14 FORTYMTLE, BIRCH CREEK, AND FAIRBANKS PLACERS, [bull. 251 
great discoveries at Dawson and Nome. Miners who have tried their 
luck at these more promising localities have often returned to make as 
living at the old camps, where many of the pioneers are now to be 
found. In consequence of these developments and of the demands on 
the part of the public for information in regard to these districts, two 
Geological Survey parties were sent to this field in the season of 1003. 
one under charge of Mr. T. G. Gerdine, to make a topographic surve, 
between Eagle and the Tanana and from Tanana to Circle; and th 
other, under charge of the writer, to study, so far as possible withi 
the limits of a single field season, the occurrence of gold in the placers 
of the districts which have been mentioned, and to extend the studies 
of the geologic problems. The following report includes only th© 
results of immediate economic bearing, the publication of the geology 
being deferred until further studies have been made. 
Topographic party. — The combined topographic and geologic par 
lies, in charge of Mr. T. G. Gerdine, topographer, traveled by waj 
of Dawson to Eagle, arriving there June 1G. Mr. Gerdine, with 
Mr. E. B. Oliver (assistant), G men, and 14 horses, began the topo 
graphic work about 30 miles west of Eagle and carried a belt oi 
reconnaissance mapping to the southwest into the Goodpaster Valley, 
and thence across the Salcha nearly to Fairbanks. Here, unfortu- 
nately, the surveys were interrupted by a dense pall of smoke from 
forest fires, but they were begun again at Fairbanks, on the Tanana, 
and carried northeast through the new gold district as well as] 
through the older Birch Creek diggings, and thence to Circle, on theS 
Yukon, which was reached about the middle of September. Within 
the limits of one season Messrs. Gerdine and Oliver completed the 
reconnaissance mapping of over 6,000 square miles, and much of the 
value of this report rests in the fact that through it these cartographic 
results are presented to the public. The map of the Fairbanks-Birch 
Creek regions, on a scale of about 4 miles to the inch (1 : 250000), inJ 
eludes the region between the Tanana and Circle (PL XIII). A 
second map (PI. XVI) has been prepared, on a scale of 10 miles to] 
the inch (1:G25000), of the entire region, which embraces not only' 
Mr. Gerdine's surveys, but all those that were previously made in the 
entire Yukon-Tanana region. 
Geologic party. — The writer's party, which included a packer, a 
cook, and 7 horses, began work at Eagle on June 16 and continued 
it until the close of the season at Fairbanks on September 12, during 
which time about 400 miles were traveled. Eighty-eight days were 
available for work, fifty-five of which were bright and clear. The 
latter part of June and July were spent in the placer camps of the 
Fortymile area, those near Eagle, and those on the Seventymile; the 
msmtli of August in traveling from Eagle to Birch Creek and inj 
studying the placers of the Birch Creek region; and the time that 
