THE SCRANTON TB1BXJNESATDBDAY , MORNING, JULE 0, 1896.
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FROM FAR ALASKA
faUetts of tkt tetara Vtyije frta tic
lud of tkc Madera.
FAREWELL QUMPSES AT OLD SITKA
Am Entertainment on Board Skip for
the Benefit of the Indian Training
SxaooN'The Comments of Distin
guisfced Touirists on Alaskan
Scenery aad Pcopccts--Lnsit Ke
flections.
Written for The Tribune.
Wa closed our seventh day's experi
ence In Alaska in the society of Chief
Annahoots on board of our steamer.
Possibly Eome reuder may think we are
dwelling too much on the mission work
among the Indians, but there Is en in
terest In alt this that the general read
er cannot fully comprehend until he
takes the trip and sees for himself.
What an object lesson, what an Inspi
ration this visit has Veen to us in wit
nessing the results of the training of
these natives, old and young, not only
Into pure good living, and Into Chrirtian
life and practice, but Into making them
Intelligent, useful, self-supporting and
loyal American citizens. The best In
vestment the benevolent Clirlstlnn can
make in the Interest of his fellowman
Is to support a scholarship In this Indus
trial school at the yearly cost of one
hundred dollars.
CLIMATE.
. It Is not our Intention to discuss the
cllmate.of Alaska, only in a very gener
al way. It Is not altogether a land of
Icebergs and glaciers and barren snow
capped mountains. There nre regions
where man can make a comfortable liv
ing In his field, where the sun shines
as brightly and tho grass is as green,
and the wild llowers grow as profusely,
six months in the year, as in the major
ity of the northern states. In these
places, the winters nre not nearly as
severe as In Montana, Idaho, or any of
the New England states. ,
' Ah to climate Alaska differs with dif
ferent regions. What the gulf stream
does for the western and northern coun
tries of Europe Is done in exactly the
same way by the great Kuro-Slwo, or
Japan current. The climate of the Pac
ific coast is much more temperate than
that of the same latitude on the At
lantic side for the Japanese current
un nearer the Pacific coast than tho
Gulf stream does on the Atlantic coast.
This current becomes charged with the
heat of the tropics at the equator, and
retains it in its northerly course through
the Orient and along the coast of Asia,
until lfc sweeps around and skirts 'Ihe
coast of Alaska, British Columbia, and
the state of Washington on its return
circuit home. ,
The rain fall at Sitka Is very great
and is a serious drawback. It is like
that on the coast of Oregon and Van
couver Island. One says, "Sitka is the'
rainiest place In the world outside of
the tropics," The warm Japanese cur
rent brings not only a mild temperature
but continuous rain. We are told out
of 365 days, only one-third, or 100 days,
are clear. Another says, "265 days are
given over to rain, snow and foggy
shrouds which wet the rain Itself." On
'most buildings here is found a heavy
green moss, especially the roofs, which
are densely covered.
The mean temperature of Sitka is 43
, degrees, some four degrees warmer than
at Portland. Me.; actually milder than
that of Boston and the same In winter
as at Newport. Dr. Sheldon Jackson
says: "The temperature of Richmond,
Va., and S'tka are nearly Identical."
While St., John's, Newfoundland, is
beleaguered by Icebergs in summer and
its harbor nearly frozen solid in winter,
Sitka, ten degrees farther north, has
: an open harbor, and snow rarely lays
on the ground for any tline.and the mer
cury seldom falls to zero. During thirty-six
years of Russian occupancy it
sank below zero but once. The intense
ly humid atmosphere, the almost con
stant rain ore adverse to the cultivation
of cereals, as it Is almost Impossible
for them to ripen for the want of sun
shine. Still, the soil is porous and cer
tain gardens we saw which provided
fresh vegetables.
POINTS OP INTEREST.
There were two weekly newspapers
Drlnted In Sitka, but they are now com
bined In one, The Alaskiun, a bright,
newsy and up to date sheet, much
sought after by tourists, and the editor
whom we met, Is exceedingly intelligent,
courteous and willingly furnished us
valuable local information. We ack
nowledge also the courtesy extended to
us by Photographer Albertstone, and
would advise all tourists to visit his
studio.
The Sheldon Jackson Museum should
be visited by every tourist. It contains
the largest collection of Alaska curios
In existence, both Indian, Russian and
Lutheran, It Is a marvelous collection
which Dr. Jackson has spent years In
gathering and would bo difficult" to dup
. llcate. The odd little building which
holds these relics Is of Itself interesting,
but the new octagonal shaped cement
. dome-ivfered structure built by "Bos-
ton Man Smith" is a marvel that even
the natives cannot account for. This
building itself Is the greatest of all
curios to the natives who remark
when viewing it: "Boston man
heap great.". Everything American
which the Indians think well of, they
call "BoBton." Those who are Ameri
canized call themselves "Boston-
Blwashes." The missionaries are
known as "Boston men," and the Queen
and other steamers are called "Boston
ships."
It Is wonderful what a superstitious
aversion the Siwash have to the
' camera. When we tried our kodaks on
them they Instantly enveloped them
selves in their blankets and no amount
of reasoning or coaxing will avail with
them. They yield to nothing but the
silver "half dolla." .
The prices of the principal articles
of food here are as follows: Fresh sal-
, nion from one to one and one-half cents
per pound; halibut and black bass at
one-half cent per pound; venison at
from six to eight cents per pound, and
teal ducks at twenty cents per pair
, and other variety of game food -at cor-
' respondlngly low prices. Deer sell
In Sitka In the month ot August at $2.50
each.
The almost nlghtless day that pre
HOMEWARD BOUND
vails In this northern latitude at mid
summer Is an enjoyable feature to the
' : ' tourist who Is anxious to see all he can,
. , and he virtually lives two days lit one
The twlllrht Is of such long duration
' fV It non ixtnwlv ha Mild ta ret dark' .
'the last glow hardly dying out In. the
northwest before the first flush of dawn
appear In the east,
HOMEWARD BOUND. , J
It Is Sunday morning, Aug. 18, the
eighth day of our voyage, that we be
hold the daylight at t o'clock as our
steamer Ilea at her dock in Bitka har
hnr. The bulletin announce thnt we
must weigh anchor and set sail on our
"homeward bound" trip at 3 o'clock.
We leave Sitka with feelings ot regret
and had tt not been the last trip the
Queen was to make this season we
would have been tempted to remain
over a voyage to take in other points of
Interest surrounding this ancient town.
As we steam away on this beautiful
Sabbath morning, with the friendly and
regretful adieu from the crowded wharf
of friends (who were but yesterday
strangers, as If parting with their own
kin) we can truly say the memory of
these impressive scenes will remain with
us as long as we live. The day is per
fect, the sun shines brightly, everybody
is on deck, everybody is happy and de
lighted with their wonderful experi
ences, having some little Interesting
episode to relate. There is no grumb
ling, no words of disappointment, and
universal satisfaction is evinced by all.
Everybody on shore waved a purl
ing salute, even the little Slwasli tots
kUsed their grimy hands to us as we
showered them with cake, nuts and
candy. We watched them on shore un
til toqffar away to distinguish any form
or ivlng object. What a charming
picture as we sail through this, the
most beautiful harbor on tho coast,
with its hundreds of exquisite emerald,
pink, yellow and crimson Islands so
close to each other as we wind around
them at so rapid a rate of speed that
the swell from our steamer sends the
waves high up on their banks, even
enough to scare the wild ducks, geese
and ravens from their hiding places!
After leaving Sitka Sound for the first
takes the outer channel around Krug
tlmo In many trips. Captain Carroll
off Island, on which is Mount Edge
combe, and rocs well out to sea, Bteer
ing due north on the broad Pacific Into
Salisbury Sound, and eastward Into
Peril Strait and southward Into Chat
ham Strait to reach Klllisnoo In the
early afternoon and Juneau at 9 p. m.
The air is bracing, the mercury stands
at 43 degrees, and the bosom of the deep
blue sea Is agitated Just enough to send
the timid and nervous to the seclusion
of their staterooms.
MOUNT EDGECOMBE.
The extinct volcano (Mount Edge
combe) is the center of attraction and Is
on our right for two hours. Nearlng it.
we dlstliU'tly see with our field glasses,
the geping mouth of the crater and the
deep ravines cut by the rivers ot lava
which for centuries have flowed down
to Its base. Everybody feels the Inspi
ration of the day and the scenes so pro
foundly, that scarcely a word U uttered
except a few exclamations of awe and
admiration, especially as we look far off
to the western horizon, where the Pa
cific washes the shores of Eastern Aia
Slberlu. The day, the scenery, the
mood all in harmony call for a recogni
tion of a kind Providence who has
watched over us and given us life and
health and the opportunity to take this
trip and behold His glorious handiwork
In America. Accordingly, divine ser
vice was held in the soclul hall at 10.30,
where all assembled and listened to a
profound sermon by Itev. Dr. T. S.
Chllds, arch-deacon of the diocese of
Washington, D. C, assisted by Rev. Dr.
Warren P. Day, D, D., of Los Angeles,
Cal., and Rev. N. II. G. Fife, of Pasa
dena, Cul. With such a distinguished
audience as was here assembled: such
stirring devotional exercises, followed
by such an able and patriotic sermon
nnd the pure spirit of sincere praise and
thanksgiving which pervaded the en
tire company it was a scene that seldom
falls to one's lot to behold and enjoy.
Arriving at Klllisnoo at 2.45 we hailed
the United States coast survey steamer
Patterson, at anchor which we suc
cessfully photographed. In justice to
Captain Carroll we should state that our
return trip while going over the course
we came, Is so arranged as to pass by
daylight much of the marvelous scenery
that we lost in the night coming up.
It was daylight, 9.30 p. m. when we
reached Juneau and tied up to the long
wharf. Here the gang plank is thrown
out again for a. five hours stay and wc
are permitted to re-vlsit our new made
acquaintances and also decline an Invi
tation to visit a glove contest and "sha
man dance." We left Juneau at two
a. m. next morning, Aug. 19, just at day
break.
This whole livelong day was spent
In watching porpoises and whales and
passing through Innumerable fiords and
straits, which presented a kaleidosco
pic landscape, and also waterscape till
Fort Wrangell was reached at three
p. m. As I think back it comes to me
like a delightful dream.
IN CLOSE QUARTERS.
In the canyon through which we next
passed, fco narrow la the passage
between these walls that we could
almost shake hands with our neighbors
on shore. Here a veritable American
eagle soars aloft from her nest amid
these fastnessess, and gracefully
swoops down upon, and encircles the
steamer for miles until we reach open
sea, when it finally alights on the high
est twig of a cedar tree, flaps his wings
as if to bid us God-speed while Chief
Engineer AllBon xounds the whistle and
Captain Carroll waves his colors to the
loyal bird amid the cheers of the en
thusiastic passengers. For portions of
the day and evening Social hall Is given
over to the lady passengers to arrange
an entertainment In the Interests of the
Industrial school at Sika. During the
night we passed through Stiltlne and
Clarence straits, and early morn, Aug.
20, finds us at Millers Fishery In Cor
dova bay, where we stop to take on a
large consignment of packed salmon for
the Sound ports. Being low tide we
could not reach the wharf and were
obliged to anchor some distance from
shore and receive the freight from
floats.
During the four hours' wait for the
Incoming tide, we were courteously In
vited by Purser Rogers to take a canoe
trip and witness an Alaskan school of
salmon, which would eclipse anything
In the way of a trout catch we had seen
In Yellowstone park. So, boarding an
Alaskan canoe, manned by two stal
wart natives, the purser at on end and
the writer at the other, with Improvised
seats so arranged as not to disturb the
equilibrium of the apparently frail
structure, we were rowed at a rapid
(Indian) rate of speed for five miles to
the mouth of a convenient river. It is
needless to say, we cautiously took pas
sage In the little craft, as we did not de
sire to sound the depths of the deep
block water, which we surely would
have done had we been spilled out. We
soon lost Bight of our steamer as. we
wound around Islands upon which the
foot of the white man never trod, upon
whose bold shores'we could not land or
dare approach, where are forests of fir,
cedar, spruce and hemlock which those
of Pennsylvania can only approximate,
even the vast fall ot dead timber, too,
Indicating great age and an unexplored
region -s . '
Boon we reach a small . cove at
the mOuth ot a small river and behold a
sight pf immense salmon sporting, such
a. Janv ot. fish a can be found only In
Alaskan waters. There seemed to be
more, salmon than water to float them.
Their numbers seem most Incredible,
even to the natives and bears who drag
them out, the former by the spear and
van by hand and the latter by their
teeth. So numerous are they when they
vrcnu tor rivrr iu apawn inm inry in
come stranded, and many die, leaving
an offensive odor, while others, with
wonderful Instinct and energy, leap and
flop themselves until they reach the
water again. There are several species
of these fish. Many weigh from fifty
to sixty pounds each, and one good au
thority states that salmon six feet long
and weighing from ninety to one hun
dred pounds each have been caught In
these waters.
HAIDA INDIAN CANOE.
The canoe Is a necessity, and consid
ered the most precious of the Alaskan
possession. Sedom is anything but an
Indian canoe met. They are fashioned
from a single log cf red cedar and care
fully hollowed out until ouiie thin and
of a uniform thickness. They are given
their flare and graceful curves by being
half filled with water and hot stones.
The steam thus generated renders it
pliable, so that the sides can be braced
out to the requisite shape. The Haida
war canoe Is especially a thing of
beauty. It has a curved bottom, flaring
sides, a high rounded Btern and a long,
projecting prow. It is the lightest,
most buoyant, graceful nnd proud-looking
craft we have ever Been. They are
from fifty to sixty feet long, elaborately
painted and carved, and capable of car
rying 100 warriors. ,
The Halda family, or traveling canoe,
which we meet mainly along the coast,
Is a graceful, Blender gondola-like af
fair, twenty to thirty feet long, by four
to six feet wide and range in price at
Port Simpson from $75 to $150 each. The
hunting, or otter canoes, in which the
Halda experts go far out to sea, are
cockle-shells, similar to those we have
seen on the St. Lawrence river, say, six
to ten feet long and cost from 530 to $50
each. All these canoes require constant
care while out of the water and must
be protected from the sun's rays and
always kept wet. The draped canoes,
as seen along the beach fronting a vil
lage, are the most picturesque adjuncts
of native life.
At Hunters' bay our steamer stops
again to receive another consignment
of salmon. Here we visited some prim
itive huts and seen miniature idols,
labrets and small totems, and unclean-
Hness that seems to out-rival Fort
Weangelt. At 4 p. m. we sail down
Clarence strait and Tongner narrows,
arriving at Mary's Island at 6. Here Is
a custom house and here we land our
custom officer, who has made the round
trip as special detective for our govern
ment. Here we bid adieu again to the
stars and stripes and sail for the bal
ance of our voyage in British waters.
PORT SIMPSON.
We soon reach Port Simpson In Brit
ish Columbia, which Is the most import
ant Hudson bay company post on the
coast. It Is sixteen miles beyond Old
Metlakatla. The steamer has to make
a great detour owing to rocks and
ledges to reach the wharf. The former
fortress Is now a general country store.
the days ot beads, red calico and toy
looking-glasses has gone by, and clocks,
fancy lamps, sewing machines, organ
ella, silk goods, chemical fire engines.
and marble tombstones are objects of
Tslmsian, pride. The old Indian vil
lage Is wholly changed, the old "lodges"
are replaced by cottages and the totem
poles are nearly all destroyed; not a
half dozen remain from the forest of
them that used to encircle the beach.
Methodist missionaries have succeeded
Mr. Duncan and the Rev. Mr. Crosby
and his aids have almost paralelled the
Metlakatla miracle, and the church,
school, hospital and museum are the
great points of Interest. The Salvation
Army has a band among these Tslmsl
ana. The village Is governed by a mu
nicipal council of elders. There is a
fire company and brass band. Port
Simpson Is confident of becoming the
terminus of the next great trans-continental
railroad line of the Canadian
Northwest.
Prom Fort Simpson there are no fur
ther stops until Vancouver, British Col
umbia, Is reached at noon Aug. 22.
Victoria at 7 p. m.; .Tacoma, 0 a, in.,
23d; and Seattle at 8.30 a. m., Aug. 23,
when the "steamship Queen and her
crew wish all her passengers a safe
and happy trip on their homeward
voyage."
At evening a "grand muslcale" and
exhibition of Alaska curios was held in
social hall, the proceeds of which,
amounting to nearly $300, were donated
to Rev. and Mrs. Austin in aid of the
Industrial School of Sitka. The concert,
the exhibition, the reception and con
versazione which followed will be ever
remembered as one of the most bril
liant events of our trip on the Queen,
and the moral and social effect of these
exercises will be most excellent and far
reach Ing.
WANTS REPRESENTATION.
Among the distinguished passengers
on this return trip of the Queen was
Judge A. K. Delaney, of Alaska, nnd
Hon. Thomas S. Nowell, of Boston. The
latter (Mr. Nowell) has been Identified
with Alaska for the past ten years. He
has the credit of making the town of
Juneau, which Is the metropolis of the
territory, and it Is said that he holds
the largest Interests under his absolute
control In the way of rich gold mining
properties of any man In America. He
not only has very large Interests in
Alaska, but also a large gold mine In
Montana, of which he holds the con
ironing interest, lie va9 elected at a
convention of delegates held at Juneau
for the purpose to represent them In the
halls of congress, lie goes there this
winter for the purpose of using hlg in
fluenre In the passage of a bill according
Alaska a delegate In congress. This he
regards as a stepping stone towards se
curing for Alaska legislation that rvlll
meet the peculiar needs of that terri
tory.
At a meeting held on board our Queen
this evening, Aug. 21, the last night 01
our voyage before reaching Vancouver,
he made an Impromptu address as to the
needs of the territory and the ncglecn
that they had received from the legisla
tlve and executive branches of the gov
ernment, which fully demonstrates that
ho has a clear conception of .the real
needs of Alaska and that should con
gress accord the territory a delegate he
would be fully prepared to present to
congress matters of legislation which
would prove so convincing to Its mem
bers that an early recognition would be
secured through his efforts. The people
of Alaska may well congratulate them
selves .that they. have among their cltl.
zens a man so fully qUalilled to repre
sent them In the halls of congress. There
appeared to bo but one sentiment on
board of the stunmer from the vice
president ot this nation down to the
most humble passenger on board, that
the cause of the people of the territory
of Alaska was a just one and that It
should receive an early recognition by
oongress. President Cleveland was
also Interviewed by . Mr, Nowell last
winter, and he Is in hearty accord with
htm and said that Alaska should have
a delegate in congress and would use his
Influence to that end. The vice-president'
remarks were decidedly In favor
of granting a delegate to congress, nnd
no doubt congress, while Urdy, Is now
finding out the needs ot this great terri
tory and on of infinite possibilities. He
wa satisfied that a the nation learned
When a woman tries Cottolene for shortening or frying she never
again uses lard. There is only one Cottolene accept nothing
else begin its use to-day. Genuine is sold everywhere with
trade-marks "Cottolene and' steers head in cotton-plant:
wreath -on every tin.
THE N. K. FAIRBANK COMPANY cwca0' Kew vork I n.ieipi.i, pu.tourb.
of Its Immense resources they would
gladly accord it a Just recognition. He
hoped the coming congress would not
fail to recognize Alaska's just demands.
Judge Delany endorsed the statements
Just made In an able speech, which may
appear In a later letter.
We return from our trip through
Wonderland in triumph, having seen
so much of the grand, the sublime, and
the beautiful In nature in all its moods
In both Yellowstone Park and Alaska,
One of the most effective sights on this
trip to show man his utter insignifi
cance, is to gaze upon the resistless
power of water. It may be in the trre-
sistable current of a river, the lashing
ot the tempest-tossed ocean, the overt
powering deluge throwing itself over a
precipice, or through rock-strewn gor
ges, or the mighty glacier, forcing its
way seaward, or the geysers from the
underlond world. It may, perhaps, be
an open question as to which produces
the greatest interest in the minds of the
tourists; : the iHlands, the mountains,
the glaciers or the geysers. F.ach In Its
turn, has been ah. object of admira
tion, veneration and wonder, but the
glaciers from their grandeur find great
er favor than the other scenlo attrac
tions, save the geysers and to our minds
Yellowstone Park presents the only
wonders on this continent that can be
appropriately coupled with, those of
Alaska. '
Our eastern friends do not realize the
grandeur of the scenery on this Alaska
trip. Everything is on such an im
mense and massive scale that words are
diminutive for expression. Tills two
weeks' outing only gives a taste for a
continuance. It is enough to bring the
traveler with a soul for the beautiful
and grand In nature, back again on a
special trip. I am sure it Is not vision
ary to say that in a few years hun
dreds of thousands of eastern people
will annually take In the Alaskan trip
In preference to visiting Europe or any
other method of spending the summer.
It you charge me with being an enthusi
ast, let me quote from the speech of
Vice-President Stevenson: "The half,"
said he, "has not been told."
Alaska Is a wonderful country. Its
resources are marvelous. This is literal
truth. The reader must see for himself
or herself to realize in any approximate
manner the ground which we who rave
over this glorious section of the Ameri
can continent have for our exhuberance.
It Is the universal verdict of all those
who are so fortunate as to take this
trip that it is one round of charming
surprises, a "marine plenlc.'i and of all
trips under the sun this Is the crowning
one. We now know that nowhere in the
world is there such magnificent lee
scenery, such a profusion of unbeliev
able wonders us In this land of mist and
snow, our Polar province.
This ends another chapter ot our story
of the wonderful and marvelous scenes
found on our vast American continent,
which has been to us an education and
a delight. John E. Richmond.
AN ELECTKICAI. IIAIK CUT.
With This Scheme the Hurbcr Will
Have No I'sc for Scissors.
The electric hair cutter and singer
consists of a metal comb to which one
wire of the electric circuit is attached.
A cutting and single wire is stretched
taut over the top of the comb by a suit
able spring, which keeps it under suf
ficient tension even when expanded by
the heat. The cutting wire is Insulated
from the body of the comb, and Is con
nected to the other wire of the circuit,
a suitable switch being arranged on the
comb so that he current mny be com
pleted or broken at will.- 'The barber
first catches the hair up in the comb in
the usual manner, but with the taut
wire in contact win the hair. He then
presses the switch which is under his
finger and the electric current passing
through the wire renders it incandes
cent Immediately and burns the hair off
Just as straight as a pair ot shears
could have cut It. The action of burn
ing also singes the hnlr.
"How to Cure all Skin Diseases'."
Simply apply "Swayne's Ointment."
No Internal medicine required. Cures
tetter, eczema. Itch, all eruptions on the
face, hands, nose, etc., leaving the skin
clear, white and healthy. Its great
healing and curative powers are pos
sessed by no other remedy. Ask your
druggist for Swayne's Ointment. 1
'" Be Not Deceived.
The experience of the Bpeer, N. J., Wine
Co., after a continuous career of more
than forty years In Orape Culture and
Wine making hua resulted in the produc
tion of Grape Brandy that rivals Hen
nessy and Martell of Cognac. A tine, deli
cate ID year old drupe Brandy is rare;
their Climax vintage of 1876 Is becoming
celebrated among Europeans who appre
ciate a pure article. Druggists sell if
GOLD AND SILVER
IN PENNSYLVANIA
Review of the Discoveries of the Metals
in This State.
SYSTEMATIC MINING PROBABLE
In Eighteen Connties of the Keystone
State Gold and Silver Have Been
Fonnd"The Largest Known Gold
Deposit Is in Philadelphia.
From the Philadelphia Times.
Gold and silver has been found In
eighteen counties In Pennsylvania, In
Philadelphia, Buck, Montgomery,
Chester and Delaware gold and silver
have been taken from the clay, sand
and gravel deposits of the larger
streams, tn the counties ot Adams,
Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Frank
lin, Fulton, Huntington, Lancaster,
Lebanon, Snyder, Wayne and York,
from rocks.
The largest known gold deposit Is In
Philadelphia, and this precious metal
Is believed to exist In the clay, from
the extreme northeastern boundary of
the county to the most southern limits.
Tests have been made In numerous
places- at various times, with as large
a percentage of favorable results as
in some of tho best gold fields of the
west. For Instance, a number ot years
ago Messrs. Dubois & Eckfeldt, ex
perts, carefully tested a quantity of the
clay taken from the cellar of the mar
ket house, on Market street, near
Eleventh, where the grand depot of the
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
company now stands, and found a good
percentage of gold. This clay was
taken from a depth of fourteen feet and
whore there had been no artificial de
posit. One hundred and thirty grams
(about 15 grains) of it were dried and
treated and yielded of a milligram
(0.0154 grain). The experiment was re
peated with clay taken from a brick
yard In the suburbs ot the city with
about the same result.
These gentlemen at the time esti
mated this deposit of gold-bearing clay
to meansure over ten square miles
under the paved part of the city.and of
an average depth of fifteen feet. They
then cut out blocks of tho cloy in sev
eral places and ascertained that they
weighed 120 pounds per cubic foot, with
a ppeciflc gravity of 1.92. Their assays
gave three cents' worth of gold to the
cubic foot, or SI cents to the cubic yard.
Some of the most profitable hydraulic
working gold mines In the world aver
age less than 25 cents per cubic yard.
Taking only the area above given and
this gold-bearing tract Is very much
larger thoy calculated there were
4,180,000,000 of cubic feet of clay under
the streets and structures of ten square
miles of Philadelphia, "In which se
curely lies $120,000,000. And if, as is
pretty curtain, the corporate limits of
the city would afford eight times this
bulk of clay, we have more gold than
up to 1SG1 had been brought from Cali
fornia nnd Australia." Now these ex
tracts from the proceedings of the
American Philosophical society, vol
ume VIII., page 273,read almost like a
fairy tale. But If the gentlemen had
gone further down and taken from the'
gravel underneath the clay a cubic
yard of the material, Q3 a, practical
gold miner would, they would have had
much more astounding results. What
a pity Philadelphia Is built upon a gold
mine of such colossal but now unavail
ing wealth.
From what locality was this f?o!d
carried to Its bed under the great me
tropolis of Pennsylvania? Surely from
some iiulnt further up the Delaware or
the Schuylkill. Naturally the rock
from which It was separated originat
ed north of tho city. How far north?
Great belts of gold-bearing rock ex
tend from the eastern coast of Nova
Scotia in a southwesterly direction
through the New England, the Middle
and the Southern states to central
Georgia and Alabama. These reefs
have not been mined to any consider
able extent in Pennsylvania, or any of
the Eastern or Middle states, because
they have not as yet been discovered In
sufficiently broad and rich bodies to
warrant the expenditure of much capi
tal for development, and subsequent
working. Several of the reefs cross the
Delaware and the Schuylkill abeve
Philadelphia and from these apparent
ly the gold was carried Into the Im
mense clay and gravel bed above the
See Saw It
1
I !
in a grocer's window
She Bought 1&
She Tried Itt
She Uses It!
Just a page from, the every day history of.
confluence of those rivers, much -he
larger quantity from the Upper Dela
ware. That the gold in the clay and gravel
under Philadelphia is a wash Is demon
strated by the fact that at places on the
west side of the Delaware, both above
and below the city, an expert with a
miner's pan can extract gold from the
sand and the gravel, and In a majority
of trials produce more than a "color."
At Bridesburg native gold in scales ran
readily be obtained by an expert "pan
ner," and at various points It has been
demonstrated that a fair placer miner
with a pan of the usual size (containing
when heaped up about one-third of a
cublo foot) can make by that plain and
crude method from 30 to 35 cents per
day.
If the party that had the removal of
the Islands In the Delaware opposite
your city had taken the trouble of pass
ing the material from the steam shov
els through gold saving machinery they
Would have had a much larger bal
ance to the credit side ot the account.
That nearly all, if not all, the gold
under Philadelphia cameN from tne
north or northwest is partly verified by
the finding ot gold In. ferruginous
qaarts and pyrite In Franconla town
ship, Montgomery county, and on
Penn's Mount, back ot Reading; Also
in copper pyrites near Phoenlxvlile,
and in ores at the Gap mine; also In
the galenlte ot New Britain, Bucks
county. Native gold, visible to the eve,
has also been found In quarts rocks in
the mountains northeast of Reading.
A few years ago rock mining for ?old
was not profitable, unless containing $4
or more per ton, and, if the ore were re
fractory, some mines could not be made
to pay expenses where the gold yield
exceeded $20 per ton. That era has
passed. With improved methods, bet
ter machinery and the discoveries of
chemical science numerous gold mines
are now paying handsome dividends
where the average yield Is less than -V!
in gold per ton, and the material more
or less difficult of reduction. At the
present rate of progress it may not be
long before the known gold veins of
Pennsylvania will be utilized and that
part of the state lying east of the Alle
ghenles become a recognized factor In
the gold-producing areas of the world.
As evidence of thl3 It was shown by
official reports of well-known Ameri
can mines that in 1S92 hard free milling
gold ores were mined and milled at $1.25
per ton, and In 1806, r.t the same mines,
the cost Is less than $1 varying from 83
cents to S3 cents per ton. Within the
last six months ores have been brought
to my office for analysis from Lancaster,
York, Dauphin and Cumberland coun
ties, and the precious metals, gold and
sliver, contained therein found to aver
age about $1. The mining was evident
ly done by non-expert3 and In a major
ity of cases the ore had been token out
In a hlt-or-mlss manner. In one in
stance the ore coining from Manches
ter, York county some pleres contained
absolutely no metal, but the whole av
eraged 0.02 02. gold, equal to 42 cents
per ton, and 0.35 oz. cllver, equal to 24
cents per ton, or the whole product 68
cents per ton, counting silver at 67
cents per ounce. The ores from Cum
berland, Dauphin and Lancaster proved
to be better.
Valuable minerals are now frequently
found In Pennsylvania in unexpected
places, In various ways. Several years
ago a party was digging a deep pit In
a yard on North Sixth street, above
Herr, In Harrlsburg, and struck a body
of argentiferous galena that carried
silver and lead, and I think a little gold,
the whole In value to more than $30 per
ton. This vein undoubtedly passes un
derneath the most populous part of
Harrlsburg, and at one place within a
stone's throw of the state capitol
grounds. Little attention was paid to
the find at the time, beyond the pit
diggers calling the attention of a few-passers-by
to the "Bhlny stuff" In the
rock, one of whom happened to have
some knowledge of mineralogy and not
ed the spot. .
A few years ago a man fn Freytown
(now a part of York) was digging a well
and threw out over a ton of lead ore.
He gave away to friends, but had no
analysis made until . recently. Re
sult: Silver, 1.S7 ounces, per ton, equal,
at 68 cents per ounce, to $1.27; lead,
71.S6 per cent, at 3 2-10 cents per pound,
14(1.09, or a total value of $47.26 per ton.
No gold was found in the galena anal
yzed. The richest vein matter la about
two Inches thick,' with an almost ver
tical pitch, and material on each side
containing ore to a thickness of nearly
two feet.. This vein has been traced this
year from a point neorChlckles, in Lan
caster county, to south of Hanover,
York county, Into Maryland, and bids
fair to yield very large net returns to
those who may engage In mining It,
Near Greencastle, Franklin county,
in one of the slate gorges, for gold ha
been found In very fair quantities by
a Mr. Long. Only a few day ago
quarts containing gold wa discovered
a few miles east of Halifax, Dauphin
county. From specimens brought In It
undoubtedly occurs in some ot the
slates of Cumberland county, pear
Shlremanstown; also in the pyrites of
Perry and Snyder counties, In Fulton
county, two or three mile north ot
Fort Littleton, there is an abundance
of sand rock containing gold and sil
ver, silver predominating, to $8 or mora
per ton. This trend extends north
wardly into Huntingdon county, while
to the northwest and only a few mile
from Huntingdon there Is a deposit ct
galena, silver-bearing, with traces of
gold.
Now and then In Chester and Dela
ware counties, where eddies have been
formed In some of the streams, a cie
clded "color" of gold can be obtained by
the use of miners' pan. Bo, also, la
some parts of Lebanon county, north
west of Llckdale, near the Gap, silver
has been found and traces of gold. Two
or three miles south of Sunbury, in
Northumberland county, there Is quit
a quantity of galena containing a
small -percentage ot sliver, with slight
indications of gold. Attention has re
cently been called to a vein of silver ut
South Canaan, Wayne county, but.
whether In paying quantities has not
been made public. Silver has been
found, though. In large quantities In
the very same species of rock the pros
pectors there are working It, In Ad
ams county, west of Gettysburg, gold
and sliver are found sometimes In or
near tho copper; thus far in very lim
ited quantity. But the persistent
searching and prospecting and investi
gating there as elsewhere may lead to
something much better.
Stamp mills of large proportlbns are
not among the impossibilities for East
ern Pennsylvania and the day may not
be far off when the clattering and dn
and rumble of batteries of five to ono
hundred of the "pounders" may be a
common music of the hills and valley
of the ore-bearing sections of the Key
stone state. Henry C. Demmlng,
Mineralogist
NEW LINCOLN STORY.
How Napoleon Jackson Tccumieh
Dunn Got His Commission.
From the Washington Post.
N. J. T. Dana, whom Mr. Cleveland
recently nominated to be first deputy
commissioner of pensions, has the rec
ord of having been one of the best offic
ers ot the federal army. He entered the
army as a captain In the regular ser
vice, nnd quickly rose to the command
of a Minnesota regiment, being after
ward appointed to a brigadier general
ship by President Lincoln. He was a
strict disciplinarian, and the men who
served under him were specially fond
cf tellincc anecdotes of Dana which
were not always flattering to his van
ity. One of the best of these relates to
his trip to Washington to see Mr. Lin
coln about his rtromotion. When Dana
preferred his request to bo appointed
a brigadier general, the president cut
him off with the statement that he
wanted recruits more than brigadier
generals. "This decision did hot phase
Dana.
"But, Mr. President," he argued, "I
am sure you did not hear my full name,
which is Napoleon J. T. Dana."
"Napoleon was a great man," said
Lincoln, " and If he were here I would
put him in charge of the Army of the
Potomac. But, as I said before, we need
recruits far more than we do briga
diers." Still Dana was not to be put off.
"Mr. President," he said, "I did not
give you my full name, which is Na
poleon Jackson T. Dana."
"I will admit," eald the president,
Jackson was a great soldier, and as I
said about Napoleon, If Jackson wer
now living I would be glad to appoint
htm commander of the Army of the
Potomac; but it Is not brigadier w
need at this Juncture so much as re
cruits, to end this cruel war." "
"But ! did not toll you my full flme,
Mr. President," persisted Colonel Dana,
according' to this interesting story: "It
is Napoleon Jackson Tecumseh Dana,"
Lincoln turned to hi private secre
tary. :'
"Make out Colonel Dana's commission
as brigadier general," he said; "hi
name will strike terror to the heart of
our enemies It nothing else." -
' . i
The Earl of Dunraven will take the chair
at the annual general meeting of the ship
wrecked Marlneis' Society, at Cardiff, M
the 25th Instant.
ft
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