| Show GOLD IS NOT IN ABUNDANCE returned Klondike rs tell a discouraging cou raging story prospected malonff the alaskan coast but found no rich ground went miles into siberia and were ordered out by the russians american prisoners in the convict camps st michaels alaska baly 21 via victoria B 0 aug 4 F W beasley ex county assessor of miles city mont and louis of san francisco have just returned from a prospective prospect ine conr alone the siberian and alaska coasts in the vicinity of behring straits embracing a period of nearly fourteen months they traversed over miles ot line in the vicinity of east siberia and penetrated into the interior miles they were within miles of the convict mine settlement where they mat ft russian commissioner who them to leave the country under the penalty of imprisonment the officer told them the law strictly pro prospecting on russian boil sir men four englishmen and two americans who persisted in violating the law in 1896 were arrested and sentenced to a term of servitude in the siberian mines beasley made diligent inquiry but was unable to obtain any identity of the imprisoned men or the particulars of their trial the in explaining the manner of working the siberian mines bays that shafts sixty or seventy feet were bunk to bed rock and the pay streak was followed by drifting instead t bur toe the frozen ground as in the te ground is loosened with powder and pick one shaft has followed the pay streak the bed of an old river to a depth aioo beet below the eurlace eur face most of the Claims he added paid from 18 to 20 coubles roubles to the man between and convicts are employed in the mines after prospecting all bummer finding splendid surface beasley and his companions returned to east cape the country is wild and rugged and devoid ol 01 timber oil being used exclusively for fuel the prospectors crossed the straits to kotzebue sound and golovin districts in the former place they met a well equipped party of 65 men from the whaling fleet which was wintering at point barrow they bad thoroughly prospected the and kostok as well as other streams emptying into Kotzebue sound they found nothing but flour gold and lothine worth staking beasley met several old montana prospectors pec tors with whom he was personally acquainted who told him alter having prospected the creeks pretty thoroughly they were convinced that gold in paying quantities did not exist and wre re to the states party then proceeded to the golovin district and visited the scene of all the reported diggings but did not find any claims producing more than ono cent to the pan on ophir creek they prospected twenty six claims including discovery claim not a of gravel was found with more than a few colors this last information is verified by numerous other disgusted prospectors who are returning to the states beasley concluded by makina the emphatic declaration repeatedly that there bad not been an ounce of gold mined out of norton or kotzebue sound either last season or this spring |
