•kindle.] FAIRBANKS REGION. 81 
Several of the claims on Chatham Creek which were being pros- 
>ected in 1908 turned out well. Small boilers were in use and the 
hallowness of the deposits made the cost of working considerably 
ess than on the main creek. Some trouble was experienced with 
■live water," and on one claim work had been stopped on this 
iccount. 
The pay gravels in the Cleary Valley are generally at a considera- 
te depth and probably could not be worked at a profit under pres- 
ent conditions for a gold content of less than 5 cents to the pan. 
rhe steam-point method is the one most extensively used for thaw- 
ng the frozen ground, and by this means holes can be rapidly sunk 
o bed rock at a rate of 3 feet or more a day. The construction of 
iitches in the frozen muck has been a difficult problem. The grade 
nust be very low, otherwise the water breaks through the frozen 
uuck, and in one instance was seen flowing at a level 15 feet or more 
>elow what had been the bottom of the ditch. The presence of 
ground water has frequently caused difficulty and increased the cost 
>f production to a considerable extent by the extra expense of 
ramping. 
The creek is about 22 miles from the town of Fairbanks, and the 
winter and summer freight rates are 2^ and 15 cents a pound, 
espectiveh/. Wood for fuel has been as high as $10 a cord, delivered, 
nd sawed lumber $200 a thousand. Wages for miners w T ere being- 
educed to $5 and board. 
Fairbanks Creek. — The depth to bed rock on Fairbanks Creek in- 
reases rather uniformly in a downstream direction from about 15 
eet in the upper portion of the area, where development is in prog- 
ess, to GO feet or more about 5 miles lower down the creek. The ma- 
srial on bed rock is similar to the deposits on the other creeks. There 
5 an upper layer of muck, an intermediate zone of barren gravels, 
nd. underlying them and more or less distinctly marked by the 
resence of yellow clay, the gravels which contain the gold. The 
lyer of muck is from 2 to 20 feet thick and often forms about half 
le deposit on bed rock. The principal rock outcropping in the val- 
iy of Fairbanks Creek is the schist, which has furnished the niatc- 
ial for the greatest part of the gravels. Quartz seams are rather 
ommon in the schist and have contributed their share of the 
ravels. Gneiss is associated with schist in the ridge south of Fair- 
anks Creek, forms the bed rock on some of the claims in the lower 
ortion of the valley, and has furnished some material for the 
ravels. The deposit of gravel occurs to a thickness of 15 feet or 
lore and is composed of rather angular pieces, most of which are 
>,ss than a foot in diameter. In the lower portion of the valley 
:iere is some coarser material, but the proportion of bowlders is 
Buil, 251—05 m 6 
