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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 t 3 4 i 6 ■rarw AND HER BY PKRUlMtok ., p\0 AND C04ST 1^. MINING LAWS PUBLISHING CO. fcOlAN MINING LaW^ i^ansas City. U. S. fl m ^ Vol. I. No. I. Quarterly, $4 per Yoifts ■Uv I •I ■U^' THR II Territory of Alaska. A Brief Account of Its History and Purchase ; Its Inhab- itantSy Geogfraphical Features and Resources^ witfi especial reference to the Gold-Fields and Methods of Reaching Them. Compiled from Official Government Records and the Latest and Most Reliable Sources^ By MAJOR H. O. S. HEISTAND, Assistant Adjutant-General U« S. Army. On duty in the Division of Military Information, Adjutant- GeneraPs Office, War Department. Washingfton, D. C, January If f898. HUDSON-KIMBERLY PUBLISHING CO. KANSAS CITY, MO. 1898. uni ■5.- :t H413 Copyright, 189«, by HUDSON-KIMBERLY PUBLISHING Co Kansas City, Mo. •"-nrnm m CONTENTS. Chapter I. lyocation, Extent, Area, Geographical Features 9 Chapter II. History 17 Chapter III. Acquirement of the Territory 25 Chapter IV. Climate 35 Chapter V. Inhabitants, Population and Government 45 Chapter VI. Resources and Industries 59 Chapter VII. Gold : Discovery, Dissemination and Product 79 Chapter VIII. Routes to the Gold Fields 87 I A !. :j CONTENTS. Chapter IX. Miners' Outfits . lOI Appendix. United States Mining Laws, Canadian Mining Laws, Etc "5 = 1 i lOI ,! p^ I^aws, "5 APPENDIX. A. United States Mining Laws 115 B. Canadian Mining Laws 176 C. Glossary 184 D. Fourteen Months' Supply of Provisions as stated by Governor Brady, of Alaska 188 E. Table of Distances 191 F. Newspapers Published in Alaska 193 G. Postofl&ces in Alaska, November ist, 1897 194 H. Freight and Passenger Rates, Pacific Coast Steamship Company's Steamers 194 iH. BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS CONSULTED. I. — Report on the Population, Industries and Re- sources of Alaska by Ival Petroff, Volume VIII, Tenth Census Report. 2.— Alaska Handbook No. 84, Bureau of the American Republics, August, 1897. 3. — Military Reconnaissance in Alaska, Schwatka, 1897. (Senate Ex. Doc. No. 2, 2nd Session 49th Congress.) 4.— Reconnaissance in Alaska, 1885, Allen. (Senate Ex. Doc. No. 125, 2nd Session, 49th Congress.) 6 APPENDIX. 5.— Alaska ; Our Arctic Province. Henry W. Elliott, 1886. 6. — Encyclopaedia Britannica. 7.— Official Guide to the Klondike Country, W. B. Conkey & Co., New York. 8.— Chicago Record's Book for Gold-Seekers, Chicago Record, 1897. 9.— Klondike, C irles A. Bramble, 1897. 10. — Klondike, Miners' New Publishing Co., 1897. II.— The Gold- Fields of the Klondike, John W. Leonard, 1897. 12.— Klondike Gold-Fields, C. A. Plempel, 1897. 13.— Klondike and the Yukon Country, L. A. Coolidge, 1897. 14.— The Yukon Gold-Fields, C. H. Lugrin, 1897. 1 5- — The Boundary between Alaska and British Colum- bia. (Senate Ex. Doc. No. i46, 2nd Session 50th Congress.) 16.— Report of Reconnaissance in Alaska, 1885, by Lieutenant W. R. Abercrombie, United States Army. (Not published.) 17. Bancroft's History of Alaska. 18.— Reports of Governors of Alaska, Census Returi;s of 1890. 19.— Reports of the Secretary of the Navy, 1879 to 1896, inclusive. 20.— Reports and Records on file in the State, War and Navy Departmentt. (Not Published.) \ iV. Elliott, ry. W. B. rs, Chicago APPENDIX. 7 21. — Boundary between Alaska and "British Columbia. (Sen. Ex. Doc. No. 146, 2nd Session 50th Con- gress.) 22. — Report of the introduction of Domesticated Rein- deer into Alaska, Sheldon Jackson. (Senate Ex. Doc. No. 70, 53rd Congress, and Session.) Wash- ington, 1894. 23. — Current Literature. [897. John W. 97. . Coolidge, ^97- sh Colum- ission 50th 1885, by ;ed States Returiis of 79 to 1896, , War and PREFACE TO ALASKA BY MAJOR H. O. S. HEISTAND. The original of this volume was prepared from the information from various sources in the Military Infor- mation Division of the Adjutant General's Office, to- gether with that collected from various Departments of the Government. It was later enlarged, revised and brought up to date from all sources of information con- sidered reliable, and its publication by the writer authorized that it might be placed within the reach of the public. The author makes grateful acknowledgment of the courtesy of the officers of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey office, by whose permission the excel- lent maps and most of the photographs used as illustra- tions appear ; and also of valuable assistance given him by Major Arthur L,. Waguer, Assistant Adjutant- General United States Army, iii charge of the Informa- tion Division of the Adjutant-General's Office, and Vleutenant H. H. Whitney, 4th United States Artil- lery, on duty in the same office. Washington, D. C, January i, 1898. [. o. s. [ from the tary Infor- Office, to- rtments of ;vised and ation con- the writer each of the ent of the Coast and the excel- as illustra- given him Adjutant- : Informa- 'ffice, and ites Artil- ^M ! !. I: i !'! ALASKA. m^ Chapter I. ,'fVif)' K O X e I O IvOCATION, EXTENT, AREA AND GEOGRAPH- ICAL FEATURES. Alaska lies in the extreme northwestern portion of the continent of North America, stretching along the coast, and by its chain of islands out into the Pacific Ocean, from the 130th to the 187th meridian of longitude west from Greenwich, a t. atance of about 2,300 statute miles; from north to south it lies between the 50th and 71st parallels north latitude, a distance of about 1,300 statute miles. Its northern boundary is the Arctic Ocean; it is bounded on the east by British Columbia, on the south by the Pacific, and on the west by Behring Sea and the Arctic Ocean. It has a coast line, including its islands, of over 26,000 miles, or about five-sevenths of the entire coast line of the United States. At Behring Strait the mainland of Alaska is but 60 miles from the mainland of Russia, and Big Diomede Island (Russian), near the center of the channel, makes a convenient half- way landing. The western limit of the territory, Attn (Attoo) Island, is nearly 3,000 (2,943) wiles west of San Fran- cisco. When the fisherman of Maine is just spreading canvas for a morning sail, the fisherman of Attn is ar- ranging his hut for the night. -2- 10 ALASKA. Owing to the irregular shape of the Territory of Alaska, the extreme dimensions give but little idea of its area, which, according to the latest reliable compu- tations, is 577,390 statute square miles; an area larger than the entire territory of the United States east of Indiana, and twelve times the size of the State of New York. From the difference in proper names, growing out of native designations, those applied by the Russians, and still others in use by Americans, considerable confusion as to geographical terms has resulted, and will continue to exist until some means of uniformity is established and generally accepted. Travelers should not rely upon information from any but the most disinterested and reliable sources. The country is rich in geographical detail. There are broad extents of morass, or swampy plains (tundra), with a dense growth of mosses and grasses, over a frozen subsoil and ice which does not thaw to a greater depth than eighteen inches below the surface; great mountain ranges, with lofty peaks and active volcanoes; broad, undulating prairies, and ex+ensive valleys, through which course mighty rivers, ted by the melting snows and numerous lakes and springs — these great streams, with their many tributaries, form a perfect network of waterways over the surface, and constitute the arteries of the scant trade and travel. Massive glaciers, hundreds of feet in thickness, covering in some cases over a thousand square miles of territory, and loaded with mo- raine and vegetation, slowly grind their way to the sea;* the adjacent ocean is studded with islands, varying in size from the largest — Prince of Wales Island, having *L,teutenant Abercroinbie (Report on' Alaska, 1885). T i. ALASKA. 11 J. an area of s.cxjg square miles — to mere points of rock almost hidden at high tide, and the main coast is every- where indented with long arms of the sea, reaching into the depths of the near-by mountains. The capital of the Territory is Sitka, located on the west coast of Baranof Island, in latitude 57 degrees north and longitude 135 degrees west. It was established by Baranof in the winter of 17 99- 1800. The town is about 1,300 miles from San Francisco, though by the usual vessel route the distance is over 1,600 miles. In 1890 the population was 1,190. Juneau, founded by Joseph Juneau in 1880, with a population in 1890 of 1,250, is now said to be a progres- sive city of nearly 5,000 inhabitants, with fine buildings, wharves, waterworks and hotels, electric lights and amusements (Guide to the Yukon Gold Fields — Wilson). Wrangell, on Wrangell Island, a village of about 300 souls, ten miles from the mouth of the Stikine River,is the point of departure for the gold fields by the way of the Stikine route. Douglas City, on Douglas Island, with a population of about 400, is the location of the great Treadwell gold mines, and what is said to be the largest quartz mill in the world. Yakutat, on the bay of the same name, has a popula- tion of about 300. Nucheck, once an important trading point, but now only a small village, is on Hunchinbrook Island, 50 miles from the mouth of the Copper River. There were formerly important trading points on the Kenai Peninsula, but of recent years they have lost their importance. Kadiac Island is the seat of great Alaskan industry. ml m .-iff ' 12 ALASKA. St. Paul, in the north of the island, does a large fur trade, and is the seat of several canning factories, said to employ i,ioo hands. Karluk, with a population of 1,123, is said to have the largest cannery in the world. Other villages, almost equal in size, on the island, are Alitak and Kadiak, having a combined population of about 900. Afognac, with a population of 409, is on the island of the same name. The Aleutian Islands, being mild in climate, were early occupied by the Russians, and many settlements resulted. On Unalaska Island there is an important point, Iliuliuk, having a church, custom house, stores and wharves. Small, thrifty villages of from 100 to 300 are on Ounga, Unimak, Athka and the Pribylof Islands. Port Chester is a Chimmesyan Indian village of about 800 people, on Annette Island. It has a steam saw-mill, church, shops, stores and an Industrial Home. St. Michael, on Norton Sound, is one of the most im- portant points on the coast. It was established as a Russian redoubt in 1835. The island has an area of 51 square miles, all embraced within the United States Military Reservation. Besides the military post estab- lished there by the War Department in October, 1897, there are two trading posts of rival firms, both used as a base of supplies for the Upper Yukon country and the Arctic trade. There is also a Russian church and par- sonage building. Swedish and Episcopal Missions are on the adjacent mainland. In October, 1897, there were 180 people on the island.* At Port Clarence, just south of Behring Strait, there is a fine harbor, where whaling vessels lay up and *Report of Commanding Officer, Fort St. Michael. ALASKA. 13 wait for supplies. A village of about 500 people, more than half of whom are white, is located here, and ad- jacent to it is a reindeer farm. Point Hope (301 — 5 white), Cape Smythe (246 — 46 white), Icey Cape (57) and Point Barrow (152) are Arctic villages. The latter was the point occupied by Captain P. H. Ray, United States Army, 188 1-3, in command of the United States station of the International Polar Expedition. Nulato and Nuklakayat are Yukon trading posts, 467 and 568 miles from the sea (L,ieutenant Allen). Ram- part City is a new mining village of about 400 people, established in the summer of 1897, on the Yukon River, 100 miles or so above Nuklakayat. Fort Yukon, established by the Hudson Baj- Com- pany in 1847, on the Yukon River, nearly 900 (1,300 by water) miles from the sea, is just within the Arctic Cir- cle, where, in summer, the sun is visible for the entire 24 hours. Here the Yukon River widens out to several miles in extent and flows through many shallow chan- nels over the Yukon Flats, making navigation slow and difficult at low water. Circle City, founded in 1891, 100 miles above Fort Yukon, had a population in 1896 of 1,150, including about 40 women. Missions are established there and hospitals proposed. It is said that many of the inhab- itants have abandoned the town, at least temporarily, to go to richer mines. Forty- Mile Post, near the mouth of Forty-Mile Creek, was at one time a thriving mining town — a true Mecca of the North — but it is said to have diminished in im- portance since the drouth of 1896 and subsequent dis- covery of rich diggings elsewhere. The principal rivers are the Yukon and its largest w A:i : 'liil ■ 14 ALASKA. two tributaries, the Tanana and Koyukak; Kuskokwin, Copper and Sushitna. The principal mountains are Mount I,ogan, altitude 19,500 't; Mt. St. Elias, 18,010; Mt. Wrangell, 17,500; Mt. -T nan, 16,600; Mt. Drum, 13,300; Mt. Sanford, 13,000; and Mt. Blackburn, 12,500. The average height of the main range is from 10,000 to 12,000 feet, with but few practicable passes. /^ori Cudahy. — Fort Cudahy is a trading establish- ment in British territory, on the Yukon River at the mouth of Forty-Mile Creek, on which there are rich placer mines. There is a saw-mill in the vicinity. Dawson City. — Dawson City, the chief town of the Klondike district, was established in August, 1896. It is in British territory, about 50 miles east of the Alaska boundary, on the right banks of the Yukon and Klon- dike Rivers, near their junction. It is 170 miles from Circle City; 1,598 miles from Seattle, by the way of Ju- neau, and 4,722 miles by way of St. Michael. It can be reached from Seattle in from 35 to 90 days, according to the route. The townsite occupies a square of 160 acres, owned by Mr. Joseph I^adue, formerly a resident of New York State. It is laid out in regular streets and squares. Town lots which sold for {{55.00 in 1896 were worth from $3,000 to $5,000 this year (1897). All of the houses are constructed of logs, the logs selling for $3.00 each, and lumber is worth $150.00 per thousand feet. Many of the inhabitants live in tents. The gold "diggings" are from 12 to 25 miles distant. There is a population of from 3,000 to 5,000, mostly citizens of the United States. There are about 75 women and some children. The Canadian Government has established a post-office at Dawson City, and the mail is carried once a month by the members of the North- west Mounted Police, a Canadian military force, also charged with preserving order and maintaining the law. There are said to be a few horses, but dogs are gen- erally used for transportation purposes. ?;■*» t ALASKA. 15 The climate is severe, and changes are sudden. There is a short, hot summer, lasting from May to September, with practically no spring or autumn conditions — leaping from one extreme to the other. The ice begins to break up between the i.^c and 15th of May, and by the last of September winter has begun again, the month of Octo- ber being described as similar to the month of November in the northern part of the United States. The mean temperature does not vary much — not much more than 25 degrees from month to month. The mean tempera- ture is: Spring, 14 degrees; summer, 50 degrees; autumn, 17 degrees; winter, 30 degrees, with extremes for the year running from —68 to +75 or +100 degrees. The earth is frozen to the greatest depth yet excavated and thaws for only eighteen inches to two feet during the summer. The longest day of the year, June 2 2d, the sun rises at 1:30 a. m., and sets at 10:30 p. m., with good twilight for the rest of the day. The climate is healthy, and deaths have been very few. Mosquitoes are said to be very troublesome, and so small that they go through the ordinary netting. Game is very scarce, so that all food must be transported to the town from some base of supply. The following prices give an idea of the cost of living in Dawson City in the summer of 1897, and were con- sidered reasonable: Flour,* per 100 pounds $12.00 Bacon, per pound i 50 Sugar, brown, per pound .20 Sugar, granulated, per pound .25 Rice, per pound .20 Condensed milk, per can .60 Butter, per pound i . 50 Eggs, per dozen 5 • 00 Beans, per pound .12^ *Since writing the above, the scarcity of provisions in Daw- son City has caused the price of flour to rise to the almost pro- hibitive price of from |iooto $125 for a 50-pound sack, and other provisions in proportion. Single meals at restaurants cost from $3.50 to $5.00. . m •I .lis 16 ALASKA. Salt, per pound $ .15 Dried fruit, per pound $ o. 25 to .35 Cigars, each -50 Tobacco, per pound i . 50 to 2 . 00 Blankets, per pair 16.00 to 30.00 I^inen shirt 5 • 00 Underwear, per suit 10.00 Canvas overalls 2 . 50 Boots 10 . 00 to 1 2 00 Suit of clothes, ready made 30.00 to 50.00 Fur overcoat 25.00 to 100.00 Dogs, for sleds 100.00 to 300. 00 Bread, per loaf .50 lyumber, per thousand feet 100.00 to 200.00 Meals at restaurant, each i 50 Wages, per day 5.00 to 15.00 Considerable business is done in the town, and the place is said to be one of great activity. Gold passes current for money at $17.00 per ounce. There are restaurants, bakeries, saloons, dance halls, barber shop, a bath establishment, etc. At last accounts there were ten saloons and three restaurants. Drinks were sold at the uniform price of 50 cents each, and in the restaurants the $1.50 dinner was composed of bacon, beans, bread, coffee, cheese and dried fruit. The dance-hall is 80x40 feet, with an orchestra of three pieces. There is also a laundry, which charges 25 cents a piece for its work. Gambling is prevalent among all classes, but crime is almost unknown. The Church of England has a resident minister, and other ministers are on the wa)'^ to Dawson City. Bijjhop Bompas is the head of the diocese, which includes the Klondike. ALAfiKA. 17 Chapter II. HISTORY. That portion of the territory of the United States known as Alaska was, up to the year 1867, borne on the maps of the world as Russian America. Russia held it by right of discovery. During the reign of Peter the Great was organized the first of the exploring expeditions which led to the discovery of Alaska, and gave territory on the Western hemisphere to his empire, thus enabling the Czar to ex- tend his dominion over three continents. He selected Vitus Behring, a Danish captain in the Russian service, to command the expedition, which set out February 5, 1725; after sixteen years occupied in exploring the coast and waters of Siberia, Alaska was sighted. The Czar died three days after the expedition started. In 1733 Kmpress Anna fitted out the second expedi- tion. It occupied six years crossing Siberia, and in the spring of 1 74 1 Captain Behring, with two small vessels, one commanded by himself, and the other by I^ieutenant Chirikof, put out from Kamchatka, on the waters of Behring Sea. The vessels became permanently sepa- rated. On the night of. July 15, 1741, Chirikof sighted land in latitude 55° 21' north, which is near the extreme m ■«vg :f?5 'f'h 18 ALASKA. point of the mainland of the Alaskan Peninsula. Sub- sequently it became known that Chirikof's discovery preceded by thirty-six hours Behring's first sight of the mainland of Alaska. Chirikof sent two landing parties ashore, and the members were massacred by the natives. The commander, with his reduced crew, returned to Kamchatka, after a period of intense suffering and hard- ship. Many of his men, including himself, were seized with scurvy. Chirikof was among the number who recovered. Captain Behring landed on th coast, and shortly af- terward returned to his ship, weighed anchor and set sail for Kamchatka, but his vessel was wrecked on what is now known as Behring Island, in the Commander group, where his crew spent the winter, many of them dying, the remainder living in dugouts in the sandbanks of a small .stream and subsisting on sea animals which they captured and the flesh of dead whales thrown upon the beach, until the following spring, when the few sur- vivors constructed a boat of the timbers of the wrecked vessel and made their way to Siberia. Behring died on the island December 8, 1741. There is no record of any effort to visit the country until 1743, when expeditions to engage in the fur busi- ness were inaugurated by the Russian merchants. The first adventurer of this class was Emelia Bassof, a Cossack sergeant of I^ower Kamchatka, who made four voyages to the Commander Islands in 1743, 1745, 1747 and 1749. He was followed by a sailor named Nevodchikof, who reached the islands of Attu and Agatu in 1745. In 1749 a vessel reached the island of Athka and others in its vicinity. In 1 759 a trader, Glottof, advanced as far as the island of Oumnak, and subsequently discovered the \ ALASKA. 19 ' whole group of islands, including Unalaska (Oonalashka), now known as the Fox Islands. Glottof, so say the tra- ditions of the natives of those islands, was the first Rus- sian who came among them; he furnished a map of the region to his government. In 1760 Andreian Tolstykh landed on the island of Adakh, where he remained three years, and completely explored the island, and rendered a detailed report of his operations and their results to the Russian Government. In 1761 a ship belonging to the merchant Bechevin reached the mainland of the Alaskan Peninsula. By this time the continued oppression of the natives by the traders aroused the former's fury and brought on a series of conflicts covering a period of more than twenty years, in which many lives were sacrificed. August 3, 1784, there landed on Kadiak Island a trader named Shelikhof, who, for many years, operated on a large scale. Shelikhof established peaceful relations with the Indians, when possible, and failing in that, fought them with vigor. He was victorious in so many conflicts that it enabled him to establish a large number of outposts for hunting parties. After a victory, he held hostages to insure the good behavior of the savages. Shelikhof was a shrewd trader and a bitter foeman, though possessed of a kindly disposition. For his hostages, prisoners and the friendly natives he established schools and churches of the Greek Catholic faith. His argu- ments setting forth the advantages the natives would secure by embracing Christianity ana adopting- civiliza- tion, being simple and practical, always met with hearty response. Many of the natives were baptized and re- ceived into orthodox membership. Shelikhof returned to Russia in 1787, taking with him thirty natives. 4 f I 20 ALASKA. The estimated population of Alaska at that time was about 5,000 souls, but it is not reliable. In 1 790 another trader, Baranof, owing to a series of misfortunes in his own affairs, was tempted to accept an interest in the business established by his rival, Sheli- khof, and arrived in Alaska to assume control of the latter's fur interests in the new country. The extra- ordinary energy and decision displayed by Baranof in the management of his own affairs in Siberia had long attracted the attention of Shelikhof. To the ability and efforts of Baranof is due the final establishment of the Russian Empire on the continent of North America. In the meantime. Captain Cook had visited the coast, but the Russians were fully acquainied with the result of his voyages and visits to the northwest of America. Gerassim Pribylof had also discovered the summer haunts of the fur seal herd on the islands which now bear his name. The result of this discovery was to se- cure to Russia the formerly lost trade with the Chinese, who placed high value upon the fur of the seal, in the tanning and coloring of which they had become expert. July 20, 1795, Shelikhof died, but his widow continued the management of the company's affairs. Before his death Shelikhof had sought the union of all the various companies trading in Asiatic Russia and the American Colonies. In 1797 the consolidation was effected, and the new firm, under the name of the Russian-American Company, received a charter from the Russian Govern- ment, granting it the exclusive right to all territory and resources of water and land in the new Russian posses- sions for a period of twenty years. This charter, granted by the Emperor Paul in 1791;, marks an era in the ALASKA. 21 Alaskan history; from that time to its cession to the United States, the history of the territory is the history of the Russian- American Company, Baranof, who had shown so much skill and ability in extending business, continued to conduct the affairs of the company in Alaska. He was a man of great determination, courage and physical endurance, but, through his quarrelsome disposition, made numerous enemies, and became the victim of conspiracy and treachery. In 1 808 the com- pany commissioned his successor, who, however, died before leaving Kamchatka. After the discovery of a plot to kill him in 1809, Baranof showed evidence of a broken spirit, and the eflFects of old age and constant struggle became plainly visible. Finally, in 1817, Captain Hagemeister was sent to Sitka, with instructions to relieve Baranof as chief man- ager of the Colonies. Hagemeister concealed his real capacity for several months after his arrival, and spent the time in familiarizing himself with the affairs of the company until January n, 18 18, when suddenly he pro- duced his commission and ordered Baranof to turn over his command. The old man promptly complied, and, although millions had passed through his hands, so con- scientious had he been in his relations with the company, and so little attention had he paid to his private affairs, that, at the age of 80 years, he found himself poor and in feeble health. Baranof started back to Russia in the " Kutuzof," the ship which had brought Hagemeister to Sitka. At Batavia, where the vessel was detained for a few days, he went ashore and contracted malarial fever, from the effects of which the creator of Russian America died, April 16, 1819. Hagemeister conducted the affairs of the company until 1821, when he was relieved by '-§k ««.-,), I 22 ALASKA. Mikhail Ivanovich Muraviev, who occupied himself with the organization of colonies and extending the trade of the company, whose charter had been renewed. Under Muraviev's administration the boundary of the Russian possessions in America was established. The treaty with the United States was concluded April 17, 1824, and that with England on February 28, 1825. During his administration (1823), the priest Mordovsky, with his assistant missionary monks, arrived and spread the gospel among the natives with such vigor that at the end of three years the Russian Church in the Colonies had 10,561 communicants, of whom 8,532 were natives; schools were established at Sitka, Kadiak and Una- laska. In 1826 Muraviev was succeeded by Captain Chis- tiakof, whose administration was marked by the ex- ploration and mapping of the Alaskan coast and islands. Chistiakof, after a prosperous administration, was relieved in 1831 by Baron Wrangell, who made a con- tinuous, though unsuccessful, effort to destroy the English CvStablishment, the Hudson Bay Company, which had grown to be a strong and dangerous rival of the Russian-American Company. In 1836 Baron Wrangell departed, and Captain Ku- prianof assumed the direction of affairs, and turned his attention to the extension of the company's interests toward the north, and in 1838 had reached out by ex- ploring parties as far as Point Barrow. The Yukon, then called Kvikhpak, was ascended as far as Nulato. From 1836 to 1840 small-pox ravaged the settlements, and nearly 2,000 deaths resulted, mostly among the natives. In 1840 Captain Etholin was appointed chief manager ♦I ALASKA. 23 of the Colonies. Etholin found great distress as the re- sult of the small-pox scourge, and occupied himself with gathering the scattered inhabitants into larger villages, where their wants could be more easily made known and provided for. Aided by his wife, he engaged in philan- thropic work in the education of the young Creoles and natives. EtholJu was succeeded in 1845 by Captain (subse- quently Admiral) Tebenkof, whose attention was largely occupied gathering the data necessary to the comple- tion of what Mr. Petroff calls " the best atlas of the coast of Alaska ever published." Tebenkof, like his imme- diate predecessors, knew but little about the fur trade, and the shares of the company's stock continued to de- crease in value. Tebenkof was succeeded in 1851 by Captain Rosen- berg, who in turn was relieved by Captain Voievodsky under whose administration the affairs of the company continually grew worse, and its obligations increased to such an extent that efforts were made to transfer to the Government the expense of maintaining its authority in the Colonies. Russia having just emerged from the ex- pensive Crimean War, the Imperial Cabinet rejected the proposition, and the grant of a new charter was deferred from year to year. Voievodsky was relieved by Captain Furuhelm in 1859, but the company refused to select his successor until its charter was renewed. In the meantime, Gov- ernment ofl&cials were gathering information and pre- paring reports upon the condition of the company's af- fairs, but their reports were too conflicting to form a basis of intelligent action. Early in 1864 it is said that the United States Gov- Vi A i f I \ u ALASKA. ill I ernment was approached privately in regard to the pur- chase by it of Russian America. The matter was allowed to drop, however, owing to the war, then in progress. In 1865 the managers of the Western Union Tele- graph Company sought a route, by way of Behring Strait, for a wire to Europe. Its surveying parties, dur- ing that and the following year, were actively engaged cutting a trail 120 feet wide, which, though much over- grown, is still plainly seen through the forests on their line. The enterprise was abandoned, owing to the suc- cessful completion of the transatlantic cable. After the refusal of the Russian-American Company to appoint a new chief manager, the Emperor of Russia sent out Prince Maksutof as Military Governor. Mak- sutof remained in that capacity until the Territory was transferred to the United States, and was some time after his appointment invested with full powers by the Rus- sian-American Company, assumed control of its affairs and closed out its business. lI'V' JUNEAU WATER FRONT. 1 ii i I ' I I > ' f 4 li I! I' I li H M ALASKA. 25 Chapter III. (I ACQUIREMENT OF THE TERRITORY— EXPLO- RATION. In the year 1867 Russia, for a consideration of $7,200,000 in gold, ceded all the territory and dominion then possessed by her on the Western Continent to the United States. The original price agreed upon was $7,000,000, but when it was understood that there ex- isted in the Territory some fur and ice mcnopolies granted by the Russian Government, to quiet their claims and prevent the possibility of subsequent compli- cations, an additional sum of $200,000 was added to the purchase money, to free the country of all incumbrances. The treaty describing the boundary was signed March 30, 1867, in the City of Washington, by Hon, V/illiam H. Seward, Secretary of State, for the United States, and by Privy Counsellor Edward de Stoeckl, Russian Minis- ter to the United States, for his country. The treaty was ratified by the United States Senate May 28, 1867, and the proclamation of the President, setting forth its terms in the French and English languages, was issued on the 20th of June, 1867. Alaska is therefore the last acquisition of territory by the United States. At the time of its purchase the price, less then than two cents per acre, was, by a great many people, declared excessive, and Mr. Seward met with great opposition to his project in the United States Senate, and was the subject of much ridicule by the press — 3— %■ 26 ALASKA. of the country; but calculating the possible development of the future, based upon discoveries already made, the territory proclaims his sagacity and reflects the wisdom of his policy. In August commissioners were appointed by Russia and the United States to complete the formal transfer of the territory. The $7,200,000 had not yet been appropriated by Congress, but Russia, reposing en- tire confidence in the good faith of the United States, signified her readiness to make the delivery without waiting for payment. Major-General h. H. Rousseau, of the United States Army, and Captain PestchouroflF, of the Russian Navy, were the commissioners. The transfer was made October 18, 1867, at 3:30 in the afternoon, with suitable ceremony. General Rousseau's report to the Secretary of State says : " The day was bright and beautiful. We fixed the hour of three and a half o'clock for the transfer. Gen- eral Jefferson C. Davis, commanding the troops. Captain McDougal, of the 'Jamestown,' Captain Bradford, of the 'Resaca,' and the ofl&cers of their respective com- mands, as, also, the Governor of the Territory, Prince Maksutof, were notified and invited to be present. The command of General Davis, about two hundred and fifty strong, marched up to the top of the eminence on which stands the Governor's house, where the transfer was to be made. "At the same time a company of Russian soldiers were marching to the ground, and took their place upon the left of the flag-staff, from which the Russian flag was then floating. Prince Maksutof and the Princess, to- gether with many Russian and American citizens, and some Indians, were present. "It was arranged by Captain Pcstchouroft' and myself T L ALASKA. 27 that in firing the salutes on the exchange of flags, the United States should lead off, in accordance with your instructions, and that there should be alternate guns from the American and Russian batteries, thus giving the flags of each nation a double national salute ; the naval salute being thus answered in the moment it was given. The troops were brought to ' present arms,' the signal given to fire the salute, and the ceremony was be- gun by lowering the Russian flag. The United States flag (the one given us for that purpose, by your direction from Washington) then began its ascent, and again the salutes were fired as before, the Russian water battery leading off. The flag was so hoisted that, in the instant it reached its place, the report of the last gun of the ' Ossippee ' reverberated from the mountains around. The salutes completed, Captain Pestchouroff said : " ' General Rousseau, by authority from His Majesty, the Emperor of Russia, I transfer to the United States the Territory of Alaska.' And, in as few words, I ac- knowledged the acceptance of the transfer, and the cere- mony was at an end. Cheers were then spontaneously given by the citizens present." — Seward in Washington — Seward, F. IV. The United States flag used upon the occasion is now deposited in the State Department at Washington. Of the ceremony, Mr. Petroff says : "The Princess Maksutof wept at the spectacle. * * * * The native Indians, in their canoes, witnessed it from a distance, listening stolidly to the booming of cannon, and gazing with indifference upon the descend- ing and ascending flags. Of the nature of the proceed- ings they had a faint and imperfect conception ; but one thing the}- did lealize — that the country they once ^il li 28 ALASKA. imagined their own was now being transferred to a strange people, by what must have appeared to them a strange ceremony." Many names, such as Sitka, Yukon, Aleutla, etc., were suggested for the new Territory, but Mr. Seward, with whom the final decision rested, chose Alaska as be- ing "brief, euphonious and suitable." The word is a corruption of Al-av-ek-sa — the name given by the native islanders to the mainland. Almost immediately after the annexation of the Terri- tory by the United States, the eastern boundary became the subject of informal discussion between this country and Great Britain, and in his annual message to Con- gress, December 2, 1872, President Grant recommended the appointment of a joint commission to fix the bound- ary, but Congress took no action, and the matter rested for several years. On May 17, 1886, President Cleve- land transmitted to Congress copies of correspondence between Secretary Bayard and Minister Phelps upon the subject, and recommended an appropriation of $100,000 to cover the expense of a preliminary survey of the frontier. Conferences between representatives of the two governments have been held since, but no joint re- sults have been reached. Surveying parties of both the United States and Canadian Governments have been at work independently along the 141st meridian, and their work closely agrees. At one point the difiference is but 6 feet 7 inches, and at another between 500 and 600 feet, and when a comparison of results is finally made, even closer approximation is expected. So far as the border marked by the 141st meridian west from Greenwich is concerned, the only difiiculty is the location of that me- ridian, which becomes more difiicult from the fact that ALASKA. 29 L the stars which are usually observed in such work are obscured during the working season of the year by the almost continuous daylight. That portion of the border which follows the chain of mountains parallel to the coast line is more difficult to survey, and its exact lo- cation on the ground is yet to be determined and marked. Shortly after the United States acquired the Territory, it was visited by General H. W. Halleck, United States Army, then in command of the Division of the Pacific, and on October 29th of that year Battery H, Second Artillery, and Company F, Ninth Infantry, under com- mand of Colonel Jefferson C. Davis, Twenty-third United States Infantry, took station at Sitka. General George H. Thomas succeeded General Hal- leck in command of the Division of the Pacific, and vis- ited the Territory in 1869. The transfer of Alaska Territory had taken place on October 18, 1867, but quar- ters for the troops were not available until the 29th. March 18, 1868, the Military Department of Alaska was created, with Colonel Jefferson C. Davis, Twenty-third United States Infantry, in command. In June of the same year the occupying force was increased by the ad- dition of Batteries E, F, G and I, of the Second Artillery. Continually from the time of original military occupa- tion, until 1877, different points in Alaska Territory were garrisoned by United States troops. The principal posts were Sitka, on Baranof Island ; Fort Tongass, on Tongass Island; Fort Wrangell, on Wrangell Island; and Fort Kadiac, on Kadiac (Kadiak) Island, in St. Paul's Harbor. The last troops were withdrawn from the Ter- ritory in June, 1877. During the ten years of military occupation, the following troops served in Alaska : A imimt ' 30 ALASKA. TROOPS. PROM TO 2d Artillery, C June 2, 1871 January 4, 1873 •* E April 29, 1868 October 7, 1870 " P August 2, 1868 October 3, 1870 " G June 6, 1868 September 18, 1880 • " H October 29, 1867 October 7, 1870 " H June 27, 1872 January 4, 1873 " I October 8, 1868 June 29, 1872 T4th " A June 14, 1876 June 15, 1877 " C December 28, 1872 August 18, 1874 *' D December 28, 1872 August 18, 1874 " F August 16, 1874 June 17, 1876 t •• G.. June 14, 1870 June 14, 1877 " t, August 16, 1874 June 17, 1876 T " M June 17, 1876 June 14, 1877 *9th Infantry, F October 29, 1867 May, 1869 2iBt *' B . .August 18, 1875 November 9, 1876 23d " E July 3, 1869 June 3, 1871 After the withdrawal of the troops in 1877, there was no mil- itary occupation of the Territory for two years. In May, 1879, there was a threatened outbreak of Indians, and the United States ship "Jamestown," Commander h. A. Beardsley, took station and remained about three years in Alas- kan waters to protect citizens and property. Efforts at survey- ing and exploration were made by the Navy, but the "James- town," being a sailing vessel, could not ascend the rivers, and little progress in the work was made. Since their entry into Alaskan waters, in 1879, naval forces have been maintained there. The vessels most notable in this service are the " Wachusett," " Adams," "Pinta," "Thetis" and "Alert." The revenue cutters "Bear," "Corwin" and "Rush" have performed nota- ble service in Alaskan waters in executing the laws and relieving distress. Concerning the service of the United States Marines in the Territory, Colonel Heywood, Commandant of the Corps, under date of November 16, 1897, says: "In August, 1884, a guard, consisting of one lieu- * First troops ordered to Alaska. tLast troops in Alaska. I .il ALASKA. 81 tenant and twenty enlisted men, was ordered to the U. S. S. " Pinta," stationed at Sitka, Alaska, and were quar- tered on shore in the old Russian barracks. The guatd was increased from time to time, as the necessities of the service required. " On June i, 1892, the Marine Barracks was finished, and a post was established, under the command of a captain. "On November 16, 1896, the strength of the com- mand was again increased to forty-four enlisted men, which is still the complement. " The duties of the command are to protect the Naval Storehouse and keep order in the Territory, looking out for the Indians, or any disturbance that may arise, upon the request of the Governor." In 1897, owing to the increased interest in Alaska, caused chiefly by the report of rich gold mines therein, the War Department dispatched a military force to the Territory to protect American citizens and render prr- '. aid, if necessary, to distressed travelers. Captair . . H. Ray, Eighth Infantry, accompanied by lyieutet at W. P. Richardson, of the same regiment, proceeded ni ad- vance to the Yukon country to investigate and rt^ -t existing conditions, and were followed by Lieutenant- Colonel George M. Randall, Eighth Infantry, with a small force of infantry, to Saint Michael, where they ar- rived October 9th, and a military post was established. A military reservation has been set aside, as described in the following order : "WAR DEPARTMENT, " Washington, October 20, 1897. " I. By authority of the President, the land known as St. Michael Island, Alaska, with all contiguous land (trJ ! !l ill i ii 32 ALASKA. and islands within one hundred miles of the location of the flagstaff of the present garrison on that island, is set aside from the public landsof the Territory of Alaska and declared a military reservation. " Parties who have, prior to the receipt of this order, located and erected buildings on the land so reserved, will not be disturbed in their use of lands, buildings and improvements, nor in the erection of structures needed for their business or residence. " 2. The military reservation above declared, and the military post located thereon, will be known as fort St. Michael, and will be under the control and supervision of the commanding officer of the troops there stationed. " R. A. Alger, " Secretary of War." Captain P. H. Ray has also selected a military reser- vation, ten miles square, at the mouth of the Tanana River, and posted the same.* No important effort at exploration, and no informa- tion concerning the interior further chan that gf.ined from accounts by natives and prospectors, was obtained until the spring of 1883, when Brigadier-General (now Major-General) Nelson A. Miles, commanding the De- partment of the Columbia, ordered his aide-de-camp. Lieutenant F. Schwatka, Third Cavalry, to Alaska to make a military reconnaissance of the Territory. Lieu- tenant Schwatka, with his party, seven in all, left Port- land, Oregon, May 22, 1883, and proceeded by steamer to the Alexander Archipelago, where a couple of weeks were .spent in becoming acquainted with the various bands of Thlinket Indians, who inhabit the islands and coast. They then ascended to Dyea Inlet, crossed over *I- De- partment, are present to enforce the provisions of the law. There are two fish-hatcheries, one at Karluk. where 5,500,000 cggi^ were .secured, and the other on Etholiu Island, which produced over 2,000,000 eggs. Next in importance to the salmon-fishing industry is the codfish business, which has been carried on about the Aleutian Islands and in Behring Sea since 1S65. The catch in 1890 amounted to a total of 1,138,000 fish, valued at $569,000. Since the beginning of the busi- ness in 1865, there have been taken 25,723,000 fish, valued at $ 1 2,86 1 ,650. The cod banks in Alaskan waters, though known to be of wide extent, have not been suf- ficiently surveyed to exactly define their limits. Shum- agin Bank, just south of the island of the same name, covers a1:>out 4,400 scjuare miles ; Slime Bank, north of Unimak Island, has an area of 1,445 square miles; Alba- tross Bank, .southeast of Kadiak, extends over 2.900 square miles; Bainl Bank, north of the Alaskan Penin- II ^ 7fi ALAHKA. ii(i ill' V ; III sula, covers an area of 9,200 square miles, while the great Portland Bank, northeast of Kadiak, though not surveyed, is of great area. Over all the cod banks there are from fifteen to fifty fathoms of water, with fine, gray sand bottom. At Kilisnoo there is " The Alaska Oil and Guano Company," giving employment to about 100 men, half of whom are white, the remainder Indians and China- men. They have vessels and appliances for taking fish. In 1 89 1 the product of this factory was 300,000 barrels of oil, 800 tons of guano, and 700 barrels of salt salmon. The oil is worth about 30 cents per gallon and the guano $30 per ton. In 1896 the product of this factory was 25,750 barrels, 90,650 gallons of oil, 550 tons of guano, 700 half-barrels of salt herring ; total value, $38,000. The chief source of the product is the herring, which is rich in oil, and very abundant in the still waters at differ- ent places from August to February. Its flesh is highly esteemed as food, and is also used as bait for taking hali- but and other large fish. Halibut are plentiful throughout the entire year in Southern, Central and Western Alaskan waters. They range in weight from 15 to 250 pounds, those weighing 50 to 75 pounds being preferred. In the Yukon are found the grayling, white fish and burbot (known in Alaska as the " losh ") in great num- bers. In Southeastern Alaska black bass are abundant, and pike and trout are found in nearly all the streams. In 1893 the investment in the Alaskan fishing industry, including cash capital, vessels, buildings, etc., amounted to $2,609,650. The whaling business has been carried on in the I >l ALASiKA. t i ^i waters adjacent to Alaska for many years. Governor Knapp, in his report for 1892, says: " The whaling business, in which 48 vessels are en- gaged, resulted in a catch for 1891 of 12,228 barrels of oil, 186,250 pounds of bone, and 1,000 pounds of ivory. The total value was $1,218,293." In the eighteen years from 1874 to 1891, inclusive, the whale catch was 318,917 barrels of oil, 4,931,950 pounds of bone, and 272,410 pounds of ivory. With regard to the mineral resources of Alaska, we have but little information, and, owing to the difficulties attending the careful survey of the country, much time must elapse before accurate knowledge can be obtained, or any great development expected. Gold, silver, copper, lead and iron have been found ; extensive coal and iron fields are known to exist, and oil is reported. In the Copper River country the Indians display articles of pure copper, and the metal is said to be very abundant. According to Professor J. Edward Spurr, of the United States Geological Survey, pure native silver is frequently found, and the metal is widely diffused in combination with gold. In 1896 the silver yield of the Territory was valued at $45,798. The Yukon country also produced considerable platinum. The gold produc- tion will be referred to in a .separate chapter. < ii h fi ALASKA. 7}> Chapter VII. GOLD -DISCOVERY, DISSEMINATION AND PRODUCT. " Heaven's pavctneHt here is stored — uubunned heaps of hid- den treasure." Gold* ha.s been found in greater or less quantities over a wide expanse of country in Alaska and adjacent terri- torj'. The exact date of its discovery is uncertain. A Russian engineer named Doroshin discovered the metal in small quantities on the Kenai Peninsula in 1848 and continued his explorations in 1850- r, without, however, finding anything of sufficient importance to attract attention. In i860, it is said, an employee of the Hudson Bay Company stumbled on to some gold, but the facts were not made public ; possibly the fur company feared an immigration which would develop the country and de- stroy their monopoly. Certain it is that no knowledge of rich deposits existed at the lime the United States ac- quired the Territory, and Mr. William C. Greenfield, in United States Census Reports for 1890, referring to the Yukon River district, says : *Golfl is valued as follows : I ounce troy, pure gold, is worth $ 20.67 I dwt. troy, pure gold, is worth 1.03 I grain troy, pure gold, is worth .04J I ounce avoirdupois, pure gold, is worth 18.84 1 pound avoirdupois, pure gold, is worth 3''i 37 I ton, 2,000 pounds, pure gold, is worth 602,737.20 ,,,: ■,'iu ^> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1^128 |2.5 |50 ■^~ ■■■ 1^ 1^ 12.2 I.I I."" 1^ 1.8 11-25 111.4 lil.6 y V <^ ^ /2 o^ J^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 I 4 IMF I 80 ALASKA. . A iii " Mining cannot be called a success in the Yukon up to the present time. Since the first excitement in 1886, there have been but few instances of individuals taking more than $2,000 for two or three seasons' work." Perhaps the first white prospector to penetrate the in- terior was George Holt, who crossed the mountains for the express purpose of gold-hunting in 1878; but little is known of the route he traveled, except that he de- scended the chain of lakes back of Dyea and entered the Hootalinqua River country by way of the Indian trails. He found gold, but not in sufficient quantity to encour- age him in further effort. Lix-'utenant Allen, United States Army, in 1885 found "color" at the mouth of Copper River, and for many years Indians have brought out of the Copper River dis- trict furs, copper and gold, but the region has not been explored by white men. Gold was discovered near Sitka in 1879, and in 1880 Joseph Juneau discovered gold near the town which now bears his name. The same year Edward Bean organized an expedition, which set out from Sitka, crossed over the Chilkoot Pass to Lake lyindeman, where boats were constructed in which the party descended the Lewis River as far as the Hootalinqua. They discovered gold, but only in such small quantities that men could not make, on an average, more than $2,15 per day. About this time numerous small parties began to make their way over the somewhat familiar Chilkoot triil and to push further and further into the interior, down the large rivers ard up their tributaries. All of them found gold, but a party of miners in 1881 were the first to find it in really pa> ing quantities in the Yukon Valley. They went to the mouth of the Salmon River and ascended ALASKA. 81 that stream for 200 miles and found gold on every bar. The Lewis River, Stewart River and Cassiar Bar, until recently the richest deposits in the Yukon country, were located in 1885. Miller Creek was located in 1892. All these Yukon Valley points are in British territory, but in 1886 the prospectors carried their operations across the boundary line and found gold in Alaska on Forty- Mile Creek and its tributaries, Glacier Creek, Poker Creek, Davis Creek, etc., in such quantities as to cause the desertion of the Canadian fields further up the val- leys; Birch Creek was prospected with good results in 1893, and about 100 claims were staked out along its course; in 1895 Eagle Creek, its tributary, was discov- ered. A prolonged drouth in the summer of 1896 caused a suspension of work in the Forty-Mile district for want of water. Al' these American diggings continued to be worked with profit until the sensational discoveries by George W. Carmach in August, 1896, on the Klondike* River and its tributaries, made that hitherto unheard-of region the center of the worlds mining interest and at- tracted the attention of all civilized countries. Forty- mile Creek takes its name from the fact that it enters the Yukon about that dist&nce below Fort Reliance, an abandoned trading-post. It will always be interesting as the point where the first genuine placer gold-mining ex- citement in Alaska started. The stream, almost if not wholly in Alaska, is about 250 miles long, with many tributaries, all bearing gold, it is said, in paying quanti- ties. Sixty-Mile Creek, which is nearly all in British territory, enters the Yukon about 50 miles above the mouth of the Klondike, and has given good yields. *Klondike is a corruption of the Indian word " Troau-dik," or " Thronduik," meaning plenty of fish. It my 1«: mi -l/ 82 ALASKA. li 1 At nearly every point in the Territory where search has been made gold, in greater or less quantities, has been found. From all of the streams so far prospected come reports of gold deposits ; fine dust far down the streams, growing coarser as the head-waters are ap- proached, leading to the belief that rich placer deposits, if not the " mother lode," are to be found somewhere up the gulches, which the empiricism and endurance of the American miner will combine to locate.* The data at hand seems to show a placer gold-belt covering an area of over 700 square miles, extending in Alaska for 300 miles westward from the border across the Yukon Val- ley and including all the tributaries of that stream. Most of this area remains to be prospected ; for its development and extension, if any, we must look to the explorations sure to follow the present interest and excitement. Gold- bearing quartz in ledges has also been found in different places, and there have been extensive stamp-mills profita- bly operated on Douglass Island for many years, where the ore, though of low grade, appears inexhaustible. The Cook's Inlet district produced $120,000 in 1896. Mining districts are organized on Kadiak Island and Portage Bay. The estimated product of the Yukon placers in 1890 was $50,000, and the amount was doubled the following year. The product of Alaskan creeks in 1893 was $198,000; in 1894 it had increased to 409,000; in 1895 the amount was given as $778,609, of which $709,000 was from the Yukon district. The production of the Yukon district for 1896, including United States and British territory, is estimated at $1,400,000, In 1897 civilization received news of the great wealth in the Klondike region, and estimates of the gold brought out *Since the above writing comes an unverified report of the discovery of the "mother lode." ALAfiKA. 83 varied from $6,000,000, by Mr. R. E. Preston, Director of the Mint at Washington, to $10,000,000, by H. C. Mcintosh, Governor of the Northwest Territory (Brit- ish). Dr. Sheldon Jackson, long a resident of Alaska, and an authority upon matters concerning it, says the newspaper reports of its vast wealth have not been over- estimated, but warns people against rushing into the country without thorough preparation to withstand the hardships and privations. Of the Yukon district, Professor J. Edward Spurr, of the United States Geological Survey, says : " The Yukon districts lie in a broad belt of gold-pro- ducing rocks, having a considerable width, and extend- ing in a general east- and- west direction for several hun- dred miles. Throughout this belt occui quartz veins which carry gold, but, so far as yet found out, the ore is of low grade, and a large proportion of the veins have been so broken by movements in the rocks that they cannot be followed. For this reason the mines in the bed rock cannot be worked, except on a large scale with improved machinery, and even such operations are im- possible until the general conditions of the country in reference to transportation and supplies are improved. " Through the gold bearing rocks the streams have cut deep gullies and canyons, and in their beds the gold which was contained in the rocks which have been worn away is concentrated, so that from a large amount of very low-grade rock there may be formed in places a gravel sufficiently rich in gold to repay washing. All the mining which is done in this country therefore con- sists in the washing out of these gravels. " In each gulch prospectors are at liberty to stake out claims not already taken, the size of the claim being de- termined by vote of all the miners in each gulch, accord- fSM IB I ill hm 'Kfia ii "i'm i mm Ml, -4 iilliiiilk m^'- 84 ALASKA. ing to the richness of the gravel. The usual length of a claim is about 500 feet along the stream, and the total width of the gulch bed, which is ordinarily narrow. When a prospector has thus staked out his claim, it is re- corded by one of the miners, who is elected by his fel- lows in each gulch for that purpose, and this secures him sufficient title. The miners' laws are practically the en- tire government in these districts, for the remoteness prevents any systematic communication being carried on with the United States. All questions and disputes are settled by miners' meetings, and the question in dispute is put to popular vote. " In prospecting the elementary method of panning is used to discover the presence of gold in gravel, but after a claim is staked and systematic work begun, long sluice-boxes are built of boards, the miners being obliged to fell the trees themselves and saw out the lumber with whip-saws, a very laborious kind of work. The depth of gravel in the bottom of the gulches varies from i foot up to 20 or 30 feet, and when it is deeper than the latter figure it can not be worked. " The upper part of the gravel is barren, and the pay- dirt lies directly upon the rock beneath, and is generally very thin. To get at this pay-dirt all the upper gravel must be shoveled off, and this preliminary work often requires an entire season, even in a very small claim. When the gravel is deeper than a certain amount, say 10 feet, the task of removing it becomes formidable. In this case, the pay-dirt can sometimes be got at in the winter season, when the gravel is frozen hard, by sink- ing shafts through the gravel and drifting along the pay- dirt." " Prospecting in this country," says Mr. Wilson (Guide to Yukon Gold-Fields), " is very difficult, owing to ALASKA. 85 the character of the surface, the general formation being soft, the hills having been worn smooth by glacial ac- tion, which left a layer of dirt over the whole country to a depth of from 5 to 1 5 feet. This is frozen the whole year, with the exception of a few inches on the surface. The method of prospecting is usually carried on by sink- ing a number of holes to bed-rock across the bed of the creek, or cross-cutting it by a tunnel and testing the dirt every few feet by panning, thus locating the pay- streak. After a creek has been prospected, the glacial drift must be removed. The trees and roots are taken away and a stream of water turned on, which, with the help of the sun, in time bares the pay-streak. The course of the water is then turned along the hillside, a dam built and sluice-boxes erected. These are made with corrugated bottoms, which catch and retain the gold. They are given a grade regulated by the coarseness of the gold ; if the gold is fine, the grade is slight ; if coarse, a greater pitch can be given, which is preferable, as more dirt can be handled. The lack of water in these gulches proves a great hindrance in many cases. The seasons are dry, and only the glacial drip of the hills can be depended upon. " A method lately adopted, by which raining can be done in winter, has proved profitable, besides doing away with the long period of idleness. This is called burning, and is done by drifting, melting away the frost by fire and taking out only the pay-dirt, leaving the glacial drift and surface intact. The pay-dirt thus removed is easily washed in the sp^-iag, when water is plenty." When the thawing process reaches the pay-streak, a noxious gas similar ta fire-damp is generated, which must be removed or greatly diluted with fresh air before entering the shaft. .mi tiisl ■,^' if M :i'\ !!ii inii I'P 90 ALASKA. electric lights. It is said to be a good outfitting-point. From Juneau there is still about loo miles of salt water journey to Dyea, at the head of Lynn Canal, one of the long, narrow inlets so common on the Alaska coast. This part of the trip takes twelve hours. There is at Dyea, besides a trading-post, which offers the last chance short of Fort Selkirk to supply forgotten arti- cles, a village of from 200 to 300 Chilkoot Indians, who make a business of packing miners' outfits over the mountains, a distance of from twenty-seven to thirty-two miles, according to choice of routes. Some white con- tractors are there also, who maintain a pack-train of horses over the first twelve miles of the distance. Sleds and dogs to pull them can also be purchased; single dogs are valued at from $25 to $125 ; from six to twelve dogs are hitched to a sled and can travel about fifteen miles per day with a load of 100 pounds for each animal. The only dogs suitable for this work are those found in the Territory. Animals imported from milder climates soon succumb to the rigors of the Alaska winter. Some men draw their own loaded sleds and are able to trans- port in this manner by doubling up, it is said, from 500 to 1,000 pounds at a trip. Upon leaving Juneau the traveler has the choice of three routes, viz. : Chilkoot Pass, which has been quite generally used. It is 3,500 feet high, with a sharp pitch of about 600 feet near the crest, in which, at times, every step must be cut in the ice, though sheep, cattle and horses have occasionally been taken over the summit.* Wood has to be carried for any fire required for the one night almot-t certain to be spent on the trail. The crest of this pass is about ♦Since this writing the War Department has been informed that by February i, 1898, a man named Hugh Wallace wouid have a trolley line in operation over the Chilkoot Pass. ALASKA. 91 ted to )Ut lued lave fifteen miles from Dyea, and a portion of the road has been corduroyed. In summer it is best to leave Dyea about 6 o'clock in the evening, as that will bring the traveler to the snow near the crest at a time in the morn- ing when there will probably be a crust thick enough to bear a man's weight. The descent toward the interior is much easier than the ascent, as the grade is not so steep. White Pass, or Moore's Pass, as it is sometimes called, is i,ooo feet lower than Chilkoot Pass, is passable at all sea- sons of the year, and wood is everywhere plentiful. From Skagua, the starting-point, there is a toll-road over White Pass which has been very recently constructed at a cost of $ioo>ooo; the road is raid to be practicable for wagons, but the rates of toll have not yet been established. Chil- kat Pass, 3,000 feet above the sea and about 45 miles from the coast, sometimes referred to as the Dalton trail, is also available, but there is little information concern- ing it beyond the fact that it is a land route to Fort Sel- kirk and is supposed to be about 150 miles shorter than the distance by the lakes and rivers. The cost of freighting across the mountains has been from five to fifty cents per pound, but if the rush continues, as is quite likely, and with reason to expect an increase, the prices v.ill undoubtedly rise to such a figure that more men than heretofore will be compelled, owing to lack of funds, to do their own packing. One hundred pounds is about the most that the average man can pack, though ic is said that uome Indians make good time with twice that weight. Two hundred pounds is the usual load for the ordinary pack animal. As nothing less than i ,000 pounds will include an outfit for one man, it will require from thre.' weeks to one month for him to pack it across the mountain himself. Once over either the Chilkoot or White Pass, the de- m-)^ hi \Vau ' [SJ. m ■ 'I! 92 ALASKA. !lli scent of the lakes and rivers to the gold-fields begins. For this part of the trip a boat is necessary and must be either purchased or constructed. But few, so far, have been for sale, though it is said parties are at work pre- paring a supply ; single boats cost from $275.00 to $300.00. However, the tools requisite for boat-building are so much a necessity in a new country that no one should think of starting in without them. Four men can, with proper tools, if handy in their use, take the standing spruce, whip-saw out the lumber and make a boat large enough to carry themselves and their 4,000 pounds of baggage, in a couple of weeks. There are at time of writing* two pits for whip-sawing at Lake [Lindeman, but suitable timber is scarce, and can not be secured much under three or four miles. At Lake Bennett there is a saw-mill, operated by Americans, and lumber is plentiful. The boat usually constructed is about twenty- two feet long and four and a half to five feet wide. It must be strong and stiff to endure the storms on the lakes and the tossing about it will receive in the rapids. A sail should be provided to steady the boat and take ad- vantage of any wind, and the same canvass will be found in many ways useful in camp. There will be times when, owing to shallow water, ice or rapids, the boat will have to be lightened, or hauled out of the water entirely, and carried along with the baggage to the next navigable water. This is called portage and is a slow and laborious process, well calculated to test the patience and endur- ance of the travelers. After passing through Lake Lindeman there is a portage of about a mile, around a short, rapid and dangerous bit of water, to Lake Bennett ; then, following Lake Bennett to Lake Tagish, at the foot of which is a small permanent Indian village, and Marsh ♦November, 1897. I m-' ALASKA. 93 Lake or Mud I^ake, the voyager finds himself at the head of Miles Caiion, where begins three miles of indescrib- ably rough water, terminating in White Horse Rapids, where the waters rush through the narrow gorge at a terrific rate, variously estimated at from fifteen to thirty miles an hour. To pass these rapids it is customary to unload and carry most of the freight to some point be- low and then let down the boats by ropes, keeping close to shore. No novice in water craft should attempt to pilot his boat through these waters, though for ex- perienced boatmen they are said not to be especially dangerous.* It is to be expected that the demand for their services will bring to this point men who will make a business of taking boats through, and the travelers will have to decide for themselves whether they will portage around the rapids, pay the pilot charges, or take the chances of losing their outfits and perhaps their lives. Further down the river will be encountered Five Finger Rapids, and three miles further Rink Rapids, neither of which are considered very dangerous. Just below White Horse Rapids opens to view Lake Le Barge, 35 miles long. About the foot of this lake, on the left-hand side, and for 200 miles down the Lewis River, is one of the best game regions known in the Northwest, where moose and mountain sheep a year ago, and in all pre- vious years, abounded. In the river's course will be found many timbered islands, and if the time can be spared, a week or two might be well spent in hunting, to supply meat and cutting building logs for rafting down the river, when, if not wanted for the owner's use, they will readily sell at a good price at Dawson City or other points. *Alfred J. Daly, Assistant United States AMorney for the District of Alaska. t4j m m ::\ hllJ il"t ir.i Hi i !? ■i '!' '3 It fif 04 -ILASfJTl. The distances from Seattle, by way of Chilkoot Pass (and very little difiference for either of the other passes back of Dyea) are, according to figures considered reli- able, about as follows : Seattle to Juneau 899 miles Juneau to Haines 80 miles Haines to Dyea 26 miles Dyea to Sheep Camp iij4 miles Sheep Camp to crest Chilkoot miles Pass 3^ miles Crest to Codler I^ake 4 miles Portage to Long Lake 3^ miles Long Lake 2}4 miles Portage to Deep Lake . ^ miles Deep Lake i}4 miles Portage to Lake Lindeman 2}4 miles Total, Dyea to Lake Linde- man 31^ miles Portage to Lake Bennett i mile Through Lake Bennett 30 miles Lake Bennett to mouth of McClin- tock River 45 miles Mouth of McClintock River to White Horse Rapids 28 miles White Horse Rapids to Lake Le Barge 28 miles Through Lake Le Barge 31 miles LakeLe Barge to mouth of Hootalin- qua River 33 miles Hootalinqua River to Little Salmon River 70 miles Little Salmon River to Five-Finger Rapids 61 miles Five-Finger Rapids to Rink Rapids 3 miles Rink Rapids to mouth of Pelly River 56 miles Pelly River to Upper Ramparts. ... 120 miles Upper Ramparts to Ogilvie 20 miles Ogilvie to Dawson City, about 100 miles Total 1 ,662^ miles ALASKA. 95 1 h Mr. William Ogilvie, I^and Surveyor for the Canadian Government, makes the distance from the head of canoe navigation to Dawson City 575.70 miles. From San Francisco to Juneau is about 1,596 miles by water. The trip from Juneau to Dawson City requires from 23 to 28 days if no serious delays are experienced. The great rush through Chilkoot Pass and conse- quent blockading of the way has led to the investigation of other possible routes from Juneau to the head-waters of the Yukon. One of the ways recommended is known as the Taku Route. The entrance to Taku Inlet, from which the route takes its name, is about twelve miles south of Juneau and is navigable to ocean vessels for eighteen miles, to the mouth of the Taku River. This river is navigable for canoes at all stages of water for 58 miles, to the mouth of Nakinah River, where there is a portage of 70 miles in a northeasterly direction to Lake Teslin. From here, Dawson City, 598 miles distant, can be reached by boat with comparative ease and the dan- gerous Miles Cafion and White Horse Rapids are avoided. The total distance from Juneau to Dawson by > . Taku route is about the same as that over the passes back of Dyea. The fourth route is the Stikine River Route, by way of that river to Telegraph Creek ; thence to Lake Teslin, where it joins the Taku Route. The trail has already been cut through from Telegraph Creek to Lake Teslin, a distance of 150 miles, and is said to be practicable for pack-trains, and with some work done on it, even for wagons. The Stikine River is navigable for the entire 140 miles, to the mouth of Telegraph Creek. The ap- proximate di.stances from Seattle to Dawson City over the Stikine Route are reported to be as follows . .•'■'111 m ! 8/'' ti ; V. 111 VI (i ' , d 1 !i''' 1 '■ 96 ALASKA. Seattle to Fort Wrangell 750 miles Fort Wrangell up Stikine River to Telegraph Creek 150 miles Tele2,xaph Creek to Lake Teslin (overland) . . 150 miles Lake Teslin to Dawson City, through that lake to Hootalinqua, Lewis and Yukon rivers 598 miles Total 1,648 miles A route by the way of the Copper River Valley and the White River Valley is also suggested. Lieutenant Allen reports the Copper River not navigable, though it is navigated by the natives ; he ascended its left bank to the mouth of the Slana, then traveling by the way of Lake Susldto across the divide (4,500 feet above the sea) to the Tanana River ; that stream he reached in approxi- mate latitude 63° 24', and longitude about 143° 40', as taken from his chart of the route. From this place he indicates two trails, and from a point a few miles down the Tanana a third, all leading toward the White River. Or the trail may follow up the Copper, Chittyua and Chittestone rivers, thence across the Scoloi Pass to the head-waters of the White River. Captain P. H. Ray, United States Army, who has been sent by the Government into the Klondike for the purpose of making recommendations for the betterment of affairs there, reports " a practical route from the Tan- ana across the divide to the head of Cook's Inlet, via the head of Copper River," and expresses the opinion that "as soon as the development of the Territory will justify, this will be the shortest and most practicable route for railroad communication with the open sea. With rail communication from the head of Cook's Inlet to the Tanana the commerce of the whole Yukon Valley ALASKA. 97 could be controlled by routes lying wholly in our own territory." A company of American capitalists is con- sidering the advisability of constructing a railroad along this route. There is also a trail to the Tanana by way of the Copper and Slano River valleys through the Mentasta Pass. Trails also connect the Copper River and Sush- nita rivers, and the latter with the Kuskokwim. The natives have regular camping-stations along the Copper River. It is about no miles from the head of canoe navigation on the Copper River to the head of naviga- tion on the White River. The distance by steamer from Seattle to Copper River is 1,150 miles, and from the mouth of Copper River to Dawson would be between 500 and 550 miles, following the windings of the streams and valleys. There are said to be no rapids on White River and plenty of timber along the route. Distances by this route are about as follows : Mouth of Copper River to mouth of Chittyua River 115 miles Mouth of Chittyua River to Scoloi Pass 100 miles Scoloi Pass to head of White River 30 miles Head of White River (navigable for small boats) 300 miles 545 There is also a pass back of Yakutat Bay reached by crossing over to and following up the Alsek River and crossing over to the White River, where the Copper River route is joined. There is an Indian trail over this route, and by it the distance from Sitka to Dawson is about 500 miles. From a point, Unalaklik, on Norton Sound, where there is a Swedish Mission (35 miles direct, or 55 miles by the coast, from St. Michael), there is a trail only 50 ?ii-:V il \ r > s ^^^H ; ^' '■ii^ '4i .!i- vy M 'I ■ '3' m II l! IjhHV pi 1 98 ALASKA. miles long, followed by lyieutenant Allen, by the way of the Unalaklik and Autokakat rivers, to the Yukon, which it strikes nearly 400 miles from the latter's mouth. In addition to these United States routes, there is ak « an inland Canadian route, which is said to possess some advantages, and might be called a sort of " back door " route. It follows the old Hudson Bay Company's main trail to the north. An advantageous starting-point would bo St. Paul, Minnesota. In going by this route the traveler leaves the railroad at Edmonton, Northwest Territory; thence overland forty miles to Athabaska I^anding by stage. There the prospector must provide himself with a canoe, and he will have continuous water passage by way of Athabaska L,ake, Great Salt I^ake and down the Mackenzie River to its mouth. From the mouth of the Mackenzie the Peel River is ascended, and then by portage across the Rocky Mountains to the Stewart River, which opens the way to the Klondike. The distances on this route, as given by the Hudson Bay Company and taken from railroad time-tables, are as follows : St. Paul to Edmonton 1,232 miles Edmonton to Athabaska Landing 40 miles Athabaska Landing to Fort McMurray 240 miles Fort McMurray to Fort Chippewa 185 miles Fort Chippewa to Smith Landing 102 miles Smith Landing to Fort Smith 16 miles Fort Smith to Fort Resolution 194 miles Fort Resolution to Fort Providence 168 miles Fort Providence to Fort Simpson 161 miles Fort Simpson to Fort Wrigley 136 miles Fort Wrigley to Fort Norman 1 84 miles Fort Norman to Fort Goodhope 174 miles Te La ove ALASKA. 99 Fort Goodhope to Fort McPherson 282 miles Fort McPherson to Dawson City (estimated) 250 miles Total 3,364 miles There are several portages on this route, it is said, ranging in distance from a few hundred yards in length to about forty miles. Sixty days would be necessary to reach Fort McPherson. For the trip, birch-bark canoes of almost any size up to three tons burden can be se- cured of the Indians at Athabaska ; but in case they are used, Indian pilots should be taken along to manage them and keep them in repair. This trip requires about three months' time and costs in the neighborhood of $300, ex- clusive of tools, food, clothing, etc. There is another overland Canadian route from Ash- croft, a small trading-station on the Canadian Pacific Railroad about 250 miles from the coast, by wagon and pack-animals over the old telegraph trail tol^ake Teslin, where boats must be secured to continue the journey by water to the Yukon country. The distances, as near as can be learned, over this route, are : St. Paul, Minn., to Ashcroft 1,571 miles Ashcroft to Soda Creek 165 miles Soda Creek to Quesnelle 60 miles Quesnelle to Hazleton 365 miles Hazleton to Nasse River 50 miles Nasse River to Telegraph Creek 100 miles Telegraph Creek to Lake Teslin 1 20 miles Lake Teslin to Dawson City 598 miles Total 3,029 miles Various schemes, projecting railroads, trolley lines, over-head car lines, pack-horse lines and improved K" i ;i ] ,'f. 100 ALASKA. MU wagon roads to the Alaska gold-fields, are talked of, but as yet few of them have assumed anything approaching definite shape, and only the developments of the future can determine what will result. The exact amount of money required to get a pas- senger from the Pacific Coast to the Alaska gold-fields can not be definitely stated, as so much depends upon the route selected and the individual's idea of what is necessary; but from reports and estimates from a variety of the best sources, it seems certain that there will be re- quired at least $150 for transportation and $100 more if the Yukon River route is selected; $150 to $200 for a mining outfit aud a stock of provisions ; then, prudence would suggest at least $250 to provide against possible misfortune. Heretofore communication between the outside world and the interior of Alaska has been uncertain and expensive, as letters were carried by private parties at a rate, it is reported, of $1.00 per letter, but the Post OSice Department* has established monthly service for all classes of mail matter between Juneau and Circle Cit)' (a distance of over 900 miles), and through coopera- tion with the Canadian Government an international ex- change has been established between Dyea and Dawson City, with one round trip per month. The coast and river steamers carry the mail to and from the usual points touched. The extension and betterment of the service is contemplated to meet the requirement of any increased population, and through it the hardship of enforced non intercourse with civilization will be greatly relieved. *For list of Post Ofi5ces in Alaska see Appendix G. ALASKA. 101 if Chapter IX. MINERS' OUTFITS * " There is wisdom in preparation, for sorrow besets the path of the thoughtless." Equipment for mining in Alaska is an important item, but little understood by amateur prospectors, and the character of its composition will materially affect results. It must be borne in mind that the trip to the gold- fields, however plentiful the metal may be, must result in failure, unless the miner's health be preserved. ' V, must see to it himself that his body is well and warmly clad, and properly nourished with wholesome food. All reports agree that the game in the country can in no way be depended upon as a safe source of food- supply. In the spring of the year water-fowl appear in considerable abimdance. Caribou, moose and mountain sheep and a few bear and some smaller animals are oc- casionally met with at all seasons. Speaking upon this subject, Mr. William Ogilvie, who has spent several years in the Yukon country, says : " For animal food there are the caribou and the moose, but the moose are never within 30 or 40 miles of the mines, so that it takes two or three days' going from the camps to hunt them. There are, too, white mountain sheep, pure white in color, but otherwise resembling *See Appendix D. l^W ' . ■mi iiiiE 102 ALASKA. HI- mm : i fM very much in appearance those once found in more southern latitudes, but with a finer horn, more finely curved. The caribou, although they roam over the land in vast herds, are migratory in their nature, and are very rarely found two successive seasons in the same place. The natural products of the country, as a food-supply, may be said to be valueless when compared with the de- mand which will soon exist for it there. It might, in- deed, be said that all food will have to be imported. In the river are some small fish resembling the grayling, and the salmon annually make their way up as far as the canon, some 2,000 miles from the sea." In summer there is a variety and abundance of native berries, especially cranberries and "salmon" berries. Alaska is, generally speaking, a healthy country. The diseases most frequently met with in the Yukon country are dyspepsia, anaemia, scurvy, caused by im- properly cooked food, sameness of diet, overwork, want of fresh vegetables, over-heated and badly ventilated houses ; rheumatism, pneumonia, bronchitis, inflamma- tion of the bowels, or bladder, and other diseases brought on by exposure to wet and cold ; debility and chronic diseases brought on by excesses. Venereal dis- eases are common, especially among the natives. For healthy persons, pneumonia and scurvy are the most dreaded. The cause and symptoms of pneumonia are so well known that no descriptions are necessary. Scurvy results from the excessive dietary of cereals and preserved meats. Fresh vegetables and lime-juice are preventives, and also the cure,* but they act slowly. ♦Alkaline salts, such as carbonate of soda, carbonate of pot- ash and a variety of others, are also used as remedies, but they are liable to deteriorate and become worthless. J1^ ALASKA. 103 y- The symptoms of scurvy come on gradually, being rec- ognized by failure of strength and exhaustion at slight exertion ; the countenance becomes sallow or dusky, the eyes sunken, and constant pains are felt in all the mus- cles. After some weeks, utter prostration ensues ; the mouth and gums become sore and the teeth drop out ; the breath is extremely offensive; finally, dark spots and swellings appear on the body, with bleeding irom the raucous membranes. Then painful and destructive ul- cers break out on the limbs ; finally, diarrhoea, or pul- rao lary or kidney trouble, may prove fatal. But even in desperate cases a return to a diet of fresh vegetables, or even lime-juice, will effect a cure. lyime-juice has driven scurvy from the ocean, where it was formerly the dread of every long voyage. Old miners have learned from experience to value health more than gold, and they therefore spare no ex- pense in procuring the best and most varied outfit of food that can be obtained. The severity of the climate will call for extra heavy clothing and increase the quantity of food necessary. As to what is required, it is better to be guided by the testimony of tuose who have been there than to rely upon the opinions of so-called experts at home. Opin- ions as to exactly what articles constitute an outfit are as various as the individuals who utter them. Hundreds of men who have had experience in this far northern climate have made up what they consider practical lists of food necessaries, which have appeared in the public press, and any one of them, doubtless, would meet the strict requirements of necessity. An analysis of twenty or more of such lists showed that individual tastes had largely governed in the choice and quantity of articles. ilV -If if ■\ ■<,} ■ m n I I! El I r ■ill': Ihifljll^l 104 ALASKA. Their composi*^iou differed greatly, and varied in quantity from three and one-half to five and one-half pounds per man per day. In selecting food articles those highly carbonaceous in character, such as salt pork, beans, flour, corn meal, oat meal, etc., should predominate. With the scarcity of fresh meat, vegetables and fruit, the danger of scurvy is increased, and antl scorbutics should be provided in liberal proportions. Tea, in the main, is preferable to coffee, owing to its lightness and the ease with which it is prepared. One pound of tea is about equal for drinking purposes to seven pounds of coffee, though the latter possesses some food- value, while tea is only a stimulant. Chocolate is very palatable and ex- ceedingly nourishing. In place of sugar, saccharin may, if desired, be substituted, one ounce of saccharin being equal in sweetening power to thirty-three and one-half pounds of sugar. The only advantage gained, however, by such substitution would be a reduction in weight of baggage, as saccharin only sweetens, while sugar f r 1 Hi! i ■■ :. ■ f ■ ■ li 11 i i 1 ! 1 ! i t '\ ' Hi) . hi 108 ALASKA. OUNCES. Hard bread i6. Bacon lo. Pea meal 4. Coflfee, roasted and ground, with 4 grains saccha- rin (or tea ^ ounce, with 4 grains saccharin). 2. Salt 64 Pepper 04 Tobacco 5 Net weight, with coflfee 33- ' 8 Net weight, with tea 31.68 While this ration is capable of maintaining the hu- man body in a healthy condition, under severe physical strain, for an indefinite period, it is not issued for an emergency expected to last more than five days, and the quantity intended for that period may be made to last twice the time, without material deterioration of the body ; its continued use, without the addition of anti- scorbutics, would, however, tend to the production of scurvy. A better form of tent than the 10x12 rectangular afiFair is the United States Army conical tent, made of I20unce duck. It is very commodious, easy to pitch, staunch when in position, and is so arranged that the pipe for the stove ser\'es as the center-pole. Camp cook- ing is an art acquired only through experience, and as some sort of stove seems necessary, it would be well to select some form of camp cooking-stove which is easily transported and will answer equally well out of doors or in a tent or building. All the articles requisite for mining and subsistence could possibly be purchased at Dawson City, Forty-Mile or one of the trading-posts, but there is no certainty in the matter, and *f reports be true, prices there range from two to five times the prices ALASKA. 109 charged for the same articles in Seattle, Juneau, or other Pacific coast outfitting points. The foregoing list of supplies is prepared for those intending entering the fields by way of the passes back of Dyea. If the trip is made by water, the oakum and pitch may be omitted; also some of the tools. The boats that run up the Yukon are operated by companies who have storehouses in Circle City, Fort Cudahy, Forty-Mile, Dawson City and other points. These transportation and trading companies will not, it is said, transport food-supplies for their passengers, and for that reason they limit baggage to 150 pounds, as else- where stated, and the traveler is obliged to buy his out- fit at one of the trading-stores in the country. It is un- derstood that the Commercial Company has decided to carry freight for the travelers next year, which, if true, would materially lessen the expense to the prospector. The greatest demand for any particular thing on the Juneau route seems to be for boats. Heretofore, pros- pectors have had to build their own boats after reaching the head-waters of the Yukon, either from lumber which they carried along, or which they whip-sawed from the standing timber for the purpose. At present half a dozen companies are said to be working night and day on knock-down boats. It is said that one of these boats weighs about 200 pounds, costs $18, and will carry a ton of freight. They are so constructed that they can be taken apart and packed, no piece being longer than seven feet. Another builder is making galvanized iron boats, the sections of which nest, and when assembled are held together by small bolts. Such hardships and exposures as are sure to be met with in the Alaskan gold-fields should not enter into the III EI. ,.,1>r-:> 1- 110 ALASKA. life of a civilized woman, but as there are already several at Dawson City and other points, and the characteristic heroism and devotion of their sex are sure to prompt others to attempt the journey, either with their husbands or to seek fortune single-handed, a word relative to what should constitute their proper outfit is not thought to be out of place. In addition to such articles as are neces- sary to both sexes, the following are suggested particu- larly for women's comfort : A medicine chest, filled on the advice of a good physician, I small pillow, I fur robe, I warm shawl, I easy-fitting fur coat with hood, 3 warm, loose-woven woolen dresses, with skirts to the knees only, to be worn with bloomers, 3 suits of heavy all-wool underwear, 3 warm flannel night-dresses, 4 pairs knitted woolen stockings, 1 pair rubber boots, 2 pairs fur gloves, 2 pairs fur-seal moccasins, 2 pairs wet-weather moccasins, called in the country " mukluks," 1 small roll flannel, for in-soles, wrapping the feet and for bandages, 2 gingham aprons to cover the entire front of the dress, 2 light shirt-waists for summer wear, A sewing kit, Such toilet articles as are absolutely necessary, includ- ing some skin unguent, to protect the face in the severe cold. ALASKA. Ill i- le The furs may be purchased on entering Alaska, but wise ones advise taking them along. The ordinary dress may be worn to the end of the steamboat journey, when civilized garb will have to be exchanged for one designed to meet the special require- ments of a peculiar life. Trunks are not the vehicles to transport baggage in. It is much better to pack efiFects in strong, soft canvas telescopes, or make them into bundles covered with canvas, and in all cases protected from the weather by oil-skin blankets. Mr. Harry De Windt, the explorer, who went through the Klondike region in 1896, says: " There is plenty of room for all between the Klon- dike and the Cassiar. I^et the gold- seekers take their time and make prudent preparation. The ultimate re- sult will doubtless be that a little-known region will be dotted with thriving cities, and the shouts of triumph from the fortunate few will drown the dying wails of the many who fail." The present well-known gold-fields are partly in British territory, and all supplies crossing the boundary line are subject to a tariff tax by the Canadian Govern- ment. It is understood that it is not the intention to collect duty on personal outfits, but only on articles im- ported for commercial purposes and on machinery, etc.; but, as the undeniable right exists, gold-seekers must be prepared to pay to the Canadian customs officials an en- trance tax. For that reason there is inserted a table of rates for the principal articles composing a miner's outfit. Canadian Customs Rates. Shovels, spades, picks, etc., 25 per cent. Horses, 25 per cent. t m "■■■?* i- -• .1 4- I'- mMKKB ■^1 Hi'fi mil ^^! use ill I: 112 ALASKA. Axes, hatchets and adzes, 25 per cent. Blankets, 5 cents per pound and 25 per cent. Boats and ship sails, 25 per cent. Rubber boots, 25 per cent. Boots and shoes, 25 per cent. Breadstuff's — viz., grain, flour and meal of all kinds, 20 per cent. Butter, 4 cents per pound. Candles, 28 per cent. Cartridges and ammunition, 30 per cent. Cheese, 3 cents per pound. Cigars, cigarettes, $2 per pound and 20 per cent. Cloth socks, 10 cents per dozen pairs and 35 per cent. Knitted goods of every description, 35 per cent. Ready-made goods, partially of wool, 30 per cent. Water-proof clothing, 35 per cent. Coffee, condensed, 30 per cent. Coffee, roasted, 2 cents per pound and 10 per cent. Coffee substitutes, 2 cents per pound; extracts, 3 cents per pound. Condensed milk, 3 cents per pound. Cotton knitted goods, 35 per cent. Crowbars, 35 per cent. Cutlery, 35 per cent. Dogs, 20 per cent. Drugs, 20 per cent. Duck, 20 to 30 per cent. Earthenware, 30 per cent. Kdge tools, 35 per cent. Fire-arms, 20 per cent. Fish-hooks and lines, 25 per cent. Wheat flour, 75 cents per barrel. Rye flour, 50 cents per barrel. i, w » 8d S w %' ^ptT'S *'S '•<,-* I<1': » H H I H W V. J w o o pa A JUNEAU WATER FRONT. _,^'!p.; 3B^9B I m i'i! iii .,11 f! M? ix ^ J- y. I/. ILAfifffl. 113 Fruit, dried, 25 per cent. Fruits: prunes, raisins, currants, i cent per pound. Fruits : jellies, jams and preserves, 3 cents per pound. Fur caps, muffs, capes, coats, 25 per cent. Furniture, 30 per cent. Galvanized iron or tinware, 30 per cent. Jerseys, knitted, 35 per cent. Lard, 2 cents per pound. Linen clothing, 32^ per cen.. Maps and charts, 20 per cent. Meats, canned, 25 per cent. Meats, in barrel, 2 cents per pound. Oat meal, 20 per cent. Oilcloth, 30 per cent. Pipes, 25 per cent. Potatoes, in barrel, 15 cents per bushel. Powder, mining and blasting, 2 cents per pound. Rice, I ^ cents per pound. Sacks or bags, 20 per cent. Saw-niills, portable. 30 per cent. Sugar, 64 cents per 100 pounds. vSurgical instruments, 15 per cent. Tents, 2,2 }4 per cent. < i m ii'~ II liH ALASKA. 115 APPENDIX A. UNITKD STATES MINING I.AWS. UNITED STATES MINING LAWS AND REGUI,ATIONS THEREUNDER * Department of the Interior, General Land Office, December lo, 1891. Gentlemen: Your attention is invited to the Re- vised Statutes of the United States and the amendments thereto in regard to MINING IvAWS AND MINING RESOURCE. Title xxxii, Chapter 6. Section 2318. In all cases lands valuable for roinerals shall be reserved from sale except as other- i^'ise expressly directed by law. Sec. 2319. All valuable mineral deposits in lands be- longing to the United States, both surveyed and unsur- veyed, are hereby declared to be free and open to exploration and purchase, and the lands in which they are found to occupation and purchase, by citizens of the United States and those who have declared their inten- tion to become such, under legulations prescribed by law, and according to the local customs or rules of miners in the several mining districts, so far as the same are applicable and not inconsistent with the laws of the United States. Sec. 2320. Mining-claims upon veins or lodes of *Department of the Interior, General Land Office, Washing- ton, May 16, 1893. — This circular is reissued for the information and benefit of those concerned. — S. W. Lanioreux, Commis- sioner. n:i''m 116 ALASKA. ')! ■; ii ilf quartz or other rock in place bearing gold, silver, cinna- bar, lead, tin, copper or other valuable deposits, hereto- fore located, tl' be governed as to length along the vein or lode j customs, regulations and laws in force at the date their location. A mining-claim lo- cated after the tenia day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, whether located by one or more persons, may equal, but shall not exceed, one thousand five hun- dred feet in length along the vein or lode ; but no loca- tion of a mining-claim shall be made until the discovery of the vein or lode within the limits of the claim loca- ted. No claim shall extend n'ore than three hundred feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the sur- face, nor shall any claim be limited by any mining regu- lation to less than twenty-five feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, except where adverse rights existing on the tenth day of May, eighteen hun- dred and seventy-two, render such limitation necessary. The end-lines of each claim shall be parallel to each other. Sec. 2321. Proof of citizenship, under this chapter, may consist in the case of an individual, of his own affidavit thereof; in the case of an association of per- sons, unincorporated, of the afl&davit of their authorized agent, made on his own knowledge, or upon information and belief; and in the case of a corporation organized under the laws of the United States, or of any State or Territory thereof, by the filing of a certified copy of their charter or certificate of incorporation. Sec. 2322. The locators of all mining locations heretofore made or which shall hereafter be made, on any mineral vein, lode, or ledge, situated on the public domain, their heirs and assigns, where no adverse claim exists on the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, so long as they comply with the laws of the United States, and with State, Territorial, and local regulations not in conflict with the laws of the United States governing their possessory title, shall have the ex- clusive right of possession and enjoyment of all the sur- face included within the lines of their locations, and of ^*ll #■ ALASKA. 117 of all veins, lodes and ledges throughout their entire depth, the top or apex of which lies inside of such surface-lines extended downward vertically, although such veins, lodes or ledges may so far depart from a perpendicular in their course downward as to extend outside the verti- cal side-ilnes of such surface locations. But their right of possession to such outside parts of such veins or ledges shall be confined to such portions thereof as lie between vertical planes drawn downward, as above described, through the end-lines of their locations, so continued in their own direction that such planes will intersect such exterior parts of such veins or ledges. And nothing in this section shall authorize the lo- cator or possessor of a vein or lode which extends in its downward course beyond the vertical lines of his claim to enter upon the surface of a claim owned or possessed by another. Ssc. 2323. Where a tunnel is run for the develop- ment of a vein or lode, or for the discovery of mines, the owners of such tunnel shall have the right of possession of all veins or lodes within three thousand feet from the face of such tunnel on the line thereof, not previously known to exist, discovered in such tunnel, to the same extent as if discovered from the surface; and locations on the line of such tunnel of veins or lodes not appearing on the surface, made by other parties after the commencement of the tunnel, and while the same is be- ing prosecuted with reasonable diligence, shall be in- valid ; but failure to prosecute the work on the tunnel for six months shall be considered as an abandonment of the right to all undiscovered veins on the line of such tunnel. Sec. 2324. The miners of each mining-district may make regulations not in conflict with the laws of the United States, or with the laws of the State or Territory in which the district is situated, governing the location, manner of recording, amount of work necessary to hold possession of a mining-claim, subject to the following requirements : The location must be dis- tinctly marked on the ground so that its boundaries can l\ ■■■ 118 ALASKA. be readily traced. All records of mining- claims here- after made shall contain the name or names of the locators, the date of the location, and such a description of the claim or claims located by reference to some natural object or permanent monument as will identify the claim. On each claim located after the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, and until a patent has been issued therefor, not less than one hundred dollars' worth of labor shall be performed or im- provements made during each year. On all claims located prior to the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, ten dollars' worth of labor shall be per- formed or improvements made by the tenth day of June, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, and each year thereafter, for each one hundred feet in length along the vein until a pat nt has been issued therefor; but where such claims are held in common, such expenditure may be made upon any one claim ; and upon a failure to comply with these conditions, the claim or mine upon which such failure occurred shall be open to relocation in the same manner as if no location of the same had ever been made, provided that the original locators, their heirs, assigns, or legal repre- sentatives, have not resumed work upon the claim after failure and before such location. Upon the failure of any one of several co-owners to contribute his propor- tion of the expenditures required hereby, the co-owners who have performed the labor or made the improve- ments may, at the expiration of the year, give such de- linquent co-owner personal notice in writing or no- tice by publication in the newspaper published nearest the claim, for at least once a week for ninety days, and if at the expiration of ninety days after such notice in writing or by publication such delinquent should fail or refuse to contribute his proportion of the expenditure required by this section, his interest in the claim shall become the property of his co-owners who have made the required expenditures. Sec. 2325. A patent for any land claimed and lo- cated for valuable deposits may be obtained in the fol- ALASKA. 119 .™ lowing manner : Any person, association, or corpora- tion authorized to locate a claim under this chapter, hav- ing claimed and located a piece of land for such pur- poses, who has or have complied with the terms of this chapter, may file in the proper land-office an application for a patent, under oath, showing such compliance, to- gether with a plat and field- notes of the claim or claims in common, made by or under the direction of the United States Surveyor-General, showing accurately the bound- aries of the claim or claims, which shall be distinctly marked by monuments on the ground, and shall post a copy of such plat, together with a notice of such appli- cation for a patent, in a conspicuous place on the land embraced in such plat previous to the filing of the appli- cation for a patent, and shall file an affidavit of at least two persons that such notice has been duly posted, and shall file a copy of the notice in such land ofiice, and shall thereupon be entitled to a patent for the land, in the manner following: The register of the land-office, upon the filing of such application, plat, field-notes, no- tices and affidr /its, shall publish a notice that such ap- plication has been made, for the period of sixty days, in a newspaper to be by him designated as published near- est to such claim; and he shall also post such notice in his oflBce for the same period. The claimant at the time of filing this application, or at any time thereafter, within the sixty days of publication, shall file with the register a certificate of the United States Surveyor-General that five hundred dollars' worth of labor has been expended or improvements made upon the claim by himself or grantors; that the plat is correct, with such further de- scription by such reference to natural objects or perma- neat monuments as shall identify the claim, and furnish an accurate description, to be incorporated in the patent. At the expiration of the sixty days of publication, the claimant shall file his affidavit, showing that the plat and notice have been posted in a conspicuous place on the claim during such period of publication. If no adverse claim shall have been filed with the register and the re- ceiver of the proper land-office at the expiration of the , : te'j 120 ALASKA. sixty days of publication, it shall be assumed that the applicant is entitled to a patent upon the payment to the proper oflficer of five dollars per acre, and that no adverse claim exists ; and thereafter no objection from third par- ties to the issuance of a patent shall be heard, except it be shown that the applicant has failed to comply with the terms of this chapter. Sec. 2326. Where an adverse claim is filed during the period of publication, it shall be upon oath of the person or persons making the same, and shall show the nature, boundaries and extent of such adverse claim, and all proceedings, except the publication of notice and making and filing of the aflfidavit thereof, shall be stayed until the controversy shall have been settled or decided by a court of competent jurisdiction, or the adverse claim waived. It shall be the duty of the adverse claim- ant, within thirty days after filing his claim, to commence proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction, to de- termine the question of the right of possession, and prosecute the same with reasonable diligence to final judgment ; and a failure so to do shall be a waiver of his adverse claim. After such judgment shall have been rendered, the party entitled to the possession of the claim, or any portion thereof, may, without giving further notice, file a certified copy of the judgment-roll with the register of the land-office, together with the certificate of the surveyor-general that the requisite amount of labor has been expended or improvements made thereon, and the description required in other cases, and shall pay to the receiver five dollars per acre for his claim, together with the proper fees, whereupon the whole proceedings and the judgment-roll shall be certified by the register to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, and a patent shall issue thereon for the claim, or such portion thereof as the applicant shall appear, from the decision of the court, to rightly possess. If it appears from the decision of the court that several parties are entitled to separate and different portions of the claim, each party may pay for his portion of the claim with the proper fees, andffilethe certificate and description by the sur- o W w VI Hi w H P3 ilii illN: ^!t| 5 I H I ■'i*^'-'» o PS :s of the lode The owner of a quartz-mill or deduciidii works, not owning a mine in connection therewith, n'c.y also receive a patent for his mill-site, as provided in this section. Sec. 2338. As a condition of sale, in the absence of necessary legislation by Congress, the local legislature of any State or Territory may provide rules for work- ing mines, involving easements, drainage and other necessary means to their complete development ; and those conditions shall be fully expressed in the patent. Sec. 2339. Whenever, by priority of possession, rights to the use of water for mining, agricultural, manufacturing, or other purposes, have vested and ac- crued, and the same are recognized and acknowledged by the local customs, laws and the decisions of courts the po.ssessors and owners of such vested rights shall be maintained and protected in the same; and the right of way for the construction of ditches and canals for the purposes herein specified is acknowledged and con- firmed ; but whenever any person, in the construction of any ditch or canal, injures or damages the possession of any settler on the public domain, the p- rty committing such injury or damage shall be liable to che party injured for such injury or damage. Sec. 2340. AH patents granted, or pre-emption or homesteads allowed, shall be .subject tO any vested and accrued water-rights, or rights to ditches and reservoirs used in connection with such water-rights, as may have been acquired under or recognized by the preceding sec- tion. Sec. 2341. Whenever, up6n the lands heretofore designated as mineral lands, which have been excluded from survey and sale, there have been homesteads made by citizens of the United States, or persons who have dc- 126 ALASKA. fW^fl n !i i'i !i III clared their intention to become citizens, which home- steads have been made, improved and used for agri- cultural purposes, and upon which there have been no valuable mines of gold, silver, cinnabar or copper discovered, and which are properly agricultural lands, the settlers or owners of such homesteads shall have a right of pre-emption thereto, and shall be entitled to pur- chase the same at the price of one dollar and twenty- five cents per acre, and in quantity' not to exceed one hun- dred and sixty acres ; or they may avail themselves of the provisions of chapter five of this title, relating to "Homesteads." Sec. 2342. Upon the survey of the lands described in the preceding section, the Secretary of the Interior may designate and set apart such portions of the same as are clearly agricultural lands, which lands .shall there- after be subject to preemption and .sale as other public lands, and be subject to all the laws and regulations ap- plicable to the same. Skc. 2343. The President is authorized to establish additional land districts and to appoint the necessary ofl&cers under existing laws wherever he may deem the same necessary for the public convenience in executing the provisions of this chapter. Sec. 2344. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to impair, in any way, rights or interests in mining property acquired under existing laws; nor to afiect the provisions of the act entitled " An act granting to A. Sutro the right of way and other privileges to aid in the con.struction of a draining and exploring tunnel to the Comstock lode, in the State of Nevada," approved July twenty-five, eighteen hundred and sixty-six. Sec. 2345. The provisions of the preceding sections of this chapter shall not apply to the mineral lands situ- ated in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minne- sota, which are declared free and open to explora- tion and purchase, according to legal sub-divisions, in like manner as before the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two. And any 6o/ia fide entries of such lauds within the states named since the tenth ALASKA. 127 of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two may be patented without reference to any of the foregoing provisions of this chapter. Such lands shall be offered for public sale in the same manner, at the same minimum price and under the same rights of pre emptiou as other public lands. Sec. 2346. No act passed at the first session of the thirty-eighth Congress, granting lands to states or cor- porations to aid in the construction of roads or for other purposes, or to extend the time of grants made prior to the thirtieth da)' of January, eighteen hundred and sixty- five, shall be so construed as to embrace mineral lands, which in all cases are reserved exclusively to the United States, unless otherwi.se .specially provided in the act or acts making the grant. REPEAI^ PROVIF 'NS. Title lxxiv. Sec. 5595. The foregoing seventy-three 'ties em- brace the statutes of the United States geneial and per- manent in their nature in force on the ist day of . »ecem- ber, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, as revised and consolidated by commissioners appointed under an act of Congress, and the same .shall be designa ted and cited as The Revi.sed Statutes of the United States. Sec. 5596. All acts of Congress passed prior to said first day of December, one thousand eight hundred and .seventy-three, any portion of which is embraced in any section of said revision, are hereby repealed, and the .section applicable thereto shall be in force in lieu thereof; all parts of such acts not contained in such revision, having been repealed or superseded by .subsequent acts, or not being general and permanent in their n .itre : Provided, That the incorporation into such revision of any general and permanent provision, taken from an act making appropriation.s, or from an act containin^^ other provisions of a private, local or temporary character shall not repeal or in any way ;i^^' 'II ^1 r\ 128 ALASKA. Aft 'li' ill s aflFect any appropriation, local or temporary char- acter, contained in any of said acts, but the same shall remain in force ; and all acts of Congress passed prior to said last-named day, no part of which are embraced in said revision, shall not be affected or changed by its enactment. Sec. 5597. The repeal of the several acts embraced in said revision shall not affect any act done, or any right accruing or accrued, or any suit or proceeding had or commenced in any civil cause before the said repeal, but all rights and liabilities under said acts shall continue, and may be enforced in the same manner as if said repeal had not been made; nor shall said repeal in any manner affect the right to any office or change the term or tenure thereof. Sec. 5598. All offenses committed and all penalties or forfeitures incurred under any statute embraced in said revision prior to said repeal, may be prosecuted and punished in the same manner and with the same effect as if said repeal had not been made. Sec. 5599. All acts of limitation, whether applicable to civil causes and proceedings, or to the prosecution of offenses, or for the recovery of penalties or forfeitures embraced in said revision and covered by .said re- peal shall not be affected thereby, but all suits, proceed- ings or pro.secutions, whether civil or criminal, for causes arising, or acts done or committed prior to said repeal, may be commenced and prosecuted within the same time as if said repeal had not been made. Sec. 5600. The arrangement and classification of the several sections of the revision have been made for the purpose of a more convenient and orderly arrangement of the same, and therefore no inference or presumption of a legislative construction is to be drawn by reason of the Title under which in\ particular section is placed. Sec. 560 [. The enactment of the said revision is not to affect or repeal any act of Congress passed since the first day of December, one thousand eight hun- dred and seventy- three, and all acts passed since that ALASKA. 129 date are to have full effect as if passed after the enactment of this revision, and so far as such acts vary from or conflict with any provision contained in said revision they are to have effect as subse- quent statutes, and as repealing any portion of the revision inconsistent therewith. Approved June 22, 1874. AN ACT to amend the act entitled " An act to promote the de- velopment of the niinin;; resources of the United States," passed May tenth, eighteen hundred and seventy-two. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That the provisions of the fifth section of the act entitled " An act to promote the development of the mining resources of the United States," passed May tenth, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, which requires expenditures of labor and improvements on claims lo- cated prior to the passage of said act are hereby so amended that the time for the first annual expenditure on claims located prior to the passage of said act shall be extended to the first day of January, eighteen hundred and seventy-five. Approved, June 6, 1874 (18 Stat, 61). AN ACT to amend section two thousand three hundred and twenty-four of the Revised Statutes, relating to the develop- ment of the mining resources ol' the United States. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That section two thousand three hundred and twenty-four of the Revised Statutes be, and the same is hereby amended so that where a person or company has or may run a tunnel for the purpose of developing a load or lodes, owned by said pi rson or company, the money so expended in .said tunnel shall be taken and considered as expended on said lode or lodes, whether located prior to or since the passage of said act, and such person or company shall not be required to perform work IF .45 ,:il!i 130 ALASKA. n ' on the surface of said lode or lodes in order to hold the same as required by said act. Approved February ii, 1875 (18 Stat., 315). AN ACT to exclude the States of Missouri and Kansas from the provisions of the act of Congress entitled " An act to pro- mote the development of the mining resources of the United States," approved May tenth, eighteen hundred and seventy- two. Be it inacled by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That within the States of Missouri and Kansas deposits of coal, iron, lead, or other mineral be, and they are hereby, excluded from the operation of the act en- titled " An act to promote the development of the mining resources of the United States," approved May tenth, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, and all lands in said States shall be subject to disposal as agricultural lands. Approved May 5, 1876 (19 Stat , 52). I* i'l AN ACT authorizing the citizens of Colorado, Nevada and the Territories to fell and remove timber on the public domain for mining and domestic purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That all citizens of the United States and other persons, bona fide residents of the State of Colo- rado or Nevada, or either of the Territories of New Mexico, Arizona. Utah, Wyoming, Dakota, Idaho, or Montana, and all other mineral districts of the United States, shall be and are hereby, authorized and permitted to fell and remove for building, agricultural, mining, or other domestic purposes, any timber or other trees grow- ing or being on the public lands, said lands being min- eral, and not subject to entry under existing laws of the United States, except for mineral entry, in either of said States, Territories or di.stricts of which such citizens or persons may be at the time bona fide residents, subject Wm^ ALASKA. 131 to such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the In- terior may prescribe for the protection of the timber and of the undergrowth growing upon such lands, and for other purposes: Provided, The provisions of this act shall not extend to railroad corporations. Sec. 2. That it shall be the duty of the register and the receiver of any local land-office in whose district any mineral land may be situated to ascertain from time to time whether any timber is being cut or used upon any such lands, except for the purposes authorized by this act, within their respective land districts ; and, if so, they shall immediately notify the Commissioner of the Gen- CT-al Land Office of that fact ; and all necessary expenses incurred in making such proper examinations shall be paid and allowed such register and receiver in making up their next quarterly accounts. Sec. 3. Any person or persons who shall violate the provisions of this act, or any rules and regulations in pursuance thereof made by the Secretary of the In- terior, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined in any sum not exceed- ing five hundred dollars, and to which may be added imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months. Approved June 3, 1878 (20 Stat., 88). AN ACT to amend sections twenty-three hundred and twenty- four and twenty-three hundred and twenty-five of the Re- vised Statutes of the United States concerning mineral lands. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled. That section twenty-three hundred and twenty- five of the Revised Statutes of the United States be amended by adding thereto the following words: ''Pro- vided, That where the claimant for a patent is not a resi- dent of or within the land-district wherein the vein, lode, ledge or deposit sought to be patented is located, the application for patent and the affidavits required to be made in this section by the claimant for such patent may be made by his, her, or its authorized agent, where m 132 ALASKA. said agent is conversant with the facts sought to be es- tablished by such affidavits : And provided, That this section shall apply to all applications now pending for patents to mineral lands." Sbc. 2. That section twenty-three hundred and twenty-four of the Revised Statutes of the United States be amended by adding the following words : " Provided, That the period within which the work required to be done annually on all unpatented mineral claims shall commence on the firs' day of January succeeding the date of location of such claim, and this section shall ap- ply to all claims located since the tenth day of May, anno Domini eighteen hundred and seventy-two." Approved January 22, 1880 (21 Stat., 61). AN ACT to amend section twenty-three hundred and twenty-six of the Revised Statutes relating to suits at law affecting the title to mining- claims. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That if, in any action brought pursuant to sec- tion twenty-three hundred and twenty-six of the Revised Statutes, title to the ground in controversy shall not be established by either party, the jury shall so find, and judgment shall be entered according to the verdict. In such case costs shall not be allowed to either party, and the claimant shall not proceed in the land office or be entitled to a patent for the ground in controversy until he shall have perfected his title. Approved March 3, 1881 (21 Stat., 505). AN ACT to amend section twenty-three hundred and twenty-six of the Revised Statutes in regard to nrineral lands and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Seriate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That the adverse claim required by section twenty-three hundred and twenty-six of the Revised ALASKA. 133 Statutes may be verified by the oath of any duly author- ized agent or attorney-in-fact of the adverse claimant cognizant of the facts stated ; and the adverse claimant, if residing or at the time being beyond the limits of the district wherein the claim is situated, may make oath to the adverse claim before the clerk of any court of record of the United States or the State or Territory where the adverse claimant may then be, or before any notary pub- lic of such State or Territory. Sec. 2. That applicants for mineral patents, if re- siding beyond the limits of the district wherein the claim is situated, may make any oath or aflSdavit required for proof of citizenship before the clerk of any court of record, or before any notary public of any State or Ter- ritory. Approved April 26, 1882 (22 Stat., 49). An ACT to exclude the public lands in Alabama from the opera- tion of the laws relating to mineral lauds. Be it enacted by the Settate and House of Representa- tives of the Lhiitcd States of America in Congress as- sembled, That within the State of Alabama all public lands, whether mineral or otherwise, shall be subject to disposal only as agricultural lands : Provided, however, That all lands which have heretofore been reported to the General Land Office as containing coal and iron .shall first be offered at public sale : And provided further. That any bona fide entry under the provisions of the homestead law of lands within said State heretofore made may be patented without reference to an act ap- proved May tenth, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, entitled, "An act to promote the development of the mining resources of the Unit' d States," in cases where the persons making application for such patents have in all other respects complied with the homestead law re- lating thereto. Approved March 3, 1883 (22 Stat., 487). ■■i I 134 ALASKA. AN ACT providing a civil government for Alaska. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, *H-******* Sec. 8. That the said district of Alaska is hereby created a land district, and a United States land office for said district is hereby located at Sitka. The com- missioner provided for by this act to reside at Sitka shall be ex officio register of said land office, and the clerk provided for by this act shall be ex officio receiver of public moneys, and the marshal provided for by this act shall be ex officio surveyor-general of said district and the laws of the United States relating to mining claims, and the rights incident thereto, shall, from and after the passage of this act, be in full force and effisct in said dis- trict, under the administration thereof herein provided for, subject to such regulations as may be made by the Secretary of the Interior, approved by the President: Provided, That the Indians or other persons in said dis- trict shall not be disturbed in the possession of any lands actually in their use or occupation or now claimed by them, but the terms under which such persons may ac- . quire title to such lands is reserved for future legislation by Congress : And provided further, That parties who have located mines or mineral privileges therein under the laws of the United States applicable to the public domain, or who have occupied and improved or exer- cised acts of ownership over such claims, shall not be disturbed therein, but shall be allowed to perfect their title to such claims by payment as aforesaid : And pro- vided also, That the laud not exceeding six hundred and forty acres at any station now occupied as missionary stations among the Indian tribes in said section, with the improvements thereon erected by or for such societies, shall be continued in the occupancy of the several re- ligious societies to which said missionary stations re- spectively belong until action by Congress. But nothing contained in this act shall be construed to put in force AN tivesX sembl corn] Unit] town! per ALASKA. 135 ill said district the general land laws of the United States. *^L' *!* hl^ •!« «L( «^ •l* 'I* 'y* »y» ^^ i^ Approved May 17, 1884 (23 Stat., 24). AN ACT making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eight- een hundred and ninety-one, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled^ "^^'^'^'^'^'^^ No person who shall, after the passage of this act, enter upon any of the public lands with a view to occu- pation, entry, or settlement under any of the land laws shall be permitted to acquire title to more than three hundred and twenty acres in the aggregate, under all of said laws, but this limitation shall not operate to curtail the right of anj' person who has heretofore made entry or settlement on the public lands, or whose occupation, entry, or settlement is validated by this act : Provided ^ That in all patents for lands hereafter taken up under any of the land laws of the United States or on entries or claims validated by this act, west of the one hundredth meridian it shall be expressed that there is reserved from the lands in said patent described a right of way thereon for ditches or canals constructed by the author- ity of the United States. ***** Approved August 30, 1890 (26 Stat., 371). AN ACT to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes- Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, ******** Sec. 16. That townsite entries may be made by in- corporated towns and cities on the mineral lands of the United States, but no title shall be acquired by such towns or cities to any vein of gold, silver, cinnabar, cop- per or lead, or to any valid mining claim or possession ' ? I p '.ill ii'- V:h 136 ALASKA. held under existing law. When mineral veins are pos- sessed within the limits of an incorporated town or city, and such possession is recognized by local authority or by the laws of the United States, the title to town lots shall be subject to such recognized possession and the necessary use thereof and when entry has been made or patent issued for such townsites to such incorporated town or city, the possessor of such mineral vein may enter and receive patent for such mineral vein locations, and of all surface ground appertaining thereto : Provided, That no entry shall be made by such mineral-vein claimant for surface ground where the owner or occupier of the sur- face ground shall have had possession of the same before the inception of the title of the mineral-vein applicant. Sec. 17. That reservoir sites located or selected and to be located and selected under the provisions of "An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, and for other pur- poses," and amendments thereto, shall be restricted to and shall contain only so much land as is actually neces- sary for the construction and maintenance of reservoirs, excluding so far as practicable lands occupied by actual settlers at the date of the location of said reservoirs, and that the provisions of "An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, and for other purposes," which reads as fol- lows, viz : " No person who shall after the passage of this act enter upon any of the public lands with a view to occupation, entry or settlement under any of the land laws shall be permitted to acquire title to more than three hundred and twenty acres in the aggregate under all said laws," shall be construed to include in the maxi- mum amount of lands the title to which is permitted to be acquired by one person only agricultural lands and not include lands entered or sought to be entered under mineral land laws. JfS 5fi ^{C ^f^ >)< ^ Approved March 3, 1891 (26 Stat., 1095). o w 7i so 11 1 "-* . r ■ * « ' - \ . K ■..,',-. "ie., ..- 1 m ' ■■^" ■'*':1^ HI ■Bl' ' '^ ' tlum^^r . 'i-Sim ■I 1 . : 1 .: _ii 1 I *'■ 1 1 «!: f II f ■Ji ALAf^KA. 137 MINERAL LANDS OPEN TO EXPLORATION, OCCUPATION, AND PURCHASE. I. It will be perceived that by the foregoing provisions of law the mineral lands in the public domain, surveyed or unsurveyed, are open to exploration, occupation and purchase by all citizens of the United States and all those who have declared their intentions to become such. ■II ■n 7. STATUS OF LODE-CLAIMS LOCATED PRIOR TO MAY ID, 1872. 2. By an examination of the several sections of the Revised Statutes it will be seen that the status of lode- claims located previous to the loth of May, 1872, is not changed with regard to their extent along the lode or width of szir/ace. 3. Mining rights acquired under such previous loca- tions are, however, enlarged by such Revised Statutes in the following respect, viz : The locators of all such pre- viously taken veins or lodes, their heirs an the top or apex of which lies inside of such surface lines extended down- ward vertically, although such veins, lodes or ledges may so far depart from a perpendicular in their course down- ward as to extend outside the verticle side-lines of such locations at the surface, it being expressly provided, however, that the right of possession to such outside parts of said veins or ledges shall be confined to such portions thereof as lie between vertical planes drawn downward, as aforesaid, through the end lines of their locations so continued in their own direction that such planes will intersect such exterior parts of such veins, lodes or ledges ; no right being granted, however, to the 10 — '1 I "^\3 ^?4l hi m 138 ALASKA. 1 1 I Ih claimant of such outside portion of a vein or ledge to enter upon the surface location of another claimant. 4. It is to be distinctly understood, however, that the law limits the possessory right to veins, lodes or ledges, oiA^r than the one named in the original location, to such as were not adversely claimed on May 10, 1872, and that where such other vein or ledge was so adversely claimed at that date, the right of the party so adverselj' claiming is in no way impaired by the provisions of the Revised Statutes. 5. In order to hold the possessory title to a mining claim located prior to May 10, 1872, and for which a patent has not been issued, the law requires that ten dollars shall be expended annually in labor or improve- ments on each claim of one hundred feet on the course of the vein or lode until a patent shall have been issued therefor ; but where a number of such claims are held in common upon the same vein or lode, the aggregate expenditure thit would be neces.sary to hold all the claims, at the rate of ten dollars per hundred feet, may be made upon any one claim; a failure to comply with this requirement in any one year subjecting the claim upon which such failure occurred to relocation by other par- ties, the same as if no previous location thereof had ever been made, unless the claimants under the original loca- tion shall have resumed work thereon after such failure and before such re-location. The first annual expendi- ture upon claims of this class should have been per- formed subsequent to May 10, 1872, and prior to January 1, 1875. From and after January i, 1875, the required amount must be expended annually until patent issues. By decision of the honorable Secretary of the Interior, dated March 4, 1879, such annual expenditures are not required subsequent to entry, the date of issuing the patent certificate being the d ite contemplated by statute. 6. Upon the failure of any one of several co owners of a vein, lode or ledge, which has not been entered, to contribute his proportion of the expenditures necessary to hold the claim or claims so held in ownership in com- mon, the co-owners, who have performed the labor or B 5 ALASKA. 139 made the improvements as required by said Revised Statutes, may, at the expiration of the year, give such delinquent co-owner personal notice in writing, or notice by publication in the newspaper published nearest the claim for at least once a week for ninety days , and if upon the expiration of ninety days after such notice in writing, or upon the expiration of one hundred and eighty days after the first newspaper publication of no- tice, the delinquent co-owner sh?li have failed to con- tribute his proportion to meet such expenditures or im- provements, his interest in the claim by law passes to his co-owners who have made the expenditures or im- provements as aforesaid. Where a claimant alleges ownership of a forfeited interest under the foregoing provision, the sworn statement of the publisher as to the facts of publication, fjiving dates and a printed copy of the notice published, should be furnished, and the claim- ant must swear that the delinquent co owner failed to contribute his proper proportion within the period fixed by the statute. PATENTS FOR VEINS OR LODES HERETOFORE ISSUED. 7. Rights under patents for veins or lodes heretofore granted under previous legislation of Congress are en- larged by the Revised Statutes so as to invest the pat- entee, his heirs or assigns, with title to all veins, lodes or ledges throughout their entire depth the top or apex of which lies within the end and side boundary lines of his claim on lies the surface, as patented, extended downward vertically, although such veins, lodes or ledges may so far depart from a perpen- dicular in their course downward as to extend out- side the verticle side-lines of the claim at the sur- face. The right of possession to such outside parts of such veins or ledges to be confined to such portions thereof as lie between verticle planes drawn downward through the end lines of the claims at the surface, so continued in their own direction that .such planes will intersect such exterior parts of such veins or ledges ; it being expressly provided, however, that all veins, lodes I I f: \ \ r-X-v^ 1 .M': ' % ii ^ E^i\ 1! '.■,.».Ji. ^.; , i m 'P^ 140 ALASKA. or ledges, the top or apex of which lies inside such sur- face locations, o/Acr than the one named in the patent, which were adversely claimed on the \oth of May, 1872, are excluded from such conveyance by patent. 8. Applications for patents for mining-claims pend- ing at the date of the act of May 10, 1872, may be prose- cuted to final decision in the general Land Office, and where no adverse rights are affected thereby patents will be issued in pursuance of the provisions of the Revised Statutes. MANNKR OF LOCATING CLAIMS ON VEINS OR LODES AFTER MAY ID, 1 872. 9. From and after the loth May, 1872, any person who is a citizen of the United States, or who has declared his intention to become a citizen, may lo- cote, record and hold a mining claim of fifteen Imn- dred linear ject along the course of any mineral vein or lode subject to location ; or an association of per- sons, severally qualified as above, may make joint lo- cation of such claim of fifteen hundred feett but in no event can a location of a vein or lode made subse- quent to May 10, 1872, exceed fifteen hundred feet along the course thereof, whatever may be the number of per- sons composing the association. 10. With regard to the extent of surface-ground ad- joining a vein or lode and claimed for the convenient working thereof, the Revised Statutes provide that the lateral extent of locations of veins or lodes made after May 10, 1872, shall in no case exceed three hundred Jeet on each side of the middle of the vein at the sur- face, and that no such surface rights shall be limi- ted by any mining regulations to less than twenty- five feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, except where adverse rights existing on the loth May, 1S72, may render such limitation neces- sary ; the end lines of such claims to be in all cases parallel to each other. Said lateral measurements can- not extend beyond three hundred feet on either side of the middle of the vein at the surface, or such distance ALASKA. 141 Jk as is allowed by local laws. For example : 400 feet can- not be taken on one side and 200 feet on the other. If, however, 300 feet on each side are allowed, and by reason of prior claims but 100 feet can be taken on one side, the locator will not be restricted to less than 300 feet on the other side; and when the locator does not determine by exploration where the middle of the vein at the surface is his discovery shaft must be assumed to mark such point. 11. By the foregoing it will be perceived that no lode-claim located after the loth May, 1872, can exceed a parallelogram fifteen hundred feet in length by six hundred feet in width, but whether surface-ground of that width can be taken depends upon the local regula- tions or State or Territorial laws in force in the several mining districts; and that no such local regulations or State or Territorial laws shall limit a vein or lode claim to less than fifteen hundred feet along the course thereof, whether the location is made by one or more per- sons, nor can surface rights be limited to less than fifty feet in width, unless adverse claims existing on the loth day of May, 1872, render such lateral limitation neces- sary. 12. It is provided by the Revised Statutes that the miners of each district may make rules and regula- tions not in conflict with the laws of the United States, or of the .state or territory in which such di.stricts are respectively situated, governing the location, man- ner of recording and amount of work nece.ssary to hold possession of a cluim. They likewise require that the location shall be so distinctly marked on the ground that its boundaries may be readily traced. This is a very important matter and locators cannot e.xercise too much care in defining their locations at the outset, inasmuch as the i.iw requires that all records of mining locations made subsequent to May 10, 1872. shall contain the name or names of the locators, the date of the lo- cation ar.d such a description of the claim or claims located by reference to some natural object or permanent monument, as will identify the claim. hi 'm. if 142 ALASKA. 13. The statutes provide that no lode-claim shall be recorded until after the discovery of a vein or lode within the limits of the claim located, the ob- ject of which provision is evidently to prevent the appropriation of presumed mineral ground for specula- tive purposes to the exclusion of dona fide prospectors, before sufficient work has been done to determine whether a vein or lode really exists. 14. The claimant should, therefore, prior to locating his claim, unless the vein can be traced upon the surface, sink a shaft or run a tunnel or drift to a sufficient depth therein to discover and develop a mineral-bearing vein, lode or crevice ; should determine, if posssble, the general course of such vein in either di- rection from the point of discovery, by which direction he will be governed in marking the boundaries of his claim on the surface. His locati'^n notice should give the course and distance as nearly as practicable from the discovery-shaft on the claim to .some permanent, well-known points or objects, such, for instance, as stone monuments, blazed trees, the confluence of streams, point of intersection of well-known gulches, ravines or roads, prominent buttes, hills, etc., which may be in the immediate vicinity and which will serve to perpetuate and fix the locus of the claim and render it susceptible of identification from the description thereof given in the record of locations in the dis- trict and should be duly recorded. 15. In addition to the foregoing data the claimant should state the names of adjoining claims, or, if none adjoin, the relative positions of the nearest claims; should drive a post or erect a monument of stones at each corner of his surface-ground, and at the point of discovery or discovery shaft should fix a post, stake or board, upon which should be designated the name of the lode, the name or names of the locators, the num- ber of feet claimed and in which direction from the point of discovery; it being essential that the loca- tion notice filed for record, in addition to the fore- going description should state whether the entire claim \ ALASKA. 143 of fifteen hundred feet is taken on one side of the point of discovery or whether it is partly upon one and partly upon the other side thereof, and in the latter case, how many feet are claimed upon each side of such discovery- point. 1 6. Within a reasonable time, say twenty days, after the location shall have been marked on the ground, or such time as is allowed by the local laws, notice thereof, accurately describing the claim in manner afore- said, should be filed for record with the proper recorder of the district, who will thereupon issue the usual certifi- cate of location. 17. In order to hold the possessory right to a loca- tion made since May 10, 1872, not less than one hundred dollars' worth of labor must be performed, or improve- ments made thereon annually until entry shall have been made. Under the provisions of the act of Congress ap- proved January 22, 1880, the first annual expenditure becomes due and must be performed during the calendar year succeeding that in which the location was made. Expenditure made or labor performed prior to the first day of January succeeding the date of location will not be considered as a part of or applied upon the first annual expenditure required by law. Failure to make the expenditure or perform the labor required will subject the claim to relocation by any other party having the necessary qualifications, unless the original locator, his heirs, assigns or legal representatives have resumed work thereon after such failure and before such reloca- tion. 18. The expenditures recjuired upon mining claims may be made from the surface or in running a tunnel for the development of such claims, the act of February 11, 1875, providing that where a person or company has, or may run a tunnel for the purpose of developing a lode or lodes owned by said person or company, the money so expended in said tunnel shall be taken and considered as expended on said lode or lodes, and such person or company shall not be required to perform work on the surface of said lode or lodes in order to hole the same. t: I i ■: la 1 ■">: . m ].■ ■^111' 144 ALASKA. Kii , r il^J 19. The importance of attending to these details in the matter of location, labor and expenditure will be the more readily perceived when it is understood that a failure to give the subject proper attention may invali- date the claim. TUNNEI, RIGHTS. 20. Section 2323 provides that where a tunnel is run for the development of a vein or lode, or for the dis- covery of mines the owners of such tunnels shall have the right of possession of all veins or lodes within three thousand feet from the face of such tunnel on the line thereof, not previously known to exist, discovered in such tunnel, to the same extent as if discovered from the surface; and locations on the line of such tunnel or veins or lodes not appearing on the surface, made by other parties after the commencement of the tunnel, and while the same is being prosecuted with reasonable dili- gence, shall be invalid ; but failure to prosecute the work on the tunnel for six months shall be considered as an abandonment of the right to all undiscovered veins or lodes on the line of said tunnel. The eflfect of this is simply to give the proprietors of a mining tunnel run in good faith the possessory right to fifteen hundred feet of any blind lodes cut, discovered or intersected by .such tunnel, which were not previously known to exist, within three thousand feet from the face or point of commencement of such tunnel, and to pro- hibit other parties, after the commencement of the tun- nel, from prospecting for and making locations of lodes on the /Ine thereof and within said distance of three thousand feet, unless such lodes appear upon the surface or were previously known to exist. 22. The term " face," as used in .said section, is con- strued and held to mean the first working-face formed in the tunnel, and to signify the point at which the tunnel actually enters cover ; it being from this point that the three thousand feet are to be counted, upon which pros- pecting is prohibited as aforesaid. 23. To avail themselves of the benefits of this pro- i 'iii ALASKA. 145 vision of law the proprietors of a mining tunnel will be required at the time they enter cover, as aforesaid, to give proper notice of their tunnel location by erecting a substantial post, board or monument at the face or point of commencement thereof, upon which should be posted a good and sufficient notice, giving the names of the par- ties or company claiming the tunnel-right ; the actual or proposed course or direction of the tunnel; the height and width thereof and the course and distance from such face or point of commencement to some permanent well- known objects in the vicinity by which to fix and deter- mine the locus in manner heretofore set forth applicable to locations of veins or lodes, and at the time of posting such notice they shall, in order that miners or prospec- tors may be enabled to determine whether or not they are within the lines of the tunnel, establish the boundary lines thereof, by stakes or monuments placed along such lines at proper intervals, to the terminus of the three thousand feet from the face or point of com- mencement of the tunnel, and the lines so marked will define and govern as to the specific boundaries within which prospecting for lodes not previously known to exist is prohibited while work on the tunnel is being prosecuted with reasonable diligence. 24. At the time of posting notice and marking out the lines of the tunnel, as aforesaid, a full and correct copy of such notice of location defining the tunnel claim must be filed for record with the mining recorder of the district, to which notice must be attached the sworn statement or declaration of the owners, claimants or pro- jectors of such tunnel, setting forth the facts in the case ; stating the amount expended by themselves and their predecessors in interest in prosecuting work thereon; the extent of the work performed, and that it is dofia fide their intention to prosecute work on the tunnel so loca- ted and described with reasonable diligence for the de- velopment of a vein or lode, or for the discovery of mines, or both, as the case may be. This notice of location must be duly recorded, and, with the said sworn state- I- .T \ Ill :• 146 ALASKA. !l! ment attached, kept on the recorder's files for future reference. 25. By a compliance with the foregoing much need- less diflBculty wiil be avoided, and the way for the adjust- ment of legal rights acquired in virtue of said section 2323 will be made much more easy and certain. 26. This ofl5ce will take particular care that no im- proper advantage is taken of this provision of law by parties making or professing to make tunnel locations, ostensibly for the purpose named in the statute, but really for the purpose of monopolizing the lands lying in front of their tunnels to the detriment of the mining interests and to the exclusion of dona fide prospectors or miners, but will hold such tunnel claimants to a .strict compliance with the terms of the statutes; and a reasonable diligence on their part in prosecuting the work is one of their essential conditions of their implied contract. Neg- ligence or want of due diligence will be construed as working a forfeiture of their right to all undiscovered veins on the line of such tunnel. MANNER OF PROCEEDING TO OBTAIN GOVERNMENT TI- TLE TO VEIN OR LODE CLAIMS. 27. By section 2325 authority is given for granting titles for mines by patent from the Government to any person, association, or corporation having the necessary quahfications as to citizenship and holding the right of possession to a claim in compliance with law. 28. The claimant is required in the first place to have a correct survey of his claim made under authority of the surveyor-general of the State or Territory in which the claim lies ; .such survey to show with accuracy the ex- terior surface boundaries of the claim, which boundaries are required to be distinctly marked by monuments on the ground. Four plats and one copy of the original field notes, in each case, will be prepared by the sur- veyor-general ; one plat and the original field notes to be retained in the oflfice of the surveyor-general, one copy of the plat to be given the claimant for posting upon the f ALASKA. 14:7 claim, one plat and a copy of the field notes ■ o be given the claimant for filing with the proper register, to be finally transmitted by that officer, with other papers in the case, to this office, and one plat t j be sent by the sur- veyor-general to the register of the proper land district to be retained on his files for future reference. As there is no resident surveyor-general for the State of Arkansas, applications for the survey of mineral claims in said State should be made to the Commissioner of this office, who, und r the law, is ex oJ)icio the U. S. surveyor- general. 29. The claimant is then required to post a copy of the plat of such survey in a conspicuous place upon the claim, together with notice of his intention t apply for a patent therefor, which notice will give the date of post- ing, the name of the claimant, the name of the claim, mine, or lode ; the mining district and county ; whether the location is of record, and, if so, where the record may be found; the number of feet claimed along the vein and the presumed direction thereof; the number of feet claimed on the lode in each direction from the point of discovery, or other well-defined place on the claim ; the name or names of adjoining claimants on the same or other lodes; or, if none adjoin, the names of the nearest claims, etc. 30. After posting the said plat and notice upon the premises, the claimant will file with the proper register and receiver a copy of such plat and the field notes of survey of the claim, accompanied by the affidavit of at least two credible witnesses, that such plat and notice are posted conspicuously upon the claim, giving the date and place of such posting; a copy of the notice so posted to be attached to, and form a part of said affidavit. 31. Accompanying the field notes so filed must be the sworn statement of the claimant that he has the possess- ory right to the premises therein described, in virtue of a compliance by himself (and by his grantors, if he claims by purchase) with the mining rules, regulations and cus- toms of the mining district. State or Territory in which the claim lies, and with the mining laws of Congress; such m ' '"Si 1'^ 148 ALASKA. n 11 li II: ' m I sworn statement to narrate briefly, but as clearly as pos- sible, the facts constituting such compliance, the origin of his possession and the basis of his claim to a patent. 32. This affidavit should be supported by appropriate evidence from the mining recorder's office as to his pos- sessory right, as follows, viz : Where he claims to be the locator, or a locator in company with others who have since conveyed their interest in the location to him, a full, true and correct copy of such location should be furnished, as the same appears upon the mining records; such copy to be attested by the seal of the recorder, or if he has no seal, then he should make oath to the same being correct, as shown by his records. Where the ap- plicant claims only as a purchaser for valuable con.sidera- tion, a copy of the location record must be filed under seal or upon oath as aforesaid, with an abstract of title from the proper recorder, under seal or oath as afore- said, brought down as near as practicable to date of filing the application, tracing the right of possession by a con- tinuous chain of conve)'^ances from the original locators to the applicant, also certifying that no conveyances af- fecting the title to the claim in question appear of record in his office other than those set forth in the accompany- ing abstract. 33. In the event of the mining records in any case having been destroyed by fire or otherwise lo.st, affidavit of the fact should be made, and secondary evidence of possessory title will be received, which may consist of the affidavit of the claimant, supported by those of any other parties cognizant of tiie facts relative to his loca- tion, occupancy, possession, improvements, etc.; and in such case of lost records, any deeds, certificates of loca- tion or purchase, or other evidence which may be in the claimant's possession and tend to establish his claim, should be filed. 34. Upon the receipt of these papers the register will, at the expense of the claimant(who must furnish the agreement of the publisher to hold applicant for patent alone responsible for charges of publication), publish a notice of such application for the period of sixty days in ir ALASKA. 149 a newspaper published nearest to the claim, and will post a copy of such notice in his office for the same period. When the notice is published in a weekly newspaper ten consecutive insertions are necessary ; when in a daily newspaper the notice must appear in each issue for sixty- one consecutive issues, the first day of issue being ex- cluded in estimating the period of sixty days. 35. The notices so published and posted must be as full and complete as possible, and embrace all the data given in the notice posted upon the claim. 36. Too much care can not be exercised in the prep- aration of these notices, inasmuch as upon their accuracy and completeness will depend, in a great measure, the regularity and validity of the whole proceeding. 37. In the publication of final-proof notices the reg- ister has no discretion under the law to designate any other than the newspaper " nearest the land " for such purpose when such paper is a newspaper of general circulation. But he will in all case? designate the news- paper of general circulation that is published nearest the land, geographically measured. When two or more papers are published in the same town, nearest the land, he may select the one which, in his honest and impar- tial judgment as a public officer, will be.st subserve the purpose of the law and the general interests of the public. 38. Newspaper charges must not exceed the rates established by this office for the publication of legal notices. 39. The claimant, either at the time of filing these papers with the register or at any time during the sixty days' publication, is required to file a certificate of the surveyor-general that not less than five hundred dollars' worth of labor has been expended or improvements made upon the claim by the applicant or his grantors ; that the plat filed by the claimant is correct ; that the field notes of the survey, as filed, furnish such an accu- rate description of the claim as will, if incorporated into a patent, serve to fully identify the premises, and that such reference is made therein to natural objects or % «;■ ' 150 ALAfiKA. permanent monuments as will perpetuate and fix the locus thereof. 40. It will be the more convenient way to have this certificate indorsed by the surveyor-general, both upon the plat and field notes of survey filed by the claimant as aforesaid. 41. After the sixty days' period of newspaper publica- tion has expired the claimant will furnish from the office of publication a sworn statement that the notice was published for the statutory period, giving the first and last day of such publication, and his own affidavit s,how- ing that the plat and notice aforesaid remained conspicu- ously posted upon the claim sought to be patented dur- ing said sixty days' publication, giving the dates. 42. Upon the filing of this affidavit the register will, if no adverse claim was filed in his office during the period of publication, permit the claimant to pay for the land according to the area given in the plat and field notes of survey aforesaid, at the rate of five dollars for each acre and five dollars for each fractional part of an acre, the receiver is.suing the usual duplicate receipt therefor. The claimant will also make a sworn .state- ment of all cliarges and fees paid by him for publication and surveys, together with all fees and money paid the register and receiver of the land office; after which the whole matter will be forwarded to the Commissioner of the General Land Office and a patent issued thereon if found regular. 43. In sending up the papers in the case the register must not omit certifying to the feict that the notice was posted in his office for the full period of sixty days, .such certificate to .state distinctly when such posting was done and how long continued. 44. The consecutive series of numbers of mineral entries must be continued, whether the same are of lode or placer claims or mill-sites. 45. The surveyors-general should designate all sur- veyed raineral claims by a progressive series of numbers, beginning with survey No. 37, irrespective as to whether they are situated on surveyed or unsurveyed lands, the **%*■ ALASKA. 151 claim to be so designated at date of issuing the order therefor, in addition to the loca' I'ssignation of the claim; it being required in all cases thai the plat and field notes of the survey of a claim must, in addition to the refer- ence to permanent objects in the neighborhood, describe the /ocus of the claim, witli reference to the lines of pub- lic surveys, by a line connecting a corner of the claim with the nearest public corner of the United »States sur- veys, unless such claim be on unsurveyed lands at a distance of more than two miles from such public cor- ner, in which latter case it should be connected with a United States mineral monument. Such connecting line must not be more than i7vo miles in length and should be measured on the ground direct between the points, or calculated from actually surveyed traverse lines if the nature of the country should not permit direct measure- ment- If a regularly established survey corner is within two miles of a claim situated on unsurveyed lands, the connection should be made with such corner in prefer- ence to a connection with a United States mineral monu- ment. The connecting line must be surveyed by the deputy mineral surveyor at the time of his making the particular survey, and be made a part thereof. 46. Upon the approval of the survey of a mining claim made upon surveyed lands, the surveyor-general will prepare and transmit to the local land office and to this office a diagram tracing showing the portions of le- gal 40-acre sub-divisions made fractional by reason of the mineral survey, designating each of such portions by the proper lot number, beginning with No. i in each section and giving the area of each lot. 47. The survey and plat of mineral claims, required by section 2325, Revised Statutes of the United States, to be filed in the proper land office, with application for patent, must be made sub.sequent to the recording of the location of the mine; and when the original location is made by survey of a United vStates deputy surveyor .such location survey can not be substituted for that required by the statute, as above indicated. 48. The surveyor-general should derive his informa- 152 ALABKA. tion upon which to base his certificate as to the value of labor expended or improvements made from his deputy who makes the actual survey and examination upon the premises, and such deputy should specify with particu- larity and full detail he character and extent of such improyements. 49. The following particulars should be observed in the survey of every mining claim : (i) The exterior boundaries of the claim should be represented on the plat of survey and in the field notes. (2) The intersection of the lines of the survey with the lines of conflicting prior surveys should be noted in the field-noles and represented upon the plat. (3) Conflicts with uusurveyed claims, where the ap- plicant for survey does not claim the area in conflict, should be shown by actual survey. (4) The total area of the claim embraced by the ex- terior boundaries should be stated, and also the area in conflict with each intersecting .survey, substantially as follows : Acres. Total area of claim 1050 Area in conflict with survey No. 302 1.56 Area in conflict with survey No. 948 2.33 Area in conflict with Mountain Maid lode mining claim, uusurveyed i .48 It does not follow that because mining surveys are re- quired to exhibit all conflicts with prior surveys the areas of conflict are to be excluded. The field-notes and plat are made a part of the application for patent, and care should be taken that the description does not inad- vertently exclude portions intended to be retained. It is better that the application for patent should state the portions to be excluded in express ternii>. A survey exe- cuted, as in the example given, will enable the applicant for patent to exclude such conflicts as may seem de- sirable. For in.stance, the conflict with survey No. 302 and with the Mountain Maid lode claim might be ex- cluded and that with survey No. 948 included. 50. The rights granted to locators under section w m u a 1 i!! 3j ALASKA. 153 s 1 •J •A I w r- 2322, Revised Statutes, are restricted to such locations on veins, lodes or ledges as may be "situated on the pub- lic domain'' In applications for lode claims where the survey conflicts with a prior valid lode claim or entry and the ground in conflict is excluded, the applicant not only has no right to the excluded ground, but he has no right to that portion of any vein or lode the top or apex of which lies within such excluded ground, unless his loca- tion was prior to May 10, 1872. His right to the lode claimed terminates where the lode, in its onward course or strike, intersects the exterior boundry of such exclu- ded ground and passes within it. 51. The end line of his survey should not, therefore, be established beyond such intersection, unless it .should be necessary so to do for the purpose of including ground held and claimed under a location which was made upon public land and valid at the time it was made. To in- clude such ground (which may possibly embrace other lodes) the end line of the survey may be established within the conflicting survey, but the line must be so run as not to extend any farther into the conflicting survey than may be necessary to make such end line parallel to the other end line and at the same time embrace the ground so held and claimed. The useless practice in such cases of extending both the side lines of a survey into the conflicting survey and establi.shing an end line wholly within it, beyond a point necessary under the rule just stated, will be discontinued. PLACER CLAIMS. 52. The proceedings to obtain patents for cIcMuis usually called placers, including all forms of deposit, ex- cepting veins of quartz or other rock in place, are simi- lar to the proceedings prescribed for obtaining patents for vein or lode claims ; but where said placer claim shall be upon surveyed lands, and conforms to legal sub-di- visions, no furtlier survej' or plat will be required, and all placer mining claims kvated after May 10, 1872, shall conform as nearly as practicable with the United States system of public-land surveys and the rectangular .subdi- 11 — >"i* 154 ALASEi. . „ «,>eh location shall in- visions of such =««Sv'rc J?or e*h individual cla.m- clude more than 'wentj acres i confor.ned to le- ,nt but where placer ':''"'°\'=^';,,° hall be made as on tl- s^Xdivisions, -rvey and Plat^sha^^.^^^ , P,, sub-divisions survey plat -^^ ^^^^^„t, p„„ded the . inJ'e^ having already been fully gn en, ^^^^ STotherwise, as may be necessary. uv^^^^ ^,^j^^ being divi'^onofVty-acre legal sub^v.s»^ ,Uich is »''^"X fcSmf both from one another and i^STntSring agncultural Ian s. ^ S^It is held, *"«=f° ^'a^e lots in mining districts ..-nctionofthelawthese ten-acre 10 i„tents and I'ould be considered and dealt vvmi t ^^ i.cant S fn^ry^^-S. ate^tbe isual proceeding, w.hout further survey or plat. ^.owever, the notice given 56. In cases of ^J^, ^^J^,^;^ specific and accurate n of the application «;f%^^,'^acre tracts may be -ib-di- description, and as the fo^t> acre ^^ ^^ ^f vtded^nto ien-acre ^«^^^f ^^^^/Xlograms five by twenty ten by ten chains, or ^.^ ^f ^^J^parallel and at right chains, so long as the l^^^^^^^Juc surveys, it will be ^^^^^^ fnd Vication state specifi- ALASKA. 165 cally what ten-acre lots are sought to be patented, in ad- dition to the other daia required in the notice. 57. Where the ten- acre sub-division is in the form of a square it may be described, for instance, as the " SE. J of the SW. J of NW. i" or, if in the form of a parallelogram, as aforesaid, it may be described as the " W. i of the W. i of the SW. J of the NW. J (or the N. ^ of the S. i of the NE. \ of the SE. J) of section , township , range ," as the case may be ; but, in addition to this description of the land, the notice must give all the other data that is required in a mineral application, by which parties may be put on inquiry as to the premises sought to be patented. The proofs sub- mitted with applications for claims of this kind must show clearly the character and the extent of the im- provement:, upon the premises. Inasrruch as the surveyor-general has no duty to per- form iu connection with the entry of a placer claim of le- gal sub-divisions, the proof of improvements must show their value to be not less than ^ve hundred dollars and that they were made by the applicant for patent or his grantors. The annual expenditure to the amount of $100, required by section 2324, Revised Statutes, must be made upon placer claims as well as lode claims. 58. Applicants for patent to a placer claim, who are also in po.ssession of a known vein or lode included therein, must state in their application that the placer includes such vein or lode. The published and posted notices must also include such statement. If \cins or lodes lying within a placer location are owned by other parties, the fact should be distinctly stated in the appli- cation for patent and in all the notices. But in all cases whether the lode is claimed or excluded, it must be sur- veyed and marked upon the piat ; the field notes and plat giving the area of the lode claim or claims and the area of the placer separately. It should be remembered that an application which oraits to include an application for a known vein or lode therein, must be construed as a conclusive declaration that the applicant has no right of possession to the vein or lode. Where there is no ISO' ALASKA. Hi WM9i :y. known lode or vein, the fact must appear by the affidavit of two or more witnesses, 59. By section 2330 it is declared that no location of a placer claim made after July 9, 1870, shall exceed one hundred and sixty acres for any one person or associa- tion of persons, which location shall conform to the Uni- ted States surveys. 60. Section 2331 provideii that all placer-raining claims located after May 10, 1872, shall conform as nearly as practicable with the United States systems of public surveys and the sub divisions of such surveys, and no such locations shall include more than twenty acres for each individual claimant. 61. The foregoing provisions of law are construed to mean that after the 9th day of July, 1870, no location of a placer claim -^an be made to exceed one hundred and sixty acres, whatever may be the number of locators, associated together, or whatever the local regulations of the district may allow ; and that from and after May 10, 1872, no location made by an individual can exceed twenty acres, and no location made by an association of individuals can exceed one hundred and sixty acres, which location of one hundred and sixty acres can not be made by a less number than eight do?ia fide locators ; and no local laws or mining regulations can restrict a placer location to less than twenty acres, although the locator is not compelled to take so much. 62. The regulations hereinbefore given as to the manner of marking locations on the ground and placing the same on record must be observed in the case of placer locations so far as the same are applicable, the law requiring, however, that where placer claims are upon surveyed public lands the locations must hereafter be made to conform to legal sub-divisions thereof as near as practicable. 63. The first care in recognizing an application for patent upon a placer claim must be exercised in deter- miniLg the exact cla.ssification of the lands. To this end the clearest evidence of which the case is capable should be presented. ALA8KA. 157 (i) If the claim be all placer ground, that fact must be stated in the application and corroborated by ac- companying proofs; if of mixed placers and lodes it should be so set out, with a description of all known lodes situated within the boundaries of the claim. A specific declaration, such as is required by section 2333, Revised Statutes, must be furnished as to each lode intended to be claimed. All other known lodes are, by the silence of the applicant, excluded by law from all claim by him of whatsoever nature, possessory or other- wise. (2) Section 2395, Revised Statutes (sub-division 7), requires the surveyor to " note in his field books the true situation of all mines, salt licks, salt springs and mill seats which comes to his knowledge;" also "all water- courses over which the lines he runs may pass." It further requires him to "note the quality of the lands." These descriptive notes are required by sub-division 8 to be incorporated in he plat by the surveyor-general. (3) If these duties have been performed, the public surveys will furnish a reasonable guide to the district officers and to claimants in prosecuting their applica- tions. But experience has shown that great neglect has resulted from inattention to the law in this respect, and the regular plats are of very little value in the matter. It will, therefore, be required in the future that deputy surveyors shall, at the expense of the parties, make (nil examination of all placer claims surveyed by them and duly note the facts as specified in the law, stating the quality and composition of the soil, the kind and amount of timber and other vegetation, the locus and size of streams and such other matters as may appear upon the surface of the claim. This examination should in- clude the character and extent of all surface and under- ground workings, whether placer or lode, for mining pur- poses. (4) In addition to these data, which the law requires to be shown in all cases, the deputy should report with reference to the proximity of centers of trade or resi- dence ; also of well-known systems of lode deposit or of Jm 158 ALASKA. " -till m individual lodes. He f-»'tf °S'mtni!rg"h°er K^ade Vrcf^^a^ufirsif^ation and loc.Uou ^iSTe^^^cfto thet:; - aPPj-^VrVeponed by the ™ (5) This examination should be P_^^^, ^^^ ^ ,y deouty under oath to 'he surveyo ^ ^^^^^^ ^ ,„^. °iesr;to%:::J^-tirastoti.cha^^^^^^^^ ra«d."fnt^-s f<^:^i::;V^^^:^-^'^ry in each additional proofs as may oe '=*^- MII.1.-SITES. M.C thiit " where non-mineral 64. Section ^337 prov.des 'h^Sode is ^^ „ as to survey and "f'f ,f;J^fter made of such non- tiles; but "°,Xxeed five a^es, and fy"'"','? adiacent land shall exceeu ^^ ^^^^ ^y tms the same must be made at t^^^/'^^^^^^ ^he owner of a I'l^^tfeSri^d tVcVntVous thereto, for \ ALASKA. 150 mining or milling purposes, not exceeding the quantity allowed for such purpose by section 2337, United States Revised Statutes, or prior laws, under which the land was appropriated, the proprietors of such vein or lode may file in the proper land-office their application for a patent, under oath, in manner already set forth herein, which application, together with the plat and field-notes, may include, embrace and describe, in addition to the vein or lode, such non-contiguous mill-site, and after due proceedings as to notice, etc., a patent will be issued con- veying the same as one claim. 66. In making the survey in a case of this kind the lode claim should be described in the plat and field-notes as "Sur. No. 37, A," and the mill-.site as " Sur. No. 37, No. 86 8 B," or whatever may be its appropriate numerical desig- nation ; the course and distance from a corner of the mill-site to a corner of the lode claim to be invariably given in such plat and field-notes, and a copy of the plat and notice of application for patent must be con- spicuously po.sted upon the mill-site as well as upon the vein or lode for the .statutory period of .sixty days. In making the entry no separate receipt or certificate need be issued for the mill-site, but the whole area of both lode and mill-site will be embraced in one entry, the price be- ing five dollars for each acre and fractional part of an acre embraced by such lode and mill-site claim. 67. In case the owner of a quartz mill or reduction- works is not the owner or claimant of a vein or lode, the law permits him to make application therefor in the same manner presciibed herein for mining claims, and after due notice and proceedings, in the absence of a valid adverse filing, to enter and receive a patent for his mill-site at said price per acre. 68. In every case there must be .satisfactory proof that the land claimed as a mill-site is not mineral in character, which proof may, where the matter is un- que.stioned, consist of the sworn statement of two or more persons capable from acquaintance with the land to testify understandingly. V] v^ /: c^, ."> ^^> V /A IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 V^ ^ ■^ ate 2.2 I.I 1.8 IL25 11.4 III 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation // .0--.V4-5- I /, ^ It 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER N.Y. MS80 (716) 872-4503 .V4 I .vJ- J ^^^^^mm^mmmmmmimmm 160 ALASKA. :>'! POSSESSORY RIGHT. 69. With regard to the proofs necessary to establish the possessory rights to a mining claim, section 2332 provides that " where such person or association, they and their grantors, have held and worked their claims for a period equal to the time prescribed by the statute of limitations for mining claims of the State or Terri- tory where the same may be situated, evidence of such possession and working of the claims for such period shall be sufficient to establish a right to a patent thereto under Ihis chapter, in the absence of any adverse claim." 70. This provision of law will greatly lessen the burfi«n of proof, more especially in the case of old claims located many years since, the records of which, in many cases, have been destroyed by fire, or lost in other ways, during the lapse of time, but concerning the possessory right to which all controversy or litigation has long been settled. 71. When an applicant desires to make his proof of possessory right in accordance with this provision of law, he will not be required to produce evidence of loca- tion, copies of conveyances, or abstracts of title, as in other cases, but will be required to furnish a duly certi- fied copy of the statute of limitations of mining claims for the State or Territory, together with his sworn state- ment giving a clear and succinct narration of the facts as to the origin of his title, and likewise as to the con- tinuation of his poss ^ssion of the mining ground covered by his application; the area thereof; the nature and ex- tent of the milling that has been done thereon; whether there has been any opposition to his possession, or liti- gation with regard to his claim, and, if so, when the same ceased; whether such cessation was caused by com- promise or by judicial decree, and any additional facts within the claimant's knowledge having a direct bearing upon his possession and dona fides which he may desire to submit in support of his claim. 72. There .should likewise be filed a certificate, under I illi ALASKA. 161 seal of the court having jurisdiction of mining cases within the judicial district embracing the claim, that no suit or action of any character whatever involving the right of possession to any portion of the claim applied for is pending, and that there has been no litigation before said court affecting the title to said claim or any part thereof for a period equal to the time fixed by the statute of limitations for mining-claims in the State or Territory as aforesai(^, other than that which has been finally decided in favor of the claimant. 73. The claimant should support his nairative of facts relative to his possession, occupancy and improve- ments by corroborative testimony of any disinterested person or persons of credibility who may be cognizant of the facts in the case and are capable of testifying un- derstandingly in the premises. 74. As a condition for the making of application for patent according to section 2325, there must be a pre- liminary showing of work or expenditure upon each lo- cation, either by showing the full amount sufficient to the maintenance of possession under section 2324 for the pending year; or, if there has been failure, it should be shown that work has been resumed so as to prevent re- location by adverse parties after abandonment. The "pending year" means the calendar year in which application is made, and has no reference to a showing of work at date of the final entry. 75. This preliminary showing may, where the matter is unquestioned, consist of the affidavit of two or more witnesses familiar with the facts. my iiiSi : 1: PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP OF MINING CLAIMANTS. 76. The proof necessary to establish the citizenship of applicants for mining patents must be made in the following manner: In case of an incorporated company, a certified copy of their charter or certificate of incorpo- ration must be filed. In case of an association of persons unincorporated, the affidavit of their duly authorized agent, made upon his own knowledge or upou informa- 'Vi '' ■ m ,) .f m i;:i^ f'i:|| 162 ALASKA. tion and belief, setting forth the residence of each per- son forming such association, must be submitted. This affidavit must be accompanied by a power of attorney from the parties forming such association, authorizing the person who makes the affidavit of citizenship to act for them in the matter of their application for patent. 77. In case of an individual or an association of indi- viduals who do not appear by their duly authorized agent, showing whether he is a native or naturalized citizen, when and where born, and his residence. 78. In case an applicant has declared his intention to become a citizen or has been naturalized, his affidavit must show the date, place, and the court before which he declared his intention, or from which his certificate of citizenship issued, and present residence. 79. The affidavit of the claimant as to his citizenship may be taken before the register or receiver, or any other officer authorized to administer oaths within the land district; or, if the claimant is residing beyond the limits of the district, the affidavit may be taken before the clerk of any court of record or before any notary public of any State or Territory. 80. If citizenship is established by the testimony of disinterested persons, such testimony may be taken at any place before any person authorized to administer oaths, and whose official character is duly verified. ADVERSE CI^AIMS. 81. Section 2326 and the act of April 26, 1882, pro- vide for adverse claims, fix the time within which they shall be filed to have legal effect, and prescribe the man- ner of their adjustment, etc. 82. An adverse mining claim must be filed with the register and receiver or the Land Office where the appli- cation for patent was filed, or with the register and re- ceiver of iihe district in which the land is situated at the time of filing the adverse claim. It must be on the oath of the adverse claimant, or it may be verified by the oath ALASKA. 163 of any duly authorized agent or attorney-in-fact of the adverse claimant, cognizant of the facts stated. 83. Where an agent or attorney-in-fact verifies the adverse claim, he must distinctly swear that he is such agent or attorney, and accompany his afi&davit by proof thereof. 84. The agent or attorney-in-fact must make the affi- davit in verification of the adverse claim within the land district where the claim is situated. 85. The adverse notice must fully set forth the na- ture and extent of the interference or conflict ; whether the adverse party claims as a purchaser for valuable con- sideration or as a locator ; if the former, a certified copy of the original location, the original conveyance, a duly certified copy thereof, or an abstract of title from the office of the proper recorder should be furnished, or if the transaction was a merely verbal one he will narrate the circumstances attending the purchase, the date thereof and the amount paid, which facts should be sup- ported by the affidavit of one or more witnesses, if any were present at the time, and if he claims as a locator he must file a duly certified copy of the location from the office of the proper recorder, 86. In order that the "doundartes " and " extent " of the claim may be shown, it will be incumbent upon the adverse claimant to file a plat showing his entire claim, its relative situation or position with the one against which he claims, and the extent of the conflict. This plat must be made from an actual survey by a United States deputy surveyor, who will officially certify thereon to its correctness; and in addition there must be at- tached to such plat of survey a certificate or sworn state- ment by the surveyor as to the approximate value of the labor performed or improvements made upon the claim by the adverse party or his predecessors in interest, and the plat must indicate the position of any shafts, tunnels or other improvements, if any such exist, upon the claim of the party opposing the application, and by which party said improvements were made : Provided, however, That, if the application for patent describes the claim ■i:;i •I ; ! K 11 ' ) I'*' i 5-^ 164 ALASKA. by legal subdivisions, the adverse claimant, if also claiming by legal subdivisions, may describe his ad- verse claim in the same manner without further survey or plat, 87. Upon the foregoing being filed within the sixty days as aforesaid, the register, or in his absence the re- ceiver, will give notice in writing to doih parties to the contest that such adverse claim has been filed, informing them that the party who filed the adverse claim will be required within thirty days from the date of such filing to commence proceedings in a court of competent juris- diction to determine the question of right of possession, and to prosecute the same with reasonable diligence to final judgment, and that, should such adverse claimant fail to do so, his adverse claim will be considered waived and the application for patent be allowed to proceed upon its merits. 88. When an adverse claim is filed as aforCvSaid, the register or receiver will indorse upon the same the pre- cise date of filing, and preserve a record of the date of notifications issued thereon ; and thereafter all proceed- ings on the application for patent will be suspended, with the exception of the completion of the publication and posting of notices and plat, and the filing of the necessary proof thereof, until the controversy shall have been adjudicated in court, or the adverse claim waived or withdrawn. 89. Where an adverse claim has been filed and suit thereon commenced within the statutory period and final judgment determining the right of possession rendered in favor of the applicant, it will not be sufiicient for him to file with the register a certificate of the clerk of the court, setting forth the facts as to such judgment, but he must, before he is allowed to make entry, file a certified copy of the judgment, together with the other evidence required by section 2326, Revised Statutes. 90. Where such suit has been dismissed a certificate of the clerk of the court to that eflfect or a certified copy of the order of dismissal will be sufiicient. 91. In no case will a relinquishment of the ground in i i ALASKA. 165 controversy, or other proof, filed with the register or re- ceiver be accepted in lieu of the evidence required. 92. Where an adverse claim has been filed, but no suit commenced against the applicant for patent within the statutory period, a certificate to that eflfect by the clerk of the State court having jurisdiction in the case, and also by the clerk of the circuit court of the Uni- ted States for the district in which the claim is situated, will be required. 93. A party who is not an applicant for patent under section 2325, Revised Statutes, or the assignee of such applicant, is not entitled to make entry under said section, and in no case will the name of such party be in- serted in the certificate of entry. This regulation has no reference to proceedings under section 2326. 94. Any party applying to make entry as trustee must disclose fully the nature of the trust and the name of the cestui que trust; and such trustee, as well as the beneficiaries, must furnish satisfactory proof of citizen- ship ; and the names of beneficiaries, as well as that of the trustee, must be inserted in the final certificate of entry. 95. No entry will be allowed until the register has satisfied himself, by a careful examination, that proper proofs have been filed upon all the points indicated in official regulations in force, and that they show a sufl&cient bona fide compliance with the laws and such regulations. 96. The administration of the mining laws as pre- scribed by these regulations will be, so far as applicable, a,dopted for and extended to Alaska. (i) The exofficio register, receiver and surveyor- general, while acting as such, and their clerks and deputy surveyors, will be deemed subject to the laws and regulations governing the oflBcial conduct and responsi- bilities of similar oiBicers and persons under general statutes of the United States. (2) The Commissioner of the General Land Office will exercise the same general supervision over the exe- cution of the laws as are or may be exercised by him in other mineral districts, k-iil t * !' m iA .Mi l;!^ '''}■■. £n' i|i|:^-ii 166 ALASKA. APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY SURVEYORS OF MINING CI^AIMS— CHARGES FOR SURVEYS AND PUB- LICATIONS — FEES OF REGISTERS AND RECEIVERS, ETC. 97. Section 2334 provides for the appointment of sur- veyors of mineral claims, authorizes the Commissioners of the General I«and Office to establish the rates to be charged for surveys and for newspaper publications. Under this authority of law the following rates have been established as the maximum charges for newspaper publications in mining cases : (i) Where a daily newspaper is designated, the charge shall not exceed seven dollars for each ten lines of space occupied, and where a weekly newspaper is designated as the medium of publication five dollars for the same space will be allowed. Such charge shall be accepted as full payment for publication in eachissuc of the newspaper for the entire period required by law. It is expected that these notices shall not be so abbreviated as to curtail the description essential to a perfect notice, and the said rates established upon the understanding that they are to be in the usual body- type used for advertisements. (2) For the publication of citations in contests or hearings involving the character of lands, the charges shall not exceed eight dollars for five publications in weekly newspapers, or ten dollars for publications i n daily newspapers for thirty days. 98. The surveyors-general of the several districts will, in pursuance of said law, appoint u\ each land district as many competent deputies for the survey of mining claims as may seek such appointment ; it being distinctly under- stood that all expenses of these notices and surveys are to be borne by the mining claimants and not by the Uni- ted States ; the system of making deposits for mineral sur- veys, as required by previous instructions, being hereby revoked as regards y?f/(i zf<7rit ; the claimant having the option of employing any deputy surveyor within such district to do his work in the field. I 1 ALASKA. 167 99. With regard to the platting of the claim and other office work in the surveyor-general's office, that officer will make an estimate of the cost thereof, which amount the claimant will deposit with any assistant Uni- ted States Treasurer, or designated depository in favor of the United States Treasurer.to be passed to the credit of the fund created by " individual depositors for surveys of the public lands," and file with the surveyor-general duplicate certificates of such deposit in the usual manner. 100. The surveyors- general will endeavor to appoint mineral deputy surveyors, so that one or more may be lo- cated in each mining district for the greater convenience of miners. loi. The usual oaths will be required of these depu- ties and their assistants as to the correctness of each sur- vey executed by them. The duty of the deputy mineral surveyor ceases when he has executed the survey and returned the field notes and preliminary plat thereof with his report to the sur- veyor-general. He will not be allowed to prepare for the mining claimant the papers in support of an application for patent, or otherwise perform the duties of an attorney before the land office in connection with a mining claim. The surveyor-general and local land officers are expected to report any infringement of this regulation to this office. 102. The law requires that each applicant shall file with the register and receiver a sworn statement of all charges and fees paid by him for publication of notice and for survey, together with all fees and money paid the register and receiver, which sworn statement is required to be transmitted to this office for the information of the Commissioner. 103. Should it appear that excessive or exorbitant charges have been made by any surveyor or any publisher, prompt action will be taken with the view of correcting the abuse. 104. The fees payable to the register and receiver for filing and acting upon applications for mineral-land patents are five dollars to each officer, to be paid by the I M Iti •i ' >#i ,,jhb:i?.;." I 1 TOi:::-- : afftii"' m' II \--''i ;i'i 168 ALASKA. applicant for patent at the time of filing, and the like sum of five dollars is payable to each officer by an ad- verse claimant at the time of filing his adverse claim. (Sec. 2238, R. S., paragraph 9.) 105. All fees or charges under this law may be paid in United States currency. 106. The register and receiver will, at the close of each month, forward to this office an abstract of mining applications filed, and a register of receipts, accompanied with an abstract of mineral lands sold and an abstract of adverse claims filed. 107. The fees and purchase money received by registers and receivers must be placed to the credit of the United States in the receiver's monthly and quar- terly account, charging up in the disbursement account the sums to which the register and receiver may be re- spectively entitled as fees and commissions, with limita- tions in regard to the legal maximum. PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE REGISTER AND RECEIVER AND SURVEYOR-GENERAL IN CONTESTS AND HEARINGS TO ESTABLISH THE CHARACTER OF LANDS. 108. The " Rules of Practice in cases before the Uni- ted States district land offices, the General Land Office, and the Department of the Interior," approved August 13. 1885, will, as far as applicable, govern in all cases and proceedings arising in contests and hearings to de- termine the mineral or non-mineral character of lands. 109. The only tracts of public land that will be with- held from entry as agricultural land on account of its mineral character will be such as are returned by the surveyor-general as mineral ; and even the presumption which is supported by such return may be overcome by testimony taken at a regular hearing. no. Hearings to determine the character of land, as practically distinguished, are of two kinds : (i) Where lands which are sought to be entered and patented as agricultural are alleged by affidavit to be w I ir. T. X V 3 3- M , /; O H C/3 tfi W t/2 •r. WW C. • tn (Mil! Q --us O cfi o w H wr ""OS ►J << ILASZl. 1G9 mineral, or when sought as mineral, their non-mineral character is alleged. The proceedings relative to this class are in the na- ture of a contest between two or more knowu i rties. (2) When lands are returned as inineral- by !he sur- veyor-general. When such lands are sought to be eri red i^s agri- cultural notice must be given by publication for thirty days w'tt posting in the local office for the same period. 111. At the hearings under either of tK^ aforesaid ■'lasses the claimants and witnesses will be thoroughly examined with regard to the character of the land ; whether the same has been thoroughly prospected ; whether or not there exists within the tract or tracts claimed any lode or vein of quartz or other rock in place, bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin or copper, or other valuable deposit which has ever been claimed, located, recorded or worked ; whether such work is entirely abandoned or whether occasionally resumed ; if such lode does exist, by whom claimed, under what designation and in which sub-division of the land it lies ; whether any placer mine or mines exist upon the land ; if so, what is the character thereof— whether of the shal- low-surface description or of the deep cement, blue lead or gravel deposits ; to what extent mining is carried on when water can be obtained and what the facilities are for obtaining water for mining purposes ; upon what particular ten-acre sub-divisions mining has been done, and at what time the land was abandoned for mining pur- poses, if abandoned at all. 112. The testimony should also show the agricultural capacities of the land, what kind of crops are rai.-ed thereon and the value thereof; the number of acres actually cultivated for crops of cereals or vegetables and within which particular ten-acre sub-division such crops are raised ; also which of these sub-divisions embrace the improvements, giving in detail the extent and value of the improvements, such as house, barn, vineyard, orchard, fencing, etc., and mining improvements. 113. The testimony should be as full and complete as i» — m i: t :ii^ :i^^^ 1 i HHT^ P .Sir ITO ilL^jSrJTA. possible ; and in addition to the leading points indicated above, where an attempt is made to prove the mineral character of lands which have been entered under the agricultural laws, it should show at what date, if at all, valuable deposits of mineral were first known to exist on the lands. 114. When the case comes before this oflBce such de- cision will be made as the law and the facts may justify; and in cases where a survey is necessary to set apart the mineral from the agricultural land, the necessary in- structions will be given to enable the proper party at his own expense, to have the work done, at his option, either by United States deputy, county or other local surveyor ; the survey in such case, where the claims to be segre- gated are vein or lode claims, must be executed in such manner as will conform to the requirements in section 2320, U. S. Revised Statutes, as to length and width and parallel end lines. 115. Such survey when executed must be properly sworn to by the surveyor, either before a notary public, officer of a court of record, or before the register or re- ceiver, the deponent's character and credibility to be properly certified to by the ofiicer administering the oath. 116. Upon the filing of the plat and field notes of such survey, duly sworn to as aforesaid, you will trans- rait the same to the surveyor-general for his verification and approval; who, if he finds the work correctly per- formed, will properly mark out the same upon the orig- inal township plat in his oflfice, and furnish authenticated copies of such plat and description both to the proper local land oflSce and to this office, to be afiixed to the duplicate and triplicate township plats respectively. 117. With the copy of plat and description furnished the local office and this office, must be a diagram tracing, verified by the surveyor-general, showing the claim or claims segregated, and designating the separate frac- tional agricultural tracts in each 40-acre legal subdivision by the proper lot number, beginning with No. 1 in each section, and giving the area in each lot, the same as pro- lav I ALABKA. 171 vided in paragraph 45, in the survey of mining claims on surveyed lands. 118 The fact that a certain tract of land is decided upon testimony to be mineral in character is by no means equivalent to an award of the land to a miner. A miner is compelled by law to give sixty days' publication of notice, and posting of diagrams and notices, as a pre- liminary step; and then, before he can enter the land, he must show that the land yields mmeral; that he is en- titled to the pos.sessory right thereto in virtue of com- pliance wi*^>i local customs or rules of miners, or by vir- tue of the statute ot limitations; that he or his grantors have expended, in actual labor and improvements, an amount of not less than five hundred dollars thereon, and that the claim is one in regard to which there is no controversy, or opposing claim. After all these proofs are met, he is entitlea to have a survey made at his own cost where a survey is required, after which he can enter and pay for the land embraced by his claim. 119. Blank forms for proofs in mineral cases are not furnished by the General Land Office. Thomas H. Carter, Commissioner. Approved December 10, 1891. m lir lii:::-' iHllli;; 11 John W. Noble, Secretary. dredge-boat mining. Several movements have been inaugurated with the view to extracting minerals from the beds of rivers or river bars in Alaska, but the consent of the Government has in no instance been given, and the mineral laws of the United States do not warrant the t^iployment of the methods proposed. Upon this subject Honorable Binger Hermann, Commissioner of the General Land Office, in a communication dated January 3, i^>j8, and addressed to The Honorable, the Secretary of the Interior, said: ' 'ill !i!1' i Hi"- Ww VIV ti !M 172 ALASKA. " I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a letter relative to the right to extract mineral from the beds of rivers or from river bars, in Alaska. " Mr. states, in substance, that he is interested in a company which has made investments with a view to operating vessels on those rivers of Alaska where gold is presumably to be found ; that the company contem- plates the use of pumps or other methods suitable to the extraction of the m^'tal from the beds of streams or bars therein, and asks if such operations would be legal. "It is to be reminded that, as no specific case is now before me for decision, anything that may be here said upon the subject can amount only to an expression of opinion. " The operations of the mineral land laws, section 2318 ei seg., U. S. Revised Statutes, and acts supple- mental thereto or amendatory thereto, were extended to Alaska by the act of May 17, 1884 (23 Stats. 24). "It is contemplated by the law that persons desirous of taking minerals from the public domain shall locate a claim, the boundaries of which must be plainly marked upon the ground. The claim, as the term is used in the statutes, is something tangible, a particular portion of the earth's surface susceptible of identification, and, in my opinion, there is no legal warrant for the extraction of mineral from the public domain except the mining be done within the limits of such a claim as contemplated by law, the possessory title to which may ripen into a complete ! legal title by the issuance of a United States patent. " Further, the question might arise whether or not such operations as are described by Mr. would not render the company or its members liable to the penalty prescribed by section 10 of chapter 907 (p. 802) U. S Supplemental Revised Statutes, and attention is re- spectfully directed to said section and to section 6 of said chapter (p. 801)." ALASKA. 173 Dbpartment of the Interior, General I,and Office, Washington, D. C, October 12, 1892. Registers and Receivers, United States Land Offices : Gentlemen : Attached is a copy of the act of Con- gress of August 4, 1892, entitled, "An act to authorize the entry of lands chiefly valuable for building-stone un- der the placer mining laws." The first section of said act extends the mineral land laws already existing so as to bring land chiefly valua- ble for building-stone within the provisions of said law to the extent of authorizing a placer entry of such land. The proviso to said first section excludes lands reserved for the benefit of the public schools or donated to any State from entry under the act. In cases that may arise hereafter in reference to any lands subject to entry under the mining laws, you will be governed by said act in admitting such entries. The proper instructions'for your guidance in so doing may be found in official circular of December 10 1891, entitled "United States Mining Laws and Regulations There- under," to which you are referred, and your special at- tention is called to the law and instructions therein re- lating to placer claims. It is not the understanding of this office that the first section of said act of August 4, 1892, withdraws land chiefly valuable for building-stone from entry under any existing law applicable thereto. The second section of said act of August 4, 1892, makes the timber and stone act of June 3, 1878 (20 Stat., 89), applicable to all the public-land States. You will observe the same in acting upon applications for entries in your respective districts. For instructions you are referred to the general circular of February 6, 1892, pages 35 to 38 inclusive. In allowing placer entries for stone chiefly valuable for building purposes, under the first section of the act IP iii i Sir' 11 174 ALASKA. of August 4, 1892, you will make a reference to said act on the entry papers returned. Very Respectfully, W. M. Stone, Acting Commissioner, Approved October 12, 1892. Geo. Ch/ndler, Acting Secretary. AN ACT to authorize the entry of lands chiefly valuable for building stone under the placer mining laws. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- iiv's at the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That any person authorized to enter lands un- der the mining laws of the United States may enter lands that are chiefly valuable for building stone under the provisions of the law in relation to placer mineral claims: Provided, That lands reserved for the benefit of the public schools or donated to any State shall not be subject to entry under this act. Sec. 2. That an act entitled "An act for the sale of timber lands in the States of California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington Territory," approved June third, eight- een hundred and seventy eight, be, and the same is here- by, amended by striking out out the words '" States of California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington Territory" where the same occur in the second and third lines of said act, and insert in lieu thereof the words, " public- land States," the purpose of this act being to make said act of June third, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, applicable to all the public land Siates. Sec. 3. That nothing in this act shall be construed to repeal section twenty-four of »he act entitled "An act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes," I 1 ALA8KA. 176 approved March third, eighteen hundred and ninety- one. Approved August 4, 1892. A. Department of the Interior, General Land Office, Washington, D. C, October 24, 1892. Registers and Receivers, United States Land Offices: Gentlemen : In addition to instructions contained in general circular of February 6, 1892, pages 35 to 38, inclusive, and pages 147 and 148, in relation to the tim- ber and stone act of June 3, 1878, extended by the act of August 4, 1892, referred to in circular A of October 12, 1892, you are advised as follows: 1. That entries made under section one of said act are required to be kept and reported in consectitive and numerical order in your mineral land series. 2. That entries made under section two of said act are required to be kept and reported in consecutive numerical order in your regular agricultural cash series. Necessary additional blank forms for entries under said act are as follows : Form Nos. 4—357; 4—363; 4—370; 4—371; 4—537; -658 c. Very respectfully, W. M. Stone, Acting Commissioner. 'I" w- &: ■fi-'' m '!■ 'ri'% .':■ '0% fc'; ^l* ffi. .V;r:' ii ".fji.^-rt !W:'.i ffiii:: '"!?■ - 1. .1' ,^;l ': 176 ALASKA. i^ APPENDIX B. i:,..;ii V I' DIGEST OF CANADIAN MINING IvAWS. The regulations governing placer mining along the Yukon River and its tributaries in the Northwest Terri- tory, adopted by the Canadian Government, are as fol- lows: DEFINITIONS. Bar Diggings shall mean any part of a river over which the water extends when the water is in its flooded state, and which is not covered at low water. Mines on Benches shall be known as bench diggings, and shall, for the purpose of defining the size of such claims, be excepted from dry diggings. Dry Diggings shall mean any mine over which a river never extends. Miner shall mean a male or female over the age of 1 8, but not under that age. Claims shall mean the personal right of property in a placer mine or diggings during the time for which the grant of such mine or diggings is made. Legal Post shall mean a stake standing not less than four feet above the ground and squared on four sides for at least one foot from the top. Both sides so squared shall measure at least four inches across the face. It shall also mean any stump or tree cut oflF and squared or faced to the above height and size. Close Season shall m-^an the period of the year during which placer mining is generally suspended. The period to be fixed by the gold commissioner in whose district the claim is situated. Locality shall mean the territory along a river (tribu- tary of the Yukon) and its affluents. 1 ALASKA. 177 Mineral shall include all minerals whatsoever ottier than coal. NATURE AND SIZE OF CI^AIMS. T. Bar Diggings. — A strip of land loo feet wide at high-water mark and thence extending along into the river to its lowest water-level. 2. The sides of a claim for bar-diggings shall be two parallel lines run as nearly as possible at right angles to the stream, and shall be marked by four legal posts, one at each end of the claim, at or about high-water mark; also one at each end of the claim at or about the edge of the water. One of the posts at high water mark shall be legibly marked with the name of the miner and the date upon which the claim is staked. 3. Dry diggings shall be 100 feet square, and shall have placed at each of its four corners a legal post, upon one of which shall be legibly marked the name of the miner and the date upon which the claim was staked. 4. Creek and river claims shall be 500 feet long, measured in direction of the general course of the stream, and shall extend in width from base to base of the hill or bench on each side, but when the hill or benches are less than 100 feet apart, the claim may be 100 feet in depth. The sides of a claim shall be two parallel lines run as nearly as possible at right angles to the stream. The sides shall be marked with legal posts at or about the edge of the water and at the rear bound- aries of the claim. One of the legal posts at the stream shall be legibly marked with the name of the miner and the date upon which the claim was staked. 5. Bench claims shall be 100 feet square. 6. In defining the size of claims, they shall be meas- ured horizontally, irrespective of inequalities on the sur- face of the ground. NoTB. — The regulation relating to the length of a claim was amended August 8th by the Dominion Government; the new regulation limits the length of a claim to 100 feet, running along the stream. 11- tJ mt i I \ '! f f i / I' 1 178 ALASKA. 7. If any person or persons shall discover a new mine, and such discovery shall be established to the sat- isfaction of the gold commissioner, a claim for the bar diggings 750 feet in length may be granted. A new stratum of auriferous earth or gravel situate ' in a locality where the claims are abandoned shall, fr this purpose, be deemed a new mine, although the sanxi locality shall have previously been worked at a different level. 8. The forms of application for a grant for placer mining and the grant of the same shall be those con- tained ill forms "H" and "I" in the schedule hereto. 9. A claim shall be recorded with the gold commis- sioner in whose district it is situated within three days after the location thereof, if it is located within ten miles of the commissioner's office. One extra day shall be al- lowed for making such record for every additional ten miles and fraction thereof ID. In the event of the absence of the gold commis- sioner from his office, entry for a claim may be granted by any person whom he may appoint to perform his du- ties in his absence. 11. Entry shall not be granted for a claim which has not been staked by the applicant in person, in the man- ner specified in these regulations. An affidavit that the claim was staked out by the applicant shall be embodied in form "H" of the schedule hereto. 12. An entry fee of $15 shall be charged the first year and an annual fee olF $100 for each of the follow- ing years. This provision shall apply to the locations for which entries have already been granted. 13. After the recording of a claim, the removal of any post by the holder thereof, or any person acting in his behalf, for the purpose of changing the boundaries of his claim, shall act as a forfeiture of the claim. 14. The entry of every holder for a grant for placer mining must be renewed and his receipt relinquished and replaced every year, the entry fee being paid each year. 15. No miner shall receive a grant for more than one ALASKA. 179 mining claim in the same locality; but the same miner may hold any number of claims by purchase, and any number of miners may unite to work their claims in common upon such terms as they may arrange, provided such agreement be registered with the gold commis- sioner and a fee of $5 paid for each registration. 16. Any miner or miners may sdl, mortgage or dis- pose of his or their claims, provided such disposal be registered with, and a fee of $2 paid to the gold commis- sioner, who shall thereupon give the assignee a certifi- cate in form "J" in the schedule hereto. 17. Every miner shall, during the continuance of his grant, have the exclusive right of entry upon his own claim for the miner-like working thereof, and the con- struction of a residence thereon, and shall be entitled ex- clusively to all the proceeds realized therefrom; but he shall have no surface rights therein, and the gold com- missioner may grant to the holders of adjacent claims such rights of entry thereon as may be absolutely neces- sary for the working of their claims, upon such terms as may to him seem reasonable He may also grant per- mits to miners to cut timber thereon for their own use upon payment of the dues prescribed by the regulations in that behalf. 18. Every miner shall be entitled to the use of so much of the water naturally flowing through or past his claim, and not already lawfully appropriated, as shall in the opinion of the gold commissioner be necessary for the due working thereof, and shall be entitled to drain his own claim free of charge. 19. A claim shall be deemed to be abandoned and open to occupation and entry by any person when the same shall have remained unworked on working days by the grantee thereof, or by some person on his behalf, for the space of seventy-two hours, unless sickness or other reasonable cause may be shown to the satisfaction of the gold commissioner, or unless the grantee is absent on leave given by the commissioner, and the gold commis- sioner, upon obtaining evidence satisfactory to himself mm m I 11 f\ i 'M 1 "Si !!;:■:■ iiili ii" ''ja i li- I !:ii-r H/Im: i: 180 ALAiSli:^. that this provision is not being complied with, may cancel the entry given for a claim. 20. If the land upon which a claim has been located is not the property of the crown, it will be necessary for the person who applies for entry to furnish proof that he has acquired from the owner of the land the surface right before entry can be granted. 21. If the occupier of the lands has not received a patent therefor, the purchase money of the surface rights must be paid to the crown, and a patent of the surface rights will issue to the party who acquired the mining rights. The money so collected will either be refunded to the occupier of the land when he is entitled to a pat- ent therefor, or will be credited to him on account of payment for land. 22. When the party obtaining the mining rights can not make an arrangement with the owner thereof for the acquisition of the surface rights, it shall be lawful for him to give notice to the owner, or his agent, or the oc- cupier to appoint an arbitrator to act with another arbi- trator named by him, in order to award the amount of compensation to which the owner or occupant shall be entitled. The notice mentioned in this section shall be according to form, to be obtained upon application from the gold commissioner for the district in which the lands in question lie, and shall, when practicable, be personally served on such owner or his agent, if known, or occu- pant, and after reasonable efforts have been made to ef- fect personal service without success, then such notice shall be served upon the owner or agent within a period to be fixed by the gold commissioner before the expira- tion of the time limited in such notice. If the proprie- tor refuses or declines to appoint an arbitrator, or when, for any other reason, no arbitrator is appointed by the proprietor in the time limited therefor in the notice pro- vided by this section, the gold commissioner for the dis- trict in which the lands in question lie shall, on being sat- isfied by affidavit that such notice has come to the knowl- edge of such owner, agent, or occupant, or that such owner, agent, or occupant, wilfully evades the service ■1' ALASKA. 181 a of such notice, or cannot be found, and that reasonable efforts have been made to effect such service, and that the notice was left at the last place of abode of such owner, agent or occupant, appoint an arbitrator on his behalf. 23. (a) All arbitrators appointed under the authority of these regulations shall be sworn before a justice of the peace to the impartial discharge of the duties as- signed to them, and they shall forthwith proceed to esti- mate the reasonable damages which the owner or occu- pant of such lands, according to their several interests therein, shall sustain by reason of such prospecting and mining operations. (6) In estimating such damages the arbitrators shall determine the value of the land, irrespectively of any enhancement thereof from the existence of mineral therein. (c) In case such arbitrators cannot agree, they may select a third arbitrator, and when the two arbitrators cannot agree upon a third arbitrator, the gold commis- sioner for the district in which the lands in question lie shall select such third arbitrator. (d) The award of any two such arbitrators made in writing shall be final, and shall be filed with the gold commissioner for the district in which the lands lie. If any cases arise for which no provision is made in these regulations, the provisions of the regulations gov- erning the disposal of mineral lands other than coal lands approved by his excellency the governor in council on on the 9th of November, 1889, shall apply. APPLICATION FOR GRANT FOR PLACER MINING CLAIM AND AFFIDAVIT OF APPLICANT. ii:: m M tea m jl Is!" Form "H." I (or we), of , hereby apply under the Dominion Mining Regulations for grant of a claim for placer mining as defined in the said regulations in *3,r, ii 1*1 I. 182 ALASKA. (here describe locality), and I (or we) solemnly swear: J^irsi. That I (or we) am (or are) to the best of ray (or our) knowledge and belief, the first discoverer (or discoverers) of the said deposit, or Second. That the said claim was previously granted to (here name the last grantee), but has re- mained unworked by the said grantee for not less than Third. That I (or we) am (or are) unaware that the land is other than vacant Dominion lands. Fourth. That I (or we) did on the day of mark out on the ground in accordance in every particular with the provisions of the mining regu- lations for the Yukon River and its tributaries, the claim for which I (or we) make this application, and that in so doing I (or we) did not encroach on any other claim or mining location previously laid out by any other person. Fifth. That the said claim contains, as nearly as I (or we) could measure or estimate, an area of square feet, and that the description (and sketch, if any) of this date hereto attached signed by me (or us) sets (or set) forth in detail to the best of my (or our) knowl- edge and ability its position, form and dimensions. Sixth. That I (or we) make this application in good faith to acquire the claim for the sole purpose of mining, prosecuted by myself (or us), or by myselt and associates, or by my (or our) assigns. Sworn before me At.... i8 . , this day of (Signature) I ALASKA. 183 the GRANT FOR PLACER CLAIM. Form " I." Department of the Interior, Agency , i8 . . . . In consideration of the payment of the fee prescribed by clause 12 of the mining regulations of the Yukon River and its tributaries by (A. B.) accom- panying his (or their) application No , dated , 18 for a mining claim in (here insert description of locality), the minister of the it'erior hereby grants to the said (A. B.) for the terra of one year from the date hereof the exclu- sive right of entry upon the claim (here describe in de- tail the claim). Granted. — For the miner-like working thereof and the construction of a residence thereon, and the exclu- sive right to all the proceeds derived therefrom. That the said (A. B.) shall be entitled to the use of so much water naturally flowing through or past his (or their) claim, and not already lawfully appropriated, as shall be necessary for the due working thereof, and to drain his (or their) claim free of charge. This grant does not convey to the said (A. B.) any surface right in the said claim or any right of ownership in the soil covered by the said claim, and the said grant shall lapse and be forfeited unless the claim is continuously and in good faith worked by the said .... (A. B.) or his (or their) associates. The rights hereby granted are those laid down in the aforesaid mining regulations and no more, and are sub- ject to all the provisions of the said regulations, whether the same are expressed herein or not. Gold Commissioner. (" Klondike,"--Chicago Record.) [11! ,;ft ■•i!:i;-' 111 pH!:,;: lis-i-,;- liir: m \m.-,.: Si II Pi' Mr;. 3!i!^: m 184 ALASKA. APPENDIX C. 5 f GLOSSARY OF MINING TERMS MOST FREQUENTIvY USED. ir lit- n Amalgam : In some ore the gold is so fine and scarce that it must be dissolved in mercury in order to save it ; such mixture of mercury (quicksilver) and gold is called amalgam. Burn : To burn a lay is to thaw out a hole in the ground by building a fire over it. Claim : The territory one man is allowed by law or lo- cal, common consent to stake out for himself. The size differs and is fixed by agreement among the miners in any particular locality. It is a section of a creek of a certain length — sometimes zcK' feet, ex- tending from rim to rim in width. The reason of this variableness in the size of claims on dif- ferent creeks is that on some greater length is required to make it worth a man's while to work them. The pay deposits may be scattered so that a man could make wages only by working here and there over a large territory. Of course, the con- ditions surrounding the first discovery on a creek are the basis for fixing the size of a claim on that stream. The discoverer of a new field is allowed two claims, while others are permitted to take but one at a time. However, when a lo- cator has worked out his assessment of a few days' work, he is at liberty to take another. When a suf- ficient cumber of men arrive on a new creek to make it impracticable to work together in harmony, it is customary to hold a meeting and elect one I i SOUTllKRN WAT15R FRONT, JUNEAU. m s ■ .mmm ^i"^ : ^ ' SI mi x; I—) P Q < >< » O o in J a o I " ALASKA. 185 w I— I >> Q •/; J 1— « X u -3 >■ Ui 5 of their number as register or clerk, and thereafter a record is made of all locations and all transfers, for which a small fee is usually charged. Color : When " dirt " is very carefully washed and the result at the bottom of the pan is the merest speck of the metal it is said to show " color." Cradle : See " Rocker." Dirt: Earth in which valuable minerals, especially gold, is expected. Discovery : The point where gold is first found in any territory is called " Discovery Claim," and the other claims are numbered i, 2, 3, etc., in both directions from discovery claim. Drift: A horizontal opening in the side of a hill, creek bank, or leading from a shaft. Dust : Gold in the form it is taken from placer mines. Particles about the size of a pea and larger are called nuggets. Float : Pieces of rock, quartz or ore detached from the main vein, ledge, lode or deposit of like material. Fool's Gold: Iron pyrites; so named from its resem- blance to the precious metal — pyrites will crush under the hammer, while gold flattens. Grindstone : Three poles, each about 8 feet in length, used to support a stove on the snow. Grub Stake : It frequently happens that a person de- sirous of sharing the wealth of an unexplored country is not in a position to visit it in person and elects to buy an outfit of tools, clothing and food for some prospector, whom he sends into the country with the understanding that they become equal part- ners. Such a transaction is called grub-staking. t m ijli!!" i: i lUlilillUlU 186 ALABKA. \\V i Hungry Ore: Worthless rock which from its appear- ance leads to the belief that it contains gold or other valuable mineral. I,ay : The privilege of working another man's claim. Pan : A gold digger's pan resembles an ordinary frying pan without the handle. It is usually about a foot in diameter at the bottom, with flaring sides four or five inches deep. It is made of any suitable ma- terial, profusely pressed steel or copper. Pay Dirt: If a pan of dirt will yield lo cents worth of gold it is called pay dirt. If it yields 15 cents worth it is promising dirt, and 20 cents makes it rich. It is said that some pans in the Klondike run as high as $1,000, and many claims are saidto average from $75 to $200 to the pan. Placer Gold Mines : Mines where the gold is found in the pure state in the form of nuggets or grains, and can be separated by the simple process of washing in water. The Supreme Court of the United States has defined a placer claim in the following language : "Ground within defined boundaries which contains mineral in its earth, sand or gravel ; ground that in- cludes valuable deposits in any place, that is not fixed in rock, but which are in a loose state and may in most cases be collected by washing or amalgama- tion without milling." Prospector: From a mining standpoint is one who makes a business of searching for deposits of precious metals or other minerals of recognized value. Quartz Gold Mines : Mines where the gold is embedded or fixed in quartz rock, which requires heavy ma- chinery to crush before the metal can be extracted. Riffle : See " Sluice box." ALASKA. 187 Rocker or Cradle : A box with rockers, something after the fashion of a baby's cradle, in which the pay gravel is placed and then rocked while water is pour- ing through. Shaft : A vertical hole sunk in the ground like a well. Sluice Box or Riffle : A long narrow trough of plank- ing with slats or riffles across the bottom. The box is built on an incline, and as water and gravel are washed down the gold is caught by the riffles ; some- times mercury is used in connection with this ap- pliance. Tailings: The gold-laden sands, etc., which escape from the pan or other washing apparatus in placer mining. There are Chinamen and others still mak- ing good wages working tailings of the early Cali- fornia placer mines. Tenderfoot : A person unacquainted with the ways of frontier life, or mining camps ; a greenhorn. Whim : A vein or lode which 'does not meet expecta- tions. WORDS COMMONLY USED IN AI^ASKA AND FOR WHICH THERE ARE NO ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS.— (PETROFF.) Barabara : A term of Siberian origin for a semi-subter- ranean hut or dwelling. Beluga : The white grampus or white whale. Bidar : A Kamchatkan word ; an open boat with a wooden frame and covered with seal, sea -lion or walrus skin. Biddrka : A skin canoe of the Aleutians, covered all over with the exception of one, two or three circu- lar openings to accommodate as many paddlers. H3£"j Si*- iiMtai^ 188 ALABKA. Kaiak : Eskimo skin-canoe. Kamleika : A Siberian term, water-proof shirt of seal, whale or bear gut. Parka : A Kamchatkan word; upper garment of fur, with small head-opening and sleeves varying in length. Shamdn : A Kamchatkan term for sorcerer or medicine man, used by many tribes who once were subject to Russian influence. Toy6n : Kamchatkan term for chief, introduced by Rus- sians. Tuyiik and Tookoo with Aleutians and other tribes. Tundra : A Siberian term, a moor, morass or swampy plain, producing a dense growth of mosses and grasses over a frozen sub-soil and ice, which does not thaw to a greater depth than eighteen inches be- low the surface. Tiingak : A term used by certain Eskimo tribes for a shaman or conjuror. APPENDIX D. Governor John G. Brady, of Alaska, in his report to the Secretary of the Interior for 1897, gives the follow- ing as an outfit for two men for fourteen months, food and clothing, Sitka, Alaska, prices, August i, 1897. 4 barrels best flour at $6 $24.00 200 pounds granulated sugar, at 6 cents 12.00 200 pounds navy beans, at 4 cents 8.00 100 pounds corn meal 2.75 250 pounds breakfast bacon, at 121^ cents 31 -25 ALASKA. 189 75 pounds island rice, 6 cents $ 4.50 2 cases Eagle Milk i7-50 20 pounds salt .35 25 pounds best Mocha and Java coflFee 8.75 10 pounds best tea 4.50 8 pounds soda .70 20 pounds baking powder 9.20 25 pounds dried apricots 2.50 25 pounds dried peaches 2.50 25 pounds dried apples 2.25 2 boxes candles 5.00 1 box pepper, 25 cents; soap, $1 1.25 3 boxes yeast, 25 cents, one-half tin matches, 50 cents -75 I Yukon stove, complete 6.00 3 half-spring shovels 3.00 3 miner's picks 3.00 1 double-bladed axe, complete 1.50 13 oil sacks, 50's and loo's 7.55 2 gold pans, $1 ; i coflFee mill 35 cents 1.35 12 pounds condensed onions 5.00 ID pounds evaporated spuds 2.50 46 pounds rope 5,00 Toilet soap .50 6 tin plates, 50 cents; 3 granite cups, 50 cents i.oo 1 coflFee-pot, 40 cents ; whetstone, 20 cents .60 Awls, shoe thread, wax, bristles, etc i.oo 2 fry- pans, $1; fish line and hooks, 50 cents, . . 1.50 2 pkgs. extract of beef 1.00 6 assorted files, 60 cents ; oil blacking, 50 cents i.io 1 package chocolate 30 2 miner's candlesticks i .00 T iron brace and bits 1.75 24 pounds raisins, 10 cents 2.40 Outfit for boat : 30 pounds nails, $1.50; 5 pounds white lead, 60 cents 2.10 Candle wicking, 20 cents ; ^-inch auger, $1.25. . . 1.45 Oakum, 25 cents ; pitch, 25 cents .50 1 handsaw, $1.50; i jack plane, 75 cents 2.25 ill; i If mm iliii--^' ■i^j I \ ■ If; u si" t III I i] fr , I;. I w lit. t • :■ l! m .. m 190 ALii/SfZl. Paint brush, 25 cents ; 4 candle wicks, 40 cents 2 pairs oars, $1.75; oarlocks, 40 cents 3 pairs heavy wool blankets 2 pairs pack straps, $3 ; i hand ax, $1 2 pairs hip r. boots, leather soles, $6 2 pairs high-top lace shoes 4 pairs German socks, 75 cents 2 pairs lumberman's rubbers 2 pairs suspenders . 4 suits heavy wool underwear 4 dark-blue flannel overshirts 4 pairs Mackinaw pants 2 pairs Mackinaw coats 2 blanket coats 1 2 pairs socks, wool 6 pairs wool mittens 40 yards mosquito netting 1 1 buckskin pouches 1 magnet, 50 cents ; 2 pairs goggles, 50 cents 2 pairs snow glasses I dozen bandana handkerchiefs I lot spoons, knives and forks I butcher knife 4 oil blankets . — 1 lot buckets, pans, cooking utensils, etc 2 southwesters, $r; tent, $12 I 41 Colt's revolver and ammunition 1 Winchester rifle and ammunition 2 fur caps I whipsaw % 65 2.15 20.50 4.00 12.00 7-50 3.00 3.00 75 12.00 8.00 11.00 6.00 8.00 4-50 3.00 1. 00 500 1. 00 1. 00 r.oo 1-35 •75 6.00 3-35 13.00 15.00 18.00 2.50 5-50 Total $371.60 ALASKA. 191 65 2.15 20.50 4.00 12.00 7-50 3.00 3.00 75 12.00 8.00 11.00 6.00 8.00 4-50 3.00 1. 00 5.00 1. 00 1. 00 1. 00 1-35 •75 6.00 3-35 1300 15.00 18.00 2.50 5-50 APPENDIX E. TABLE OF DISTANCES. DISTANCES FROM JUNBAU. MII,ES. Haines Mission (Chilkat) 80 Dyea icx) Head of canoe navigation 106 Summit of Chilkoot Pass 114 Head of Lake Lindeman 1 23 Foot of Lake Lindeman 127 Head of Lake Bennett 128 Foot of Lake Bennett 153 Caribou Crossing 156 Foot of Tagish Lake 173 Head of Lake Marsh 178 Foot of Lake Marsh 197 Head of Canyon 223 Foot of Canyon 224 Head of White Horse Rapids 225 Tahkeena River 240 Head of Lake Le Barge 256 Foot of Lake Le Barge 284 Hootalinqua 316 Cassiar Bar 342 Big Salmon River 349 Little Salmon River 385 Five Fingers Rapids 444 Rink Rapids 450 Pelly River 503 White River 599 Stewart River 609 iift 192 ALABKA. MILBS* Sixty-Mile Post 629 Klondike • 678 Fort Reliance 682 Forty-Mile Post 728 Fort Cudahy 728 Circle City 898 Forty-Mile to Diggings 70 Circle City to Diggings 50 Mouth of Cook Inlet 700 Turnagain Arm 800 Six-Mile Creek 825 Funter Bay 47 Berner Bay 50 Sitka 1 40 Snettisham 32 Sum Dum 50 Wrangell 160 rs >£ ' DISTANCES VIA VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. I:|:iyi: FROM SEATTI^E. MILKS. Mary's Island 655 Metlakahtla 683 lyoring 718 Fort Wrangell 808 Juneau 960 Bemer Bay 1,015 Dyea i ,060 FROM SITKA. MILES. Killisnoo 70 Juneau 160 i [LRS. 655 683 718 808 960 1,015 1,060 r If i M ' i1 f|fe;i ti I < « H en J, 05 •A en I 'Ti •Jl *-* w c w M H n w v. w |iii: W^ .1 Pnlipis iHiiiH! w CD y. « O ALASKA. 198 MIIvBS. Hoona 120 Dyea 193 Yakutat 220 Nutschk (Prince William Sound, direct) 450 Kadiak 550 Sunrise City, Cook Inlet 785 Karluk 610 Sandpoint 880 Unga 874 Belkofsky Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) 1,150 11 *!■ i m ■Ml : :^ J w o •A H M O FROM UNALASKA. (Dutch Harbor.) MILKS. Seal Islands 240 St. Michael 850 1 i!!iS! [!!!!*=■ APPENDIX F. NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN ALASKA. TAe Alaskan, published at Sitka, weekly. North Star, published at Sitka, monthly. Alaska Mining Record, published at Juneau, weekly. Alaska Searchlight, published at Juneau, weekly. Alaska Miner, published at Juneau weekly. Northern Light, published at Fort W rangell, monthly. Ill; isi":r , ( 'IV 194 ALASKA. APPENDIX G. LIST OF POST OFFICES IN ALASKA JANUARY I, 1898. Chilkat, Circle, *DOUGI'" ALASKA. 195 f& $19 c» 23.00 28. 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I ■ V/^* / / -T ■X. ^^*»^ / ^v ^--JL \ r / ^ k .^ .// / CT) >3 ct^"^ ^ I 7 / / ^ / PUBU8HBD BY PBRMISSION.v / X .^ 'N-^ -v"x OAT "^ D U S COAST AND GEODETIC 8UHVEY ROUXE MAP JUNEAU TO PORCUPINE RIVER ALASKA ,PU BUSHED BY Hudson-Kimberly Publishia? Co. KANSAS CITY. MO. / I 't(7\\ \ '/ / V i^ vx,/ '■- 1 L ^ ''ifMMnfPPPiviiinnipnHilip II JMHWI-. ipiHPPPipiIpp H'«?- • •itmw^\li;«<)i^ji "il'IU iM Om'ANCB. vi* cwikMt ro*.', •unki M Dim .. ^.u. OjmMDtwMn .. ji,,J. vta miiiii n«R ia«nla to Wnagrii Wrai« Cli> .r f^ V- '^.\ i-A^t'Au\:'\\hM\U- . ■■;ft;ji(f|,-iij,flW»fn:f-|(fi!|fijt|i: TREASURY DEPARTMENT U.S. COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY YUKON RIVER ALASKA PUELISIIED BY Hudson-Kimberly Publishinq KANSAS CITY. MO. 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