Dredging for Gold
On the Pacific Coast
It will be recalled that the in
creased gold output oC California
for 1904 was ascribed to the suc
cessful operation of the newly in
troduced dredging machines. It is
somewhat remarkable, therefore,
that so little has been seen in print
regarding this latest method of gold
mining. A little light is thrown
on the subject by a writer in an
eastern magazine, who says “it is
little wonder that the men who
own these mining fleets do not ad
vertise. Many of them are reaping
a profit of more than 600 per cent,
on their investment. The industry
is, of course, legitimate in every
sense, but it has all get-rich quick
schemes absolutely eclipsed.”
Regarding the magnitude of the
operations the writer says: “The
latest gold mining is done by means
of a dredger that sails over the land
like a ship on sea. The total ex
pense in a day in the operation of
one of the great gold-mining vessels
is sometimes less than 530. The
ships cost from $50,000 to $95,000,
according to size. The first year’s
cruise will pay for the monster it
self, will pay the cost of the land,
even at $5,000 the acre, will meet
all expenses, including repairs and
depreciation of machinery, and still
net the owner over 5100,000.
These are figures of actual opera
tions, and regarding land carrying
a low proportion of gold. One of
the gold ships will devour an acre
of earth every month. As there
are now 100 vessels in the unique
Pacific Coast fleet, 100 agricultural
acres are being permanently de
stroyed every thirty days. In the
valleys thus far prospected and
purchased by the operators, there
is an assurance of at least fifty years
mining activity; so that at the end
of that periotl, even if no additional
boats were launched in new sec
tions, 60,000 fertile acres will have
been deducted troru the tillable
areas of western America.”
The details of the process are
descrilied as follows; A gieat steel
ladder extends in front of the ves
sel, like an inverted l>owsprit. I’p
and down the ladder march in end
less procession bucket-shaped plows
with mouths of forgtd manganese
steel The "hain that carries them
will support a weight of 500 tons.
These keeu edged scoops wrdl cut
through solid rock. A marine err
giuc drives them witth irresistible
force. They delve into the bunks
ahead of the ship, literally eating
up the land. Gorged with rock
and sand, the buckets mount the
ladder again, and along a huge
gantry are carried back to a rota
1 ting cylindrical screen, into vvhicl:
they discharge their contents at the
| rate of thirteen buckets a minute
Each one of these steel buckets
contains five cubic feet of earth, sc
! that an amount of material equal tc
the contents of three city dump
carts is poured every minute cf the
day and uight into the whirling
cylinder.
Five thousand gallons of water a
; minute are simultaneously forced
into the revolving mass. The
j screens make twenty revolutions
every minute. All the principles of
mining employed in pans, cradles,
longtoms, sluices, grizzlies and
amalgam plates are combined in
the winnowing process. Tables fit
ted with eccentric cams, to hold
down coverings of cocoanut mat
ting and expanded metal, catch the
gold particles. Riffles containing
mercury, and amalgam plates, are
also used; but the cocoanut meshes
are depended upon to catch most of
the gold. These mats are frequent
ly put through a process of washing
in a tank, and the sediment which
collects in the bottom is run through
a centrifugal amalgamating ma
chine. The amalgam is then heat
ed, the quicksilver expelled, and
the fine gold remains. All this is
done by machinery.
Big Plants for Klondike.
The Dawson News has the fol
lowing about new dredging plants
now on the way to that district:
Information has been received that
the giant dredgers for the Canadian
Klondike company, managed by Otto
Brener, and the big dredge for the com
pany in which Cob Williams of Paris,
Texas, is interested are on the way to
Dawson anil will lie here before long.
The Williams dredge w ill cost f 100,000
and will be operated in the Klondike
basin below Ogilvie bridge.
The Brener dredge w ill have a capacity
of 2,500 yards daily and is the second
dredge of its kind ever made. The first
is in use in California. When set up the
dredge will be 100 feet long and 40 feet
wide across the deck. It will dig 55 feet
lielow the water surface at an angle ot
45 degrees, and cut S feet above the
water. It will deposit tailings 35 feet
high. It has 65 buckets. The dredge
w ill l>e operated by eight electric motors,
of which the largest is IOO horse power.
The power will lie generated by three
marine tulie boilers The plant will
work at the mouth of Bear creek, where
elaborate preparations are living made
for it.
twgljers & Moncrief have a large
dredge coming for use in the tlo's below
on Bouanaa. It will lac here within a
few weeks.
It is expected that other dredges will
l« installed in the camp before tong
Win. Ogltvie, manager of the Stewart
I river dredge, la coining north amn. and
may have another dredge installed this
I »•*»■_
The Daw etui committee having
in charge the collection ami (or
I warding of an exhibit to l'<u tUml
I dropped the matter because the
'expense was too great.
RECEPTION SAEOON
S. K. I1KKTKR
I
| WINES,
LIQUORS
AND GOOD
CIGARS
St. Louis
ABC
•BEERS
The Highest Priced but
the Beet Quality.
W. W. CROCKETT
BILLIARD
AND*
POOL
ROOMS
12-year-old Crow Whiskey—The Only Stoek.
Something New—Try Our Apricot Cocktail
Heeler’s PackTrain
Leaves for Glen Every
Five Days.
Freighting and Packing
To c*n<l From All
tlie Creeks.
Good Teams.
Good Service
THE
HEETER
TANANA, ALASKA
S. E. HEETER, ED FERGUSON,
PROPRIETOR MANAGER
FIRST-CLAMS
Wines, Liquors and Cigars
TO INVESTIGATE BRADY AND SHELDON JACKSON
Washington, June 7.—A special
agent of the interior department,
whose name is kept secret, left last
night for Alaska to investigate
Governor Brady, the reindeer in
dustry and the Alaska school sys
tem. The numerous complaints
against Governor Brady and Shel
don Jackson are responsible for the
investigation that will be made.
The great amount of dissatisfaction in
Alaska with Governor Brady received an
increased importance from the recent
connection of his name with a company
of mining promoters in a manner very
properly disapproved at Washington as
well as in this territory. While it is gen
erally believed that the governor was
tricked into the unenviable notoriety this
connection gave him, the circumstances
of the case can scarcely he explained in
a manner to relieve him of blame.
Regarding Dr. Sheldon Jackson, gen
eral agent for Alaska of the bureau of
education, for a long time past there has
1 >eer. more or less unfavorable comment
1 111 certain quarters—inevitable, of course,
1 as long as this part of the government
service remains semi-missionary 111 it*
1 character.
The introduction of reindeer into
Alaska was directly dne to the efforts of
Dr. Jackson, who was sent to tlu Arctic
coast in itajo for the purpose of establish
ing schools. When he returned to Wash
ington he reported that the liskimowere
more iti need of food than schools, ami
advocated an appropriation by congress
for the purpose of purchasing reindeer ill
Siberia ami transporting thrill to Alaska,
with a view ot ultimately transforming
the natives ftoiti limits is and fishermen
into herdsmen The first bills lo that
cud tailed to pwsa congress. At the sug
gestion of Ik llama, Commissioner of
education, Is Jackson appealed for peifr
its subscription* at d raised fj 1 (ft to l«
applied to the undertaking.
Captain Ileal* of the revenue cotter
Bear, visited the northern coast of Siberia
in 1891 and made a purchase of sixteen
reindeer, which were turned loose on one
of the Aleutian islands. There was no
attempt made to herd and keep in pos
session these d^er.
The following year 171 deer were pur
chased with the remainder of the con
tributed money, and were placed at
Teller, near Cape Prince of Wales, under
Siberian herdsmen, and a number of na
tive apprentices were placed with this
herd under instructions as herders and
teamsters.
l.'p to 1904 the total number of deer
imported from Siberia and placed in
herds is 1.280, and the total number in
herds at that time is 8,189—ow ned, 2,321
by the government, 2.304 by the stations
and 3,564 by apprentices and herders.
Up to and including 1903 congress had
appropriated in all {158,000 for the rein
deer cause.
Up to 1903 ten reindeer stations had
been established as follows: At Teller,
Wales, Golotinin, Unalakleet, Harrow,
Cambell, Bethel, Carmel, Kotzebue, Nu
lato, and Katon. Stations have since
been established at Wainwright Inlet on
the Arctic coast, at Hoik.- on the Kivi
leuya river, at Betties on the Kovukuk
river and at Copper Center on Prince
William sound.
The herds are under the supe rvision of
church missionaries, who provide Lapp
or Finn caretakers, and native assistants,
111 the role of apprentices, are given food
and clothing and two female deer a year
for live years, which with their offspring
are to remain under the supervision and
control of the mission for twenty years,
when they become the protsrrtv of the
natives in their own right Meantime, if
through drunkenness or other cause na
tives neglect the deer I he v forfeit their
right thereto.
Between the rights of the government,
1 of the misauniarnr». of the Capps and of
the natives of diffe rent degrees of inter
est if there develop* no conduct and inct
denlal scandal II will ha mure surprising
•hart otherwise, hut so far the practical
results seem to be all that could tenurea
( My be e spec led