prindle.] FOETYMILE REGIOK. 41 
sand is small. Barite is abundant, and its rounded pebbles are a 
characteristic associate of the gold. Black, shiny, rounded grains 
of hematite are also found. 
The fact that no foreign wash was observed makes it probable that 
the gold has been derived directly from the drainage area of the creek 
itself. Many quartz seams and stringers occur in the schists, some of 
them of considerable thickness, but the quartz is not sufficient in 
quantity to make the proportion in the gravels a very large one. 
Pieces of gold with quartz attached are common. Both the schists 
and the quartz contain pyrite. One quartz vein occurring in the 
upper portion of the creek was found by assay for the Survey by 
E. E. Burlingame & Co., Denver, Colo., to carry 0.06 of an ounce of 
gold to the ton. It would seem from the information available that 
the gold has probably been derived from quartz veins and stringers 
in the schists and possibly also from mineralized areas in the schists 
themselves. 
The mining developments are scattered along about 5 miles of the 
creek, commencing at a point about 4 miles above the mouth and 
extending toward the source. Claims are generally one- fourth of a 
mile lengthwise of the creek. There are two Discovery claims, and 
claims have been staked from each in both directions. The gold is 
mined by drifting, by hydraulic methods, and by open cuts. 
Where the ground is deep and frozen some method of thawing is 
necessary. The most primitive way is by the wood fire. Hot water 
and hot rocks are sometimes used, either alone or in combination, but 
the most effective method is that of the steam thawer. The appa- 
ratus consists generally of a small boiler for the generation of steam, 
pipes for its transmission, and points. The latter are pipes, 4 feet 
or more in length, for driving into the frozen ground. They are 
connected near the one end with the steam pipe and provided at the 
pointed end with one or more small apertures, through which the 
steam rushes with greatly increased penetrative force, like water 
from the nozzle of an ordinary hose. They are placed against the 
frozen ground and driven in as fast as the ground becomes thawed. 
The quantity of steam can be easily regulated, and successful results 
on sinking and drifting depend largely on experience and good judg- 
ment in the use of the steam. Too much steam is liable to thaw the 
walls or roof of a drift to an undesirable extent and cause " slough- 
ing," or falling in of the walls, with the consequent necessity of 
handling much more dirt than is necessary. 
The drifting method is employed on Wade Creek mostly during 
the winter, the dump being washed out in the spring. On several 
of the claims the hydraulic method was in use in a small way. PL 
VIII, 'A, shows a claim being stripped of muck by this method. 
Ditches have been built up to about a mile in length, and when used 
