104 FISHERY AND FUR INDUSTRIES OF ALASKA IN 1912. 



THE FAIRBANKS DISTRICT. 



The Fairbanks fur-bearing district covers a very large territory. 

 Around Fairbanks proper no real trapping can be done. Fairbanks 

 itself is quite a large town, and its mining district runs out for many 

 miles over "the creeks." Where considerable mining and prospect- 

 ing has been carried on for a term of years the fur bearers have been 

 exterminated. 



Fairbanks is situated on the Chena Slough, about 4 miles across 

 country from the Tanana River. Going up the Chena Slough about 

 15 miles, we strike the Chena River, a clear-water stream. Even on 

 the river about 50 miles ilp a potato farm is found, and farms are also 

 found in several places fronting the Tanana. No good trapping 

 grounds can, therefore, be found nearer than 150 to 200 miles from 

 the city. South of the city and the Tanana River occur miles of 

 continuous swamp, in which no trapping can be carried on. Good 

 trapping grounds are, therefore, found only long distances from Fair- 

 banks. The best regions are the headwaters of the Chena River, 

 which empties into the Tanana at Chena; headwaters of the Salcha, 

 emptying into the Tanana at Salchaket; headwaters of the Good- 

 paster to the Volkmar River and the Healy River. The Chatanika, 

 emptying into the Tanana at Tolovana, has good mink-trapping 

 grounds, and the Kantishna and Nenana, with their tributaries, have 

 at different points good grounds for several species — mink, marten, 

 fox, and lynx. The streams above mentioned are all clear-water 

 streams. 



The Tanana River itself is a very muddy glacial river. The water 

 is very cold and swift. A good swimmer can keep up in the water 

 only a short time, as it is so cold that cramps set in. To fall over- 

 board invariably means to drown. The river is hardly navigable 

 above Chena, being in places 1 or 2 miles wide and full of flats. 



The post farthest up the headwater of the Tanana, Newton's 

 trading post, is near the mouth of the Healy River. The same 

 trader has run this post for a number of years. He has a large 

 Indian trade. Formerly he obtained a large number of fox and 

 beaver. Fox were destroyed by poison several years ago and are 

 now seldom obtained. Beaver were also nearly extinct before the 

 close season was established. The main fur which he obtains is 

 mink and marten, more of the former. Both species have in the 

 district a good dark color. This dealer ships his furs from or sells 

 them in Fairbanks. 



The Salchaket trading post, at the mouth (ket) of the Salcha 

 River, is owned by a trader who has been there for a number of years. 

 The Salchaket Indians, with whom he has the larger trade, are a 

 very industrious, clean class of natives, as Indians go. They do a 



