VOLUME 4, NO. 2 6 VALDEZ, ALASKA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1905. OFFICIAL CITY PAPER
We are showing a
nice assortment of
Spring ats
In Light and Dark Colors
and ranging in price from
$1.50 to 5.00
AsK For A “Stetson”
You can’t beat them for Style and Wear.
One of the next steamers is bringing us a large con
signment of SPRING SHIRTS of all kinds-Negligee,
Golf and Percales. Don’t buy till you see them.
European Plan Pat* treasonable
HOTEL ST. ELMS
"(Only First Class Hotel in Valdez.)
headquarters for Mining Men
and Commercial Travelers
t>£BMEy & POOT, Proprietors.
Keystone Ave. Valdez, Alaska.
OWL DRUG COMPANY
Pure Fresh Drags
MEDICINE OUTFITS FOR THE TRAIL
"Stationery Pbone-40 Newspapers, Magazines
— - - - ■ _
PRICES ARE
RIGHT
Wholesale and
Retail ‘Dealers
GIVE US A
CALL
Hotel Ht>lm4h, Copper Center,
has enclosed a 40-acre tract of first
class pasture for the accommoda
tion of its patrons.
The Buhisidei completed the lay
of the cable to Seward this morn
ing.
The steamer Portland, Captain
liindquist, arrived Friday with 50
tons of freight, 62 head of cattle. 14
horses and 10 sheep. Among Hie
rssenger.s were W. L. Powell. C.
Ray, I. Dickinson, R. T. Mayer,
Dr. Woodruff and family and J. J.
McManus.
The coast survey steamer Mc
Arthur, Captain Denison, readied
town last Friday to coal-up for
further work in the neighbrhood of
Hinchenhrook island. Captain
George, one of the oldest sen-faring
men in Alaskan waters is pilot.
Mr. Ferguson, president of the
Oakland, Calif., council, was a pas
senger on the 'Port land hound for
Chr.thum hay to investigate some
placer grounds at that jKiiiit.
Dr. Woodruff, a mining man of
Salt Lake City was a passenger on
the Portland and has gone lo tin
Westward to look over some mining
• properly along the coast.
For Murder
—
Posse Hunts For Montgomery,
Who, it is Suspected
Killed Three Partners
A posse was recently sent out
from Eagle to capture ami bring in
a man named Montgomery on a
charge of murder. Montgomery
has a cabin near the head of White
river, where his wife and child
were seen this summer bv some
prospeclors from this section. They
were living in a most destitute con
dition, and when asked as to the
whereabouts of her husband stated
that he had crossed Scolai pass to
the Nizina for provisions.
Last March Montgomery induced
two men to leave Eagle with him
to go to the head of the White riv
er, where he cluimed to have dis
covered rich diggings. The men
-have completely disappeared, and
Montgomery lias given out the
story that he left them on a tribu
tary creek-prospecting, though the
people at Eagle know that they
had Only grub enough with them
to last a few days, and it is sus
pected that he lias done away with
the men in order to secure their
personal effects.
Three years ago this same Mont
gomery, while living with the
natives on the Nabesna mefa man
from Dawson whom he induced to
go on a prospecting trip. Shortly
after Montgomery returned alone
and with a had Bear across his face.
He claimed that his partner was
lost in the ice, hut while the natives
did not hear any quarrel they saw
Montgomery bury the hotly of a
man on the hank of Jack creek, a
tributary of the Nals sna. The man
bad several thousand dollars and a
fine gold watch when he left camp.
Aimut three years ago Montgom
ery came into Valdez claiming to
have located some very valuable
eoppei properties. He secured a
couple of thousand dollars as *a
l»oiid on the projtfrty with the un
derstanding that he was to attend
o that season’s work. Neither lie
nor the property have beeu heard
of in this locality since.
| At TheCamps
Items of Interest from the Creeks
Valdez Creek, Fhushitna, July (1
—There are now but 19 men work
ing in this district, Neilly and
Clauson having been railed to Fair
banks ns witnesses in a criminal
ease.
An unprecedented spoil of high
water late in June caused consider
able loss on Nos. 1 and *2 below,
and necessitated a complete change
of plans of operations for the men
working there. A dam costing
about $3,000 bad been constructed
on the up|a;r end of No 1 to divert
the stream, which would have given
thorn access to practically all of
the claim and enabled them to
handle the ground rapidly, hut a
few days before tie' dam was com
pleted, a sjH-11 of rain raised the
stream to such an extent that it
could not lie controlled and the I
dam was cut out. This made it
necessary for the men to move to
the bar on discovery, which wws
partially worked last year, (.irogg.
Clarkson, Johnson, Jim Smith ami
Dan Ross are sluicing on this
claim.
ocinosser nnu i*razo, who are
working No. 2 below were ground
sluicing a cut when the upper dam
broke, and the rush of water took
the dam at the head of their claim
out, causing the loss of onsiderahlc
time and making it impossible for
them to work on through the bar
as they had intended.
Tiie dams can not lie repaired
until late in tlie fall or next spring,
as during the summer the stream
carries an immense volume of
water.
No. 2 above is being worked this
summer by \V. M. Smith, Tom
Kir.ney, Nels Jepson and Sam Jen
son on a lay. They have a good
piece of ground unco'end and are
doing well.
On No. 4 Pete Monahan, O. Garn
ery and S. Wofington are running
a cut near the upper end of the
claim. This work is being done
mostly for the purpose of prospect
ing the claim and locating bed
rock. although the cut is paying
well. No sluicing has been done on
Valdez creek above No.'4. In this
cut a false bed-rock of clay and
nntck was struck at about seven
feet, under which is a deposit of
ancient, well-rounded wash carry
ing good pay. Tliebel-rock under
this gravel lias not been reached
but the cut will be continued until
the bottom is found. This old
wash prospects better as depth is
gained.
From 4 nbove to 1 below the
creek runs through a canyon, with
bars in the l>ends. The benches
are altout 200 feet high, with rock
rims showing all along. There is
no black sand in the wash, the gold
being found in a coarse ruby sand.
There is a full-fledged hydraulic
plant at work on Lucky gulch, a
small pup running from the slate
bills south of Valdez creek into
Roosevelt creek about nine miles
above the other diggings. This
plant, which is opciated by Carlson,
Coleman, Thompson and Frost,
consists of about 100 feet of pres
sure hose and some 12-ounce con
veying hose, and a nozzle made
from a stovepipe. With this outfit
they are putting from 140 to 100
cubic yards a day through the
boxes. The gold is in a slate wash,
or rather slide, from the mountain,!
and is rough. Occasional pieces of
quartz are found containing good-!
sized nuggets. Pieces oi gold rang- i
ing as high as $18.40 have been
picked up in the cut. It is6vi-j
dentlv of local origin, there being
no foreign wash and the gold being]
sorough. The last clean-up was
about 30 onces, or nearly two
ounces a day to the man.
Hough estimates of the output of
the creek for the season put the
amount from 120,000 to 940,000.
Alltel) more would have l>een accom
plished l>ut for the tlood, which
caused a loss to every outfit except
on Lucky gulch.
Will Crarv came over from Clear
water, where the Heron Bros.,
Howell and Sh'aw arc forking, and
spent the Fourth of July at this
camp. He left the next day for
Slate.
W e have no regular mail service
here, letters being brought in by
passing prospectors or Indians, hut
we have been fortunate in hearing
from the outside about once a
month. The ProsPeCtor comes
witti every mail and is in great de
mand. It is the only paper reach
ing this camp.
Kittle Clearwater Camp, Shu
shitna, July 7—Sluicing started on
this creek July 2. Work could
have been done as early as May 20,
hut the boys were cross cutting the
ground, and have been busy since
turning the creek, digging drains,
etc. This stream was located last
year by a party consisting of Fred.
Date, llarry Shoup, Ike Loomis,
Jim Heron, Ben Howell and C. D.
Shaw, who have the entire creek
staked. They spent part of last
summer prospecting the ground,
hut did not fully determine its value
so this season the Heron Bros, and
Ben Howell moved in an outfit
with the intention of making a
thorough test. A cross-cut to bed
rock has been dug anil the pay
located, and judging from pans
taken from the cut where they arc
sluicing, they will have a good
clean-up.
Bedrock, which is of clay is from
seven to stven and a half feet deep
on this claim, No. 22 below dis
covery. The creek is a tributary
of the Clearwater, which runs into
Shushitna above tlie forks, and is
aoout twenty miles from Valdez
creek.
C. D. Shaw arrived from Valdez
about a week ago and will spend
the balance of the summer here.
W. H. Crary was with him, hut
after a short visit to Valdez creek,
he left for Slate.
T. I>. Hogan left about the mid
dle of June to locate a silver ledge
at Taziina lake, from where he will
go to Copper Center and thence to
Suslota lake to stake Captain West’s
mud glacier, which lie claims to
have discovered. While in this
section he staked all of Honey
creek, a tributary of west fork of
McLaren, to which there was a
stampede last year, besides a few
claims on the lower end of this
creek.
Tom Neely and Chiuson passed
through June IS, hound for Fair
banks to answer a summons of the
This camp is above tiiulierline.
Coal is used for fuel. On Coal creek,
a tributary of Big Clearwater, a
ledge of first-class coal has been
located. It crops out in the gulches J
for about five miles along the range,
but the principal exposure is on
the above named creek, wiiere a
ledge about oO feet wide and reach
ing nearly to the top of the moun
tain has been found. It is a first
class coal, burning well in a Yukon
stove by using a grate.
Clearwater Creek, J uly 12—Work
ha's been stopped on this creek at
Rainy and Ptarmigan gulches. The
party, consisting of N. Gregory,
Frank Zillman and Ben Hiller,
which has been sluicing on Ptarmi
gan gulch has decided the ground1
will not pay. Gregory has gone to
Slate and the others are building a '
boat to go to Fairbanks.
Charles Roseberg and Wilson
‘iave been prosptcling on Rainy
creek all summer, but will leave I
soon by boat for Tatiana. K.tinv
crn k is the stream loeated in 1!XX>,
hy Blix. Torgcson and Finch. No
pay has been found.
J. ( larkc Duff and II. E. King
are still working on Fairweather
gulek, a tributary of Eureka, 1*2
miles nlmve lure. No one has
been to their ramp sine- tliev started
sluicing so it is not known bow
they are doing.
N. h. Ohlsson is ramped here.
He is prospeeting this summer,
having let a lay on bis Slate creek
property.
We have a number of visitors
today. \\ ill Crary is here enroufe
from Shushitna to Slate, and Dick
Brown and Harry Shoup are rest
ing up. 1 hev came from Fairbanks
and are going to Little Clearwater
to do assessment work on a group
of forty claims, in which Shoup arftl
F. M. Brown have an interest.
Slate Creek, July 21—So far this
has been a't’cry good season, nearly
every outfit havin ' pay, and there
being plenty of water in Miller
gulch.
Jim Black is working on the
bench of Four Black Dogs with 113
men.
Sandberg has 4 men shoveling
on the left limit of his claim.
llunter and Jake have a lay on
Ohlsson’s claim and appear to be
doing fairly well.
Crnry and Baker are working 7
men on a lay on the Fraction be
longing to lirogg A Johnson. They
struck pay on the left limit under
the slide.
L. Rosenthal is working 4 men
on the Humdinger.
The Tacoma people are working
tiie bench at the junction of Slate
and Miller gulch. They are rmi
two shifts and are having good
clean-ups.
Boh Cole has 3 men on a cut in
the creek claim and has located
pay in deep ground.
Kraemer has had water all sea
son anil has a large part of the
creek worked out. He is now on
the bench on right limit and is
working 20 men. This will, if the
water holds out, lie the banner
season for Kraemer.
Bert Hurd has 10 men at work
on his claim, which he will have
nearly worked out this season.
Boh Cole and Jacobson are work
ing their claim on upper Miller
gulch whenever the creek is high.
Jim Newcomb and Dickey are
working on the Newcomb-Bartlett
claim with two men.
Bert McDowell lias four men
working on his claim. He started
to sink on the old bench channel,
hut the water drove him out.
Discovery is being., profitably
worked by MeCourt, who has 4
men. The last clean-up was 110(3
lo the man, per day.
m w ... •
lum Liiw>uu iimiKs ne lias
located pay on Slate, above discov
ery and will start sluicing.
Lucas and Stroeble are working
on the second claim below discovery.
There was a wild stampede to
Hidden Treasure creek, near Chisna,
last week, but it appears to have
been a false alarm.
N. Uregory is hi from Eureka
creek.
•lack Tansey came over frofr.
Shushitna and reports that Heron,
Howell and Shaw have abandoned
the Clearwater ground and gone fc
Valdez creek. Schlosscr Fraze
have quit work on 2 below, Valdez
and are going prospecting.
Dick Brown came over wifh
Tanzy. Harry Shoup returned to
Fairbanks.
Some of the Van Iderstine party,
who were on the Socelsitelna and
Tokio, looking up a strike made
two years ago by A. M. Powell ar
rived yesterday. They repoFt rfo
discoveries.
Conttitbe«l oii Fouril* l'igi'