ure of the steamers for the gold fields |
