ALASKA TIN
Laden with placer tin mined by the
first tin dredge on the western hemi
sphere, the steamship Corwin is now
enroute to Seattle from Nome. The
tin comes from Buck creek, Alaska,
located about fifteen miles from York,
on the Arctic side.
O. H. McDonald, under whose sup
ervision the creek was prospected
for tin, is at the Frye hotel waiting
the arrival of the tin cargo. The
dredge which mined it began opera
tions Sept. 10 and closed down Oct.
14. During this time the dredge had
an output of 92.99 tons, valued at
$47,000.
That vast deposits of placer or
stream tin exist in the vicinity of Cape
York has ben known for many years,
but it was not until this summer that
successful mining operations were be
gun on a big commercial scale.
Buck creek was located in 1902 for
tin. In 1904 the American Tin Mining
company operated on the creek and
made purchases, tin having been found
in commercial quantities. Mr. Mc
Donald, representing the company,
prospected the creek with pick and
shovel in 1906, and continued such
prospecting each year until 1910, ta
king out enough tin each year to pay
all prospecting expenses. During these
years well known mining experts from
many parts of the world examined and
reported upon the creek, their esti
mates running from twenty-four to
thirty-five pounds per cubic yard of
gravel. Several plans for excavating
the tin were tried, but none proved
commercialllv successful until this year
when the dredge was constructed.
The dredge was designed and built
by the Union Construction Company
San Francisco, H. S. Peake and W. W.
Johnson, and operated by the York
Dredging Company, of which W. W.
Johnson is president. The dredge it
self was built in thirty days after
plans for it were completed.
Buck creek is said to contain the
richest placer tin deposits in the
world. Tests have shown the tin ore
to run from 64 to 69 per cent pure ;iu.
When it is considered that tin ore run
ning 75 per cent tin is classed as prac
tically pure for commercial purposes,
the value of the Alaska deposits can
be readily seen. The York placer tin
is in combination with a small quantity
of silica, iron, and a metal technically
known as wolfemite.
At the present time the company
has control of about three and one-half
miles of these rich deposits on Buck
creek. There are also rich deposits on
a creek below Buck creek, known as
Grouse creek, where another company
is now organizing and preparing to
build similar dredges to begin work
next season.
The dredge whieh worked so suc
cessfully this season is constructed on
the general lines of the big gold dredg
es, with the exception that there are
two sluiceways, into which the materi
al from the revolving screen drums is
dumped. Then instead of being pass
ed over mat as in the gold dredges, it
is washed in the sluiceways over riffles
as ordinary dredging. The drum
screens are pierced with holes two inch
es in diameter and all the lumps of
placer tin larger than these holes pass
out with the refuse gravel. The de
signers are now at work planning larg
er screens so that more of the tin can
be saved.
j^iacer or stream tin, as it is more
eommonly known, is familiar to many
placer gold miners in the north, large
ly through the trouble it causes them,
gold, it collects in the riffles and fre
quently causes trouble in the cleanups.
This has been noted at a number of the
placer mines in the Fairbanks country,
and placer tin also frequently is en
countered by the gold dredges in the
Klondike. So far, however, it is only
at Cape York mines that it has been
found to occur in commercial quanti
ties.—Seattle P.-I.
Notices are being posted around
Treadwell telling the various depart
ments to get together their bowling
teams to enter the tournament that is
to start at club directly after the hol
idays. Each team may consist of five
players and two substitutes. The club
has put up a purse of $65 to be given
as prizes for the tournament.
-re
pays
Douglas
Commercial
Club
Alaska jewelry Co.
EXPERT WATCH REPAIRING Alaska
$t. Ann's
S|gi®
Douglas}
Don’t Forget the
ANDERSON TOBAOORY
Near the Saw Mill, Douglas
THE ECONOMY
of hand work showb in the life of
the linen.
DOUGLAS HAND LAUNDRY
Front Street
I Hugh D
ay
BILLIARDS AND POOL
CIGARS AND TOBACCO
Bring that old suit down and let us A Cf
look at it. Chances are we can make it I i JCa W
Better let us put a new collar on your overcoat now. It will turn
cold one of these days.
DOUGLAS CLEANING AND DYE WORKS
Having purchased the entire
stock of George Burford, I am sell
in all wool underwear at manufac
turers’ prices.
JACK MCDONALD
You’ll find the best Stock of
Tobaccos at the Douglas News
Stand.
It R. HIBBARD
BY CAREFULLY BUYING
a small stock I can sell better Shoes
for less money than other stores
DENNY ORFANUS
St. Ann’s Road
For a Good Smoke Try Douglas
HENRY CLAY
JUNEAU FERRY & NAVIGA
TION COMFANY
Time Card
< Leaves Juneau for Douglas and
Treadwell
*8:00 a. m. 1:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m.
9:00 a. m. 3:00 p. m. 8:00 p. m.
11:00 a. m. 4:30 p. m.
Leaves Treadwell for Douglas and
1 Juneau
*8:25 a. m. 1:40 p. m. 6:55 p. m.
10:35 a. m. 3:25 p. m. 8:25 p. m.
12 noon 4:55 p. m.
Leaves Douglas for Juneau
*8:30 a. m. 1:45 p. m. 7:05 p. m.
10:45 a. m. 3:30 p. m. 8:30 p. m.
12:05 p. m. 5:05 p. m.
*On Sundays this trip is omitted.
Late trip leaves Juneau at 11 o ’clock
on Wednesday and Saturday only.