MAY 13, 1880.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



291 



In May, 1873, tho Stewart mine was owned by the 

 seven men named. From this date to 1876 very little 

 work was done on the mine, none of the owners being 

 Capitalists (Government officers and miners). During the 

 winter of this year five of the company, who held that 

 the two others had forfeited their rights, sold the mine 

 to a company composed of business men of Portland, 

 Oregon, and the Alaska Gold and Silver Mining Com- 

 pany—capital, $300,000 ; in shares of par value $1 each— 

 was organized, Haley, the discoverer, receiving 15,000 

 paid up shares, and the other four 10,000 each, to which 

 Was credited a certain amount against future assess- 

 ments. 



Since its organization, this company has made endeav- 

 ors to develop the mine ; it has met with losses through 

 mismanagement, and has had, as is usual, quarrels 

 among its members, but at this date it possesses a steam 

 10-stamp mill, shops, cabins and full outfit. A tunnel is 

 in over 160 feet, in good ore all the way. Auother, 100 

 feet above it, is in 84 feet, and another is to be started 

 300 feet below, where a distance of 350 feet will prob- 

 ably strike the ledge as indicated by the shaft. This 

 mill, this month, in eleven days' work, produced bullion 

 valued at about $1,800, and has ready for shipment over 

 fourteen pounds of amalgam produced from free gold 

 alone, the sulphurets not having been treated. 



During the years 1874 to 1878 Haley, having procured 

 his discharge from the army, devoted himself to pros- 

 pecting, and upon the same range discovered many other 

 ledges, of which those which are considered to be the 

 most valuable are known as the "Haley and Francis," 

 "Wicket Fall," "Witch" and "Last Chance," and other 

 prospectors have discovered and located about a dozen 

 more. The "Haley and Francis," "Witch" and "Last 

 Chance" I have visited. The first two are possibly 

 pockets, inasmuch as their trend is east and west, but 

 "both are very rich. From the first named the lirst blast 

 threw- out and exposed over $300 worth of gold, some 

 nuggets ranging in value from $15 to $20. 



From the rock of the "Witch," which is decomposed 

 quartz, of which I send you specimen marked 4, Haley 

 has nearly supported himself and large family for two 

 years, he and his boys packing in bags the broken up 

 rock, crushing it evenings in a large hand mortar, ex- 

 tracting the gold with quicksilver, and selling the amal- 

 gam. I have watched Haley at this work, and know 

 that what I say is true. 



Haley's "Last Chance" was, until 1879, the easternmost 

 discovered ledge. During this year a number of other 

 ledges of probable value have been found still further 

 east on the same range. From one, the "Great Eastern," 

 I procured myself specimens which, when assayed by 

 Messrs. Selby & Co., of San Francisco, yielded $175 gold 

 and $5.20 silver per ton, I have seen their assay certifi- 

 cate, and this specimen came from the surface, and 

 showed no free gold whatever. 



Now, Mr. Editor, I have taken great pains to thor- 

 oughly sift all of the statements I have collected. All 

 of the parties who possess knowledge on the subject have 

 been carefully interviewed. When there were discrep- 

 ancies, as in the matter of dates there sometimes was, I 

 have got hold of letters and papers and straightened out 

 the account. .And I feel satisfied that you have in this 

 paper the first and only authentic history of the devel- 

 opment of this region up to the present date. I have not 

 told you a thing which I do not thoroughly believe my- 

 self. Before leaving the subject, I will describe just how 

 Haley gets his gold from the rock, which is mining on a 

 small scale, as I saw it to-day. 



Scene — Haley's front room, temperature waj' up, for 

 on the stove, cooling by a brisk yellow cedar fire, stands 

 a six quart pan, half full of apparently sand and wat 

 ■actually powdered quartz from the bagful standing 

 the corner — which Haley has packed in from the Witch 

 during the fall — water, and a few ounces of quicksilver. 

 [ This mess he is stirring up with bis bare hand, while I, 

 -with my briar root for company, sit in his rocking chair 

 | and watch and listen to his descriptions. 



This rock he has powdered, or "pulped," in a big iron 

 mortar, by hand, roasted four hours, with a sprinkling 

 of salt "to kill the sulphurets," and is now amalgamat- 

 ing. AOoub five pounds of rock, less a few rather pretty 

 specimens on which free gold was visible, and which 1 

 appropriated and send to you, constitute the charge. 

 When it was "done" (he couldn't tell mo how he kne 1 

 was "done," it being entirely a matter of experience; 

 but he could tell when the quicksilver had gathered 

 Tip its affinity) he carried the pan to a washing tub, a 

 third full of water, and washed, or panned it, by a 

 cular motion, which looks easy enough, but is apt to re- 

 sult in a spill with a green hand, until at last nothing 

 but the quicksilver remained. This he washed thor- 

 oughly in saucers of clear water, enveloped in a buck- 

 skin cloth, and squeezed by means of a strong cord, 

 which he wound round and round, the mercury spurting 

 in spray through the pores, until but a. little hard lump 

 remained. He opened his buckskin, and there was a 

 lump about as big as an ordinary bean, looking like tin 

 foil ! this was amalgam, and in it was nearly all of the 

 amalgam that the five pounds of rock had contained. 

 Hot all, for had I not hurried him he would have re- 



peated the washing: and squeezing to save "waste," and 

 had he retorted the amalgam he would have obtained 

 somewhat better results than his home resources (which 

 consisted o£ a Spade, on which he laid and roasted for a 

 few minutes tha button) permitted. As the quicksilver 

 passed away the button turned yellow, and he scraped 

 from the spade twenty three grains of flour gold, which 

 I inclose to you, as tolerable good evidence that the sto- 

 ries of gold mines near Sitka are not absolutely "fairy 

 tales." 1 don't own any of this mine, Mr. Editor, but I 

 wish I did. Flour gold is worth tour cents a grain, and 

 if five pounds of rock produce, with two hours" labor of 

 one man, nearly a dollar, a ton of tho rock is worth 

 nearly $450. 



It is probable that the sulphurets will yield as much 

 more. Of course, Mr. Editor, I can't vouch positively for 

 everything I have told you, but I can assure you that I 

 myself believe every word to be true. 



Feb. &3<L— The steamer is four days overdue, and her 

 coming day is very uncertain, for we are having regular 

 pring weather, rain and fogs and snow, which tend to 

 make navigation hazardous. 



During the month the temperature has averaged about 

 35 degs., but the snow that fell in January don't go. This 

 has been the coldest winter that has occurred for thirty 

 years. It is very evident, that the season is backward, 

 for Che woods are becoming populous with returning 

 birds. Fish eagles, which left us last fall, have returned, 

 and innu m erable ducks, which come in good time, as the 



enison is getting bad. 



Ifind Cones' "Key" invaluable. I have already identified 

 as follows : Old wives, surf-ducks, mallard, harlequin, 

 Canada goose, Hutchinsii, scaup, lesser scaup, Barrow's 

 golden-eye, butter-balls, mergansers, and several grebes, 

 etc. Not having enjoyed very favorable weather for 

 hunting, we have been compelled to seek other amuse- 

 ments, among which have been a couple of weddings of 

 members of the Jamestown complement and of Sitka's. 

 First, one of the crew led off ; and on the 9th inst. one 

 of the officers. Mr. Frank Guerton, was by the Rev. 

 Father Metropolsky united to Miss Nija Kastromitenoff, 

 who is a cousin of the wife of Prof. Elliott, a young lady 

 of Russian parentage, born in Alaska, and one whom we 

 were all glad to welcome into the service. 



March 26th. — This letter should have reached you ere 

 this, but for sixty days we have been cut off from all 

 communication with the world The California, on her 

 up trip in February, knocked her rudder off on Columbia 

 Bar, and after a hazardous passage to Victoria has been 

 there detained for repairs. She came through yesterday, 

 and goes to-day. 



We are having the pleasantest March I ever spent in 

 the temperate zone, having had but four days which were 

 not bright and warm ; that is, it felt warm, although the 

 thermometer did not go above 45 degs., and the snow 

 goes off very slowly , The steamer's arrival was a god- 

 send. We were out of most everything, including pa- 

 tience, but not including those watery walnuts, dubbed 

 potatoes, which have during the last few days rewarded 

 me for the battle I have given in their cause. 



One note more about mining. By this steamer there 

 goes down four bars, each weighing seventy-two ounces, 

 of gold produced from the free gold, the sulphurets not 

 having been treated, during about thirty days' work of 

 the Pioneer Mill. Piseco. 



CAME PROTECTION. 



New York Association.— At the last meeting of the 

 New fork- Association for the Protection of Game, Mr. 

 Win. M. Kleiss, of the Committee on A mend inents to the 

 Came Laws, reported that the various matters referred 

 to his committee had been carefully attended to, and he 

 had no doubt that when the laws, as amended, should be 

 printed, it wool. I lie found everything desired bv tin- As- 

 sociation had been carried out. Dr. John W. Greene 

 called the attention of the meeting to the recent death of 

 Mr. Geo. C. Colburn, one of their most active members, 

 and passed a high eulogium on his character as a spoils- 

 man and a gentleman. A resolution on tho same subject: 

 was proposed by Mr. Townsend and adopted, and on mo- 

 tion of Dr. Stephen A. Main, the Secretary was directed 

 to khihI .i ropy of it to the familv of the deceased. Presi- 

 dent R. 15. Roosevelt, Dr. Greene, Chas. E. Whitehead, 0. 

 Dubois Wugsfalf and T. B. Baldwin were appointed a com- 

 mittee to attend the annual convention of the New York 

 Stat.!' Association for the Protection of Fish and flame, at 

 Seneca Falls, N. Y. A communication Was received from 

 the Secretary of the Long Island Sportsmen's Associa- 

 tion, requesting the cooperation of the New York Asso- 

 ciation in endeavoring to have the State Association's 

 convention for the year 1881 held on Long Island. After 

 a discussion, the delegates to the convention were in- 

 structed to favor the holding of the convention of 1881 

 in the vicinity of New York. 



Migratory Quail.— Boston, May XXth.— Editor lorest 



and Stream :— For the information of those iatei U 



the importation of migratory quail. I send you the fol- 

 lowing extracts from letters received from Mr, Braun, 

 being my latest, advices. Under -date of April I7fh, ho 

 writes :'" Orders from Kiigland have been received to 

 buy as many quail as possible, without limiting the 

 price. This, "as well as the restriction of the law for 

 catching tlie birds, and, the higher cost of the licenses, 

 will, no doubt, make the quail very expensive; but you 

 may rest assured that I shall do all in my power to secure 

 them. We have had Scirocco for the last ten days, and 



not a single quail has been seen, as yet, upon one island. 



Let us hope that the wind will soon change, so that I can 

 purchase and ship the quail as soon as possible." 1 ohLm 

 date of April 19th, he writes : "The first quail made their 

 appearance this morning, but in very insignificant quan- 

 tity. I shot only five. If this wind (Ponente W; S. W.) 

 continues, we will see more to-morrow." 



Horace P. Tobey. 

 ♦ 



Migratory Quail.— Rockland. Me., Man 3d.— J have 

 seen, in a Rockland paper, that the quail which I released 

 last spring, and which bred here to some extent, had re- 

 turned, and had been seen by a number of parties. I 

 should be very happy to confirm the report ■. but the evi- 

 dence I have received I do not consider reliable enough 

 to warrant publication. As soon as I learn for a cer- 

 tainty of their return, I will write you of tne fact. 



Jaaies Wight. 



We hope soon to receive authentication of the return 

 of these birds, and would remind others of our readers 

 who are interested in the introduction of the birds, to 

 gather such information as they may of the return of the 

 quail this spring. 



Outaxio.— Wetland, May 8th.— S. D. Woodruff. Esq., 

 of St. Catherines, President of the Long Point Game 

 Club, was on the 4th brought up before the Mayor of 

 Welland to answer to a charge of shooting snipe out of 

 season. He pleaded guilty to the charge of having shot 

 four birds, and was fined $••!() and $0.50 costs He 

 was prosecuted by the Game Inspector of the County of 

 Welland Game Protective Association. R. R. C. 



%nn\t §hq nqct %m\. 



MAY IS A ClOSE MONTH FOR GAME. 



GAME AND FISH DIRECTORY. 



In sending reports for tho Forest and Stream Directory to 

 Game and Fish Resorts, our correspondents are requested to give 

 the following particulars, with such other information as thoy 

 may deem of value: State, Town, County; means of access; Hotel 

 and other accommodations ; Game und its Season ; Fish and Its Sea- 

 son; Boats, Guides, etc.; Name of person to address. 



— Address all communications to ' 

 Publishing Company, New York." 



Forest and Stream 



HOW TO MAKE A CAMP. 



Bethel, Maine. 



IN some former issue of Forest and Stream the past 

 winter, an appeal was made to practical hunters to 

 give information in regard to building camps, as 1 un- 

 derstand it, for temporary use in the wilderness. I will 

 give my method in as few words as possible, so that my 

 ideas may be reached and utilized, if desired : — 



A water-tight camp may be made of fir boughs, or 

 even hemlock, by making the roof steep, and lapping 

 the boughs on thick, in courses, with the butt up. The 

 form of the framework may be in several ways. I 

 will mention only two : First, cut poles with crotch at 

 upper end, ten or twelve feet long, say six or eight of 

 them. Stick the top crotches together, and spread the 

 bottoms to any desired diameter — according to the sizo 

 of your party— in a circle ; then commence to spread on 

 the boughs, beginning at the bottom, and carefully and 

 thickly lapping them to the top, leaving a parting be- 

 tween two poles for a door. This is also the Indian 

 method, and is called a wigwam. Second, cut two poles 

 seven or eight feet long, With crotch at top. Stick these 

 in the ground, butt down, as far apart as you wish the 

 length of your camp to be ; say, for four men, make your 

 camp ten feet long, and more or less according to your 

 number. The two corner stakes being fixed, cut a pole 

 reaching from one to the other for a ridge-pole, then cut 

 shorter poles to reach from your ridge-p. lie to the ground, 

 and put them near enough together to hold the covering, 

 be it boughs or bark. 



This is what we call a shed camp, open in front, where 

 we build our fire at our feet, when we lie down. 



Two of these camps made together, facing each other, 

 form what we call a tight camp, by standing small ever- 

 greens up thickly at each end, and leaving a door at one 

 end. These camps are easily and quickly made, and may 

 be covered with bark, if desired, of the white birch, at 

 any time of the year, or spruce cr hemlock in the season 

 of pealing ; viz. June or July. 



For a more substantial lodge, find two large trees far 

 enough apart for the length of your camp, cut notches 

 meach ol the trees as high as you wish your ridge-pole 

 to be. say seven feet, more or less. Place your ridge-pole 

 in these notches, and withe it solid to the trees, lie sure 

 the pole is stout enough ; then roll up a good heavy log 

 for the back of your camp. Split lirs or cedar trees in 

 halves to the desired length, and place them, the lower 

 end on the log at the back of camp, and upper end on 

 your ridge-pole, in the following manner : Lav two half 

 logs flat side up, and another flat side down, lapping on 

 each, and so on over the whole. Stand splits on end to 

 cover end of camp. This is the same form as the tempo- 

 rary bough camp, and by covering two together, will 

 make a. very durable tight camp for winter or summer. 

 If for cold weather, throw on j ' 

 rjyer the splits, to stop all air-hol 



Another home, or subst 

 notched at the ends, and cob-housed* togethc, , 

 out door after the bodv is up, laying gable ends on ton of 

 the body and rafters, one at each end of every log, short- 

 ening the logs as you go up, until you reach the ridge- 

 pole, and cobbling up the chimney-hole with smaller 

 sticks in center from body of camp, and cover with bark 

 or splits. 



Cover the ground for sleeping with fine fir or hemlock 

 boughs to the depth of a toot in thick, soft layers, which 

 is the most delicious, as well as healthy bed that can be 

 made. For covering camps you ean also make oedar 



plenty of green boughs 

 oade of logs 



