■>. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) «s 1.0 I.I 11.25 ■ 50 ly 2.8 1.2 1^ £ us 1110 m U 111.6 V '> ~) Photographic Sciences Corporation ^1 W6ST MAIN STUIET WlbSlER.N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 €3 i\ V \\ 4< ■^ iflK"^' •-fli^' U.A i I CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques ^ N> 5rv ^\- i Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the besl original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibllographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checl(ed below. J? Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagie □ Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurAe et/ou pelliculAe □ Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque pCTT Coloured maps/ JcxJ Cartes gAographiques en couleur ^ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or biaclt)/ Encire de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I — I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ D D D L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a At6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibllographlque, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la methods normale de filmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. r~n Coloured pages/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ ReliA avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliure serr6e peut causer de Tombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intArieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutAes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans ie texte, mais, lorsque cela «:j:ait possible, ces pages n'ont pas AtA fiim^es. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmwtaire&n ^.^^ D Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommag6es Pages restored and/oi Pages restaur^es et/ou peiliculAes Pages discoloured, stained or foxei Pages d^colortes, tachet6es ou piqu6es Pages detached/ Pages ddtachSes Showthroughy Transparence Quality of prir Quality in6gaie de I'impression Includes supplementary materii Comprend du materiel supplAmentaire Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible I — I Pages damaged/ I — I Pages restored and/or laminated/ r~~| Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ I I Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ — I Includes supplementary material/ I — I Only edition available/ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 filmAes A nouveau de faqon A obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmA au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 14X 18X 22X 10X 26X 30X 12X 16X 20X 24K 28X 32X &>ap-^ay»»»j& ftCj w ife ('^*i :ails du )difittr une nage The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Library of Congress Photoduplication Service The images appearing here are the be3t quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce d la gdn^rositd de: Library of Congress Photoduplication Service Les images suivantes ont dt6 reproduftes avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de I'exempliaire filmd, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. If Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the froi^t cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimde sont film6s en commenqant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commenqant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole —^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film6 d partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. rrata to pelure. n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 : TfiE» ELONDTKE MINES Aim IK niiieQ miiiii ei tue mod. A description of the methods of looatiog, working and holding mining claims. Ex- tracts from United States and Canadian mining laws and government reports upon Alaska mining. A full and correct map of Alaska with a com- plete table of railway and 4 . \ 3 steamship fares to the -^z'^ Gold Fields. COMPILED BT WALTER Bj[jLL,^«]p^ t\ 1§97. ALBERT DATZ, PUBLISHER, JBBSBT CITT, S. i. V 6£tjUJ UvJr-/. ^STHE KLONDYKE MIKES — AND THE — GOLDEN VALLEY OF THE YUKON. WHERE IS THE KLONDYKE RIVER? About sixty miles south of St. Michael's, Alaska, and emptying its waters into Behring Sea, is the Delta of the mighty Yukon, a river, greater in length, discharging a larger volume of water, and navigable for a greater distance than any other river on the American Continent. For 3,000 miles, its rushing waters, teeming with fish, run between banks lined with Missions, Indian villages and small trading posts, and through a country whose scenery is indescribably grand and magnificent. Vessels of large tonnage sailing up this stream meet with no obstruction save the swift flowing current. Following the course of this river for 1,890 miles from St. Michael's the Klondyke River is reached where its waters pour into and swell the current of the Yukon. Situated at the junction of these two rivers and distant about fifty miles from the boundary line dividing Alaska and the British possessions is Dawson City, the scene at the present time of the greatest mining excitement in the history of the world, and -^ '10. -9- compared with which the Kaffir strikes in South Africa and the great Californian and Australian discoveries of 1849 and the early 50's sink into utter insignificance. For, Avhile immense discoveries were made in cer- tain localities throughout those countries, in Alaska the entire valley of the Yukon and its tributaries seems to be filled with paying gravel, one report stating that, in thirty days, four men working one claim on Eldorado Creek, took out *80,000 in coarse gold and nuggets. Anotlier prospector took out ninety-six pounds of gold for three days' work on Stewart River. Other discoveries, equally as rich, have been made on McMillan, Pelly and Sixty Mile Rivers, and also on Copper River and Henderson Creek. It is estimated that the clean up for the coming winter's work will be over ten million dollars. What the United States Director of the Hint says of the Alaska Qold Fields in the " World." The information I have myself received confirms the truth of the telegrams to the daily papers con- cerning the richness of the newly discovered gold fields. I leurn from the San Francisco Mint that one million dollars of gold has been received in that city from the Klondyke district, and from Helena, Montana, that two hundred thousand dollars from the same source has been deposited at the United States Assay Office in that city. On Ji ly 1 7th, 1897, n steamship from St. Michael's passed Po t Townsend, Wash., with i .ore than a ton of solid goM on board, that the metal was worth nearly $700,000, and that if '< J_ es in South . Australian k into utter nade in cer- )s, in Alaska ,s tributaries , one report ft'orking one )00 in coarse or took out i,ys' work on ally as ricli, d Sixty Mile 1 Henderson up for the ill ion dollars. le nint says World." tved confirms jmpers con- icovered gold CO Mint that eived in that from Helena, dollars from it the United ly 17 th, 1897, ) tTownsend, ro]d on board, OOvl, and that if '< -8— most of it was taken out of the ground in less than three months. The mineral belt of Alaska has, according to Professor Emmons, of the United States Geological Survey, a longitudinal extent of about one hundred miles in a northwestern and south- western direction. Tt is said to be only a few miles wide. The drawbacks in the Klondyke district will necessarily partake of the luiture of those in Asiatic Russia. The severity of the climate there will, as in Siberia, reduce tlie labor year to abouc one hundred days. The sands can only be washed in summer and the production is thus reduced to about one-third of what it would be in a more favorable latitude. To the prospector who intends to visit the original discovery claims on the Klondyke river, all that is necessary after leaving Dawson City is to follow the well defined trail to the mines over the low range of hills or divide, which form the north side of the valley of the Klondyke. Tliis is about sixty miles, and ho will then be in the very heart of the mining region. He will find, however, that all tiiebest claims in that immediate neighborhood have been taken up, but there yet remains an undeveloped and unexplored country of hundreds of miles in extent which only awaits the prospector's pick to develop riohes as great as those already discovered. In fact, it is now said that between Porcupine river on the north to Copper river on the south a miner cau find paying claims on any of tlie intervening creeks and rivers. What is known as "pay gravel "lies below the bottom of the creeks, and is obtained by sinking a shaft through the frozen ice, mud and debris to the \ d bed-rock, where the richest gravel is encoan.'ered. This bed-rock is usually divided by numerous cracks and lissures, and in these crevices the richest finds are generally made, the reason being, that wlien the gold is ground from the face of the vein or lode by the erosive action of the glaciers and other natural forces the fine ])article8 and small nuggets are carried with other debris down the stream by the current, and being very heavy, are caught and held by any projec- tion they may meet or any lioUow they may find in the bed of the stream. After digging to the bed-rock the method followed is usually tunneling— a tunnel being driven up or down the bed of the creek in the direction of the lead. Owing to the frozen con- dition of the soil fires must be kept burning contin- uously in the prospect hole in order to thaw out the ground. The gravel is then removed and the gold washed out by hand. One method followed is to dig out and cord up all the frozen gravel that you can during the winter and wash out the gold- in the summer, when water is plentiful and the weather more suitable— the thermometer ranging for two months in mid-summer as high as eighty degrees, while in winter forty degrees below zero is considered very mild, sixty and seventy below zero being nothing unusual. !f HOW TO REACH THE KLOND\KE MINING REGIONS BY WAY OF CHILCOOT PASS. Upon arriving at Juneau, the intending prospector will have e choice of several routes to the mines, viz : b encoun.'ered. erous cracks richest finds lat when the n or lode by )ther imtural its are carried current, and y any projec- y may find in • the bed-rock ng — a tunnel the creek in e frozt;n con- rning contin- thaw out the and the gold owed is to dig that you can gold- in the . the weather png for two ^hty degrees, ) is considered being nothing KE MINING OT PASS. ing prospector he mines, viz : the Chilcoot, Chilcat, Takou and White i'asscs and the Teslin trail. Of these the (!hilcoot I'ass seems to bo the favorite, probably because the country has been 80 little explored that other and better passes are at present unknown. In order to reach Dawson City by the CliiUoot route the prospector proceeds fiom Juneau 11. "> miles up Lynn Cunal to Dyea, where he will have to help unload the vessel bringing his supplies. At Dyea there is no wharf, and, as the shore is very flat and the tide rises and falls about 23 feet, the beach is covered every high tide for probably a mile inland. Hence all landing of goods is done by the ship's boats and lighters. From this point to the mines he is thrown entirely upon his own resources. The trail, after leaving Dyea, follows the course of the Dyea River and Canyon for eight miles, and then begins a long and hard climb to the summit of the pass, about three thousand feet above the sea. After crossing the summit the descent is steep for a short distance and then a more moderate slope for ten miles to the head of Lake Linderman ; the entire distance of 25 miles being exceptionally hard, rough and dangerous climbing. At Lake Linderman there are scows that can be hired for the trip to the foot of the lake, where there is about one mile of portage to Lake Bennett. In the spring, about the middle of April, when the rivers and lakes are open to naviga- tion, a raft should be built at the head of Lake Bennett for the journey of seventy miles to the foot of Lake Marsh. These rafts should have an upper deck or staging erected about two feet above the raft proper, in order that the miner's supplies may be kept above the water, which at times will wash entirely over the raft ; the supplies should also, as far as possible, be packed in rubber or other water-tight bags. A few miles below Lake Marsh are the dangerous White Horse Rapids, down which the raft must be guided by lines, and keeping to the right hand side, until, at the White Horse, further progress is barred by rocks; making a portage here, another raft or l)oat must be built below the rapids, and the voyage continued for two hundred and twenty miles, passing through Lake Labarge and down the Lewis Tliver, to the Five Fingers, which are formed by four large masses of rock standing upright in the river, making five different channels, from whence it derives its name, and of which the right hand passage is the only one practicable. Up to this point the voyage down the lakes and rivers is rather a dangerous one, as the channel abounds in rocks and reefs, some of them projecting above water, but many of the others, anc' the most dangerous, lying a few' inches below the . irface ; these cannot be seen until you are almost upon them, and have caused the wreck of many boats and the ruin of the supplies ard of the men who owned them. From the Five Fingers the voyage is a pleasant one, as a short sail of about sixty miles brings our prospector to where the Lewis and Pelly Rivers unite to form the noble and mighty Yukon, the giant river of the north ; from this point, on the bosom of the greatest of rivers, amid grand and beautiful scenery, through a country filled with fish and game, he enjoys a delightful sail of four hundred and ninety miles to Dawson City. 'y&MiL~. will wash I also, as far water-tight ill are the ich the raft ,0 the right her progress ere, another rapids, and and twenty d down the I are formed 'ight in the II whence it land i)a8sage is point the a dangerous reefs, some lany of the few inches intil you are le wreck of ard of the Fingers the [ ahont sixty I Lewis and and mighty from this rivers, amid auntry filled itful sail of 1 City. V ■ -—-■*- t.-.w. NoTR.— I'p to tlic middle of April it is Ixttcr to tiso nlcds from the iicud of Liilic Iiin-"»"" These rates of fare are not guaranteed for any length of lime .,« t p fare between San Francisco and Puget Sound is at Jresent cut from $15.00 and $7.50 to $8.00 and $4.00. The time occupied in making the run from San Francisco to Juneau is eight or nine days. From ^f^ Piiget Sound or Portliiiul, P\e or six days. The run from Seattle to Juneau or Dyea, being entirely on inland waters is sniootli, free from sea-sickness, and amidst the most magnificent scenery in the world. From San Francisco or Seattle to Dawson City, via St. Michael's, the usual faro is tloO.OO, the sailing days are irregular and infrequent, and the accommo- dations are limited. The voyage to St. Michael's is in the open ocean and at times very rough. List of United States Officers in Alasli** ik ^ t^ .*"»:•' .#:? 4Si o V'* c»»' tv ,--\ /> lAd; \tJl ^^^^—^ WW^<«W.^'9 f^\ riiMca i '^f^fU,^ "K^ 'Mp: ^3 1 '. V/O ,,A^^*^ M.,/''\ J'v.lC'^^ W^^^^-* safc-ifr-f *> ''<-! «>i(/*'V'*'' wt- «» \\ t>^ \V ■ 'I'S:. ^ I f. -v^ c.< ■si '*■ -Tj t ■'.',-. ALASKA ^Surroundings, showing the KLONDIKE: DDLD riELDS;. and Routes to the MiNiNtj Camp. i/T^ v.* ♦> S^fek^^ftea to i iiSB imi^S^taB^SBai^w g/ i ftMBii ^^ smm:^imi^^^i^^ss^:^m