GOLD DISCOVERY IN
COPPED RIVER BASIN
Original Find Made by Has;lett and Meals in 1898
on the Chisna, a Tributary of Chistuchena.
Stampede Follows Report of Strike
and Other Creeks I/oeated.
In 18D8, the year of the bin stam
pede into the interior of Alaska over
the Valdez glacier, George C. Hazlett
and A. J. Meals were among those
who joined in the great rush. Even
tually reaching the Copper river, the
two prospectors whip-sawed lumber
from the virgin forest, constructed a
boat and proceeded up the big stream,
prospecting the creeks as they pro
gressed. Arriving finally at the
mouth of the Chistuehena, a large
tributary of the Copper river, which
joins the latter seventy miles above
the settlement of Copper Center, Haz
lett and Meals found prospects which
led them to ascend the branch stream.
They ascended to its source in the
mountains, and on a tributary named
Chi sua established a permanent camp.
Some little prospecting was done and
claims were located which the dis
coverers considered good hydraulic
ground.
During the season of 'OH Melvin
Dompsey joined Hazlett and Meals in
the new camp, staked claims, and has
since been one of the most progres
sive miners in Chat district.
The three men wintered on the
Chisna, and in the spring again began
prospecting on a more systematic ba
sis. In May, 1800, they uncovered
coarse gold, and were highly encour
aged at the prospects. In the fall
Hazlett and Meals returned t o Valdez,
went to the states, organized the
Chisna Mining and DevelopmentCom
pany, purchased 200 tons of hydraulic
machinery and supplies and twenty
five head of horses, and returning to
Valdez with the big outfit, began the
work of transporting it. to the new
diggings. Twenty-five men were em
ployed in the work, the head packer
being J. It. Crittenden, a well known
citizen of Valdez.
In those early days, before the sub
stantial government trail which now
makes the trip comparatively easy, it
was a difficult as well as expensive
matter to move freight such a dis
tance into the interior. Bridges were
built—two large ones, spanning the
Tonsina and Klutina river —
trails cut where necessary and
many obstacles overcome. It took
the company from February, 1000, to
May 1, 1901, to haul fall the tonnage
from Valdez to the Chisna.
The Chisna Mining and Improve
ment Co., has continued its opera
tions on the Chisna since the instal
lation of the hydraulic plant in 1901.
It is currently reported in Valdez that
a company headed by J. H. Rogers
contemplates the purchase of the
original company's holdings on the
Chisna. Rogers visited the section
last fall with this object in view, it
is stated.
To tho initiative, energy and perse
veronco of Hazlett and Meals is due
the discovery of the Chisna gold dis
trict. As a direct result of the find
ing of gold on the Chisna, other
gold creoks wore found by prospectors
who followed in the wake of the origi
nal trail 1)lazers — Hazlett and Moals.
Nizina District
In June of 1902 the Nizina district
first, attracted the attention of pros
pectors, who flocked to the scene of
the discovery. The Nizina gold field
includes three prominent streams—
Young oreek, Chittitu crock and Dan
creek. Tho Chittitu is the best known
as a gold producer, and two of its
tributaries, Rex gulch and While
gulch, contained pay gravel.
Dan creek is more of a hydraulic
proposition, and is controlled chiefly
by the Dan Crook Mining Company,
at the head of which is Hteve Mirch,
tho Guggenheim representative. Ex
tensive development will bo done on
tho company's property next season.
Young creek is the longest of the
| tributaries of the Nizina. Calamity
; gulch aiul Gold Run are the principal
| producers of its tributaries.
George M. Esterly' aiul Frank Ker
' nan are at present the largest opera
! tors in the Nizina district.
Keman especially has been success
j ful, his cloan-up last season being
DEMPSEY STRIKES
AN OLD CHANNEL
Perhaps the most promising prop
erty on the Chisha is that owned by
Melvin Dempsey. Since the original
discovery this energetic prospector,
with an enthusiasm which has never
waned, has expended time and money
in exploiting his claims. During the
past season Dempsey has been tunnel
ing into the hank adjoining his creek
property in an endeavor to locate an
old channel which he thought existed,
running parallel with the present wa
ter course of the Chisna. While his
efforts were not entirely successful in
that ho did not get sufficient depth
for drainage, yet the demonstration
was made that the old channel is
there, the tunnel run encountering
one of tin> rims of an old creek, the
wash of which carries gold values.
The coming season the tunnel will bo
[Owered in order to strike bedrock of
PLACERS OF SLATE
AND MILLER GULCH
Rich Gold Deposits Pound by Party Composed of
Miller, Kraemer, Leavell and McDowell.
Creeks Have Proved Big Producers
With Ground Yet Unworked.
Moved by rumors of the Hazlett
Meals gold strike on the Chisnu river,
many prospector** (locked tot ho scone
of the new discovery, in 1JHK>, and be
gan looking for placers on contiguous
creeks. Arthur MoNeor, a member
of the Chisna Company, had found
prospects on what is now known as
claim, located at the mouth of Miller
gulch. It is at present owned l>y Mc
(lee, Greenwald and others, and in
credited with a total production to
date of $250,000.
No. 10 below, known an the Ham
burger claim, iH owned by Jack Mil
ler, and Iuih produced $20,000.
Hydraulic Mining on tlu» Chisnu
estimated at' §<H),000 above running
expenses.
Bremner District
The Bremner dist rict wan discovered
in 15)01 by a party of seven prospec
tors hailing from Valdez, and mining
on a Hinall scale baa been pursued
since that time. The Bremner is a
large stream, being abonl llfty miles
in lengthXand navigable for small
boats for twenty-tlve miles. Its best
known tributaries are (loleonda, Sum
mit, Little Bremmer, Amy, Standard
and Medreal.
Reindeer In Alaska.
Dr. Sheldon Jaekson started the
reindeer industry in Alaska in the
year 185)1, raising the funds necessary
to import these animals by private
subscription. The government, re
alizing the importance of the indus
try to the nativo- population, made
appropriations from time to time, un
til the reindeer herd at the present
time numbers 21,000. The initial
herd was imported from Lapland, but
since then the reindeer were bought
from the native deer men of north
east Siberia. W. T. Lopp is superin
tendent of the reindeer industry, the
herds being placed at intervals be
tween Point Harrow, in the Arctic
ocean, down the coast to Iliamna, in
Southwestern Alaska.
Duncan McDonnell, formerly lT. S.
commissioner of the great. Kuskok
wim district, discovered a cinnabar
deposit on the Kuskokwim district
which is a veritable mountain of ore.
Iluhies are found in South-eastern
Alaska.
the old channel, and Dempsey is san
guine that rich pay will ho found.
For the accommodation of neigh
boring miners Dcmpscy has acted as
postmaster for the Chisna district,
and is ever ready to assist in legiti
mate means to bring his section of
the country to the front.
Miller Gulch Claim
Copper,'gold, silver, antimony, tin,
gypsum, jade, sulphur, bismuth, mica,
graphite, cinnabar, lead, nickel, plat
inum, and petroleum are the chief
mineral and metal rcsoures of
Alaska.
Jafet Lindhcrg, one of the original
discoverers of the Nome gold fields,
came over from Norway as a herder
for tin* first reindeer brought to Al
aska.
Sink? Crook in 1899, but iu> locations
wore in ado until a party composed of
Jack Millor, Charles Kraomor, Bert
McDowell and Dorsoy Leavell, in
. 1900, found prospoctw which justified
them in locating claims. Thus this
party may he said to he the original
diHcovererH of a creek which has
proved to he a rich producer.
A detailed account of the claims on
Slate creek and its tributary, Miller
gulch, is given below, the tlguroH
given as the output to date being
only Approximately correct, from data
gathered by various Slate creek op
erators :
Discovery claim on Slate creek was
staked by the original locators and is
at tlio head of the stream. Not over
$5,000 in gold has boon mined from it.
No. 1 below discovery was located
by Charles Kracmer, and has given
forth $25,000.
No. 2 below was staked by Bert
McDowell, and has produced $15,000.
No. 3 below is now owned by hook
er and Stroebel, and about $115,000 has
been taken out of it.
i No. -I below is the property of Sam
Taylor, and has produced $10,000.
No 4 below is owned by Jack Miller.
It is considered a rich property, but
has not been worked.
No. 0 below is the property of James
Newcomb, and has given lip about
$25,000.
No. 7 below is owned by Jacohson,
'fully and the estate of James (lar
rett. It has not been opened up.
, No. H below was staked by Bob
Coles and Melvin Dompsey, and has
produced $12,(KM).
No. 9 below is the famous Tacoma
No. II below, known as the Califor
nia claim, wan originally owned by a
party of minora, but in now tlu* pro
perty of James Baker. It ban been a
good producer, about $48,000 being
credited to it.
A 25-foot fraction lies below No. II,
which gave forth $15,000.
No. 1*2 below wan located by New
comb, Brchm and Wonka, but is now
owned by Bay Larson. It has in
creased the world's riches by $115,000.
No. Cl below is owned by N. K.
Ohlsson, and about $10,000 has been
mined from it.
No. I I below was located by Charles
Sandbcrg. It has produced hand
somely, $75,000 being estimated as the
out put.
No. 15 below is James Black's
claim, with a production of $50,(MM) to
its credit.
No HI below was located by Addison
Powell, and sold by him to Charles
Sandbcrg. It has not been mined.
Nos. 17 and 18 below were purchased
by Charles Sandbcrg. They have not
been opened up.
Miller Gulch
Jack Miller staked discovery claim
on Miller gulch, named for him. It
is located at' the mouth of the gulch,
and has been one of the largest pro
ducers in the district, t he total pro
duction being placcd at $250,t)00.
No. I above on Miller gulch was
staked by Charles Kraemer. It is al
so rich ground, and has already given
up $200,000, with more gold in sight.
No. 2 above on Miller gulch was
located by Doraey Loavoll, and has
produced about $75,000.
No. H above, Miller gulch, is owned
Tacoma Claim on Hlato Crook
....COPPER RIVER....
LUMBER COMPANY
Manufacturers of
ROUGH AND DRESSED
LUMBER
And Dealers in
Boat Lumber •> Other Building Material
Olllcen and Mill:
Water Front, bol-ween Broadway and Alaska Ave.
Valdez Alaska
by 11. Himl, and Iuih given up $8,000.
No 1 above was located by James
Garrett', now deceased. 11 ban pro
duced about $50,000.
No 5 above was staked by Coles and
Dempsey, who took about $'25,(MM)
from it.
No ({ above was located by Neil
Robeson, and.produced about $10,000.
Nos. 7 and K above, and owned res
pectively by II. NVenko and Van
Xcipcl, have not. been producor.
Slack Creek
Tbe whole of Slack creek, a tribu
tary'of Slate creek, is now owned by
liill Holmes. It has produced about
$50,000.
Big Four Creek
Over the divide from Miller gulch
is a small stream known' as Hig Four
creek. Perpetual snow covers the
ground, which is fro/en, rendering
mining difficult. Four short claims
take in the creek, and all are owned
by Kit Draco. About $15,(Ml() has'been
taken out .
Old Channel Found
On a bench claim otT of No. 2 below
on Slate creek, Bert McDowell sank
a shaft a distance of 110 feet. At a
depth of 05 feet'a'rim of an old chan
nel was encountered. The wash
gravel contained gold, and at the
depth attained bedrock was not in
sight. The shaft will be continued
until bedrock is found, and it is antic
ipated that rich pay will he found
thereon. The bench claim is on a
meadow which lies between Slate
creek and the (Jhlstochcna, and it is
probable the old channel rims across
it to the latter creek.
DiatnondH in Alaska
During the early days of Alaska's
history, Fdward II. Drown, a brother
of the Brown boys of Seattle, well
known newspaper men, was a deputy
collector of customs, stationed at Sit
ka. One day a party of natives, liv
ing to the westward, came into his
ofllec and exhibited several small
white stones. Curiosity led Brown
to give the stones a tent as to their
composition, and they proved to be
diamonds. Brown forthwith got busy
and endeavored to learn from whence
the diamonds came. The only infor
mation he could get from the aborig
ines was that they had found them
"to the westward where the smoking
mountains are."
I NORTHERN
I STEAMSHIP
I COMPANY
S OPERATING
•
J Steamers to all S. W.
I Alaska Points
•
• Commencing January, 1009,
• I liiH company will operate two
• steamers per month—one fast
• passenger and o««? for freight
• only—from Seattle to Value/,,
s Cordova, Seward and Cook In
• let. calling at all intermediate
• port*.
Our steamer "A (J. Lindsay"
is especially adapted for carry
ing live stock, machinery, lum
ber and explosivoH.
Special Low Freight
Rates to All Points
Tor information as to sailing
dates, apply to
S. V. CHIUSTIAN, AGENT
({lobe Bldg. Seattle, Wash.
Good Cure for the Blues
To the Mushers on the Trail:
When your heart is feeling hoavy
And your brain is rather sad,
Don't think about your sorrows,
Milt of the fun you've had.
And of all the things awaiting
you at the.
HOTEL HOLMAM
Copper Center, Alaska
Kingwald Bllx, Prop.
Alankn Fox Parma.
Fox farms on the islands of the Pa
ciMc south of Alaska have been i
source of profit to those familiar wltl
the business. The blue fox species it
the one more generally reared, the
value of the pelt being greater thai
that of the white or red. The advan
tage of fox farming lies In the fae
that the farmer may secure his pelti
when they are prime, thus obtaining
the highest market value.
COPPER
BLOCK
VALDEZI
I
Floury F. HuoHwIorf
The House of Comfort
Steam Heated
Hot Baths
Electrie Lights
Most Modern Service Throughout
Strictly Up-to-Date
Finest Cafe in the City
MEN ONLY
NEW TYPE
Playing both 2 and 4-minute Records
We also have Attachments to put on your Machine
to play the New Amberol 4-minute Records
AND THE DOUBLE-FACED RECORDS
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