12 THE PORCUPINE PLACER DISTRICT, ALASKA. [bull. 236. 
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 
DISCOVERY. 
Placer mining in the Porcupine district dates from the summer of 
1898, when locations were made by Messrs. Mix, Finley, and Wiley. 
These men, en route to the interior, took the Dalton trail, but, owing 
to high water and lack of provisions, were obliged to halt when only 
15 miles up Klehini River. They camped near Bowlder Creek, a trib- 
utary from the northwest, and found traces of gold in the stream 
gravels, Fording the Klehini to Porcupine Creek, a mile above Bowl- 
der, they discovered richer gravels and obtained small nuggets of 
gold. After locating Discovery and the three claims above, which 
have since proved to contain the richest deposits in the district, they 
returned to Haines Mission to record their claims and obtain supplies. 
As a result of these discoveries nearly a thousand prospectors are said 
to have visited this creek during the autumn of 1898 and the spring of 
1899. In the summer of 1899, Porcupine had a population of 200, and 
probably as many more were camped along the various streams near by. 
LOCATION OF CLAIMS. 
Creek claims, 1,500 by 600 feet, were staked to the head of the 
Porcupine and its tributaries, McKinley, Marble, and Grizzty creeks, 
and a number of bench claims were located on the hillsides, some of 
them several hundred feet above the creek bottom. Other tributaries 
to Klehini River were prospected and many locations made, though 
the majority of these have since been abandoned, partly because of 
their position on the Canadian side of the provisional boundary of 1900. 
NEIGHBORING CREEKS. 
GLACIER CREEK. 
Of the creeks temporarily under Canadian jurisdiction, Glacier is 
the most important and the only one that has been carefully prospected 
or that has given promise of success. This creek was practically all 
located under the Alaskan regulations before the adoption of the 
modus vivendi, by which Americans were allowed to hold previously 
located claims, but owing to the uncertainty of conditions it has never 
been thoroughly developed. Those who did their annual assessment 
work have been pleased with the results obtained. The recent bound- 
ary decision throws Glacier Creek into Alaskan territory, and this will, 
probably lead to activity during the season of 1904. 
BOWLDER CREEK. 
Bowlder Creek enters Klehini River from the north, opposite Por- 
cupine Creek. Here likewise a number of claims were staked under 
