Klondyke Nuggets: A Brief Description of the Great Gold Regions in the NorthwestLadue, Joseph
History
Klondyke Nuggets: A Brief Description of the Great Gold Regions in the Northwest
Ladue, Joseph
Alaska -- Gold discoveries; Klondike River Valley (Yukon) -- Gold discoveries
The twilight lasts all night and the Northern Lights are very common.
Then in summer it is exactly the other way. The day there in July is
about twenty hours long. The sun rising and setting in the north. A
great deal has been said about the short seasons, but as a matter of
fact a miner can work 12 months in the year when in that region.
Spring opens about May 1st and the ice commences to break up about that
time. The Yukon River is generally clear of ice about May 15. The best
part of the miner's work commences then and lasts till about October
1st.
The winter commences in October but the miner keeps on working through
the winter. The rainy season commences in the latter part of August and
lasts two or three weeks.
A fall of two feet of snow is considered heavy.
There is a wide difference in the quantity of snow that accumulates on
the coast and the ranges in the interior where the principal mining
claims are located.
While the fall of snow on the coast is heavy the depth of snow as far
down as the Yukon, Stewart and Klondyke rivers is inconsiderable.
In my new work on this territory entitled "Klondyke Facts" I deal more
largely on the climate of this region.
There are still good diggings at Circle City in Alaska, but nearly all
the miners have left for Klondyke, not being satisfied with the pay dirt
which they were working. I know at least 20 good claims in Circle City.
Fort Cudahy, or as it is sometimes called Forty Mile Creek, is now
practically exhausted as a mining camp, and the miners have left for
other diggings.
There will undoubtedly be new and valuable diggings discovered very
quickly along this region as it is certain that this enormous territory
is rich in gold-bearing districts.
The entire country is teeming with mineral wealth.
When mining operations commence on coal it will be specially valuable
for steamers on the various rivers and greatly assist transportation
facilities.
In the next few years there will certainly be recorded the most
marvellous discoveries in this territory, usually thought to be only a
land of snow and ice and fit only to be classed with the Arctic regions.
It is marvellous to state that for some years past we have been finding
gold in occasional places in this territory, but from the poverty of the
people no effort was made to prospect among the places reported.
It is my belief that the greatest finds of gold will be made in this
territory. It is safe to say that not 2 per cent. of all the gold
discovered so far has been on United States soil.
The great mass of the work has been done on the Northwest territory,
which is under the Canadian Government.
It is possible however that further discoveries will be made on American
soil, but it is my opinion that the most valuable discoveries will be
further east and south of the present claims, and would advise
prospectors to work east and south of Klondyke.
THE YUKON RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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