14 GKAVEL AND PLACER MINING IN ALASKA. [bull. 263. 
visited on Gold Run, Sulphur, Upper Dominion, Bonanza, Eldorado, 
Hunker, Last Chance, Bear, and Gold Bottom creeks. Three days, 
July 17 to 19, inclusive, were spent in the vicinity of Eagle, Alaska, 
two operations on American Creek being visited. At Circle the 
regular route of transportation via Yukon River was departed from. 
On July 22 the party started west With a pack train and reached Dead- 
wood Creek, in the Birch Creek district, on July 24. This day and 
the next were spent on Deadwood Creek, where 6 operations were 
inspected. On July 26, 5 operations on Mammoth and Mastodon creeks 
were visited. On July 27, 4 operations on Eagle Creek were visited. 
The route was then pursued westward over the ridge trail to Fair- 
banks Creek. From August 1 to 5, inclusive, nearly all the operations 
in the recently opened Fairbanks district were visited, including 35 
operations on Fairbanks, Chatham, Cleary, Twin, and Pedro creeks. 
On Fairbanks Creek a junction was made with Mr. L. M. Prindle's 
party, and it is due to the fact that the two parties worked 
together in the Fairbanks district that all the operations were visited 
in the few days available. During the few succeeding days as much 
information as possible was collected in the town of Fairbanks con- 
cerning the new gold finds of the Xanana, and my party then proceeded 
via the Xanana, Yukon, and St. Michael to Nome, arriving there 
August 20. From August 21 to September 4, inclusive, 21 operations 
were inspected on Anvil, Glacier, and Dexter creeks and Grass 
Gulch, and on Newton, Peluk, and Dry creeks. 
On September 5 the party proceeded to Ophir Creek via Cheenik 
and Council, and from September 5 to 17, inclusive, inspected 29 
operations on Ophir, Crooked, Warm, Gold Bottom, Penelope, and 
Big Hurrah creeks and Solomon River. 
After returning' to Nome a week was consumed in completing at 
the offices of the mining companies the data already partially obtained 
on the creeks and in gathering all possible information concerning 
operations in portions of Seward Peninsula not visited. Xhe party 
arrived in Seattle October 2, and after a few days spent at Oroville, 
Cal., returned to Washington. 
FIELD METHODS. 
Every operation in a district was not visited, but enough represen- 
tative claims were examined to give a fair estimate of the cost, utility, 
and adaptability of each method of mining. 
For assistance in obtaining the data necessary a blank, a copy of 
which is given on pages 17-20, was sent to all the placer miners of 
Alaska whose addresses were known. Xhis blank was accompanied by 
a circular letter, and in many cases by a personal letter, explaining the 
purpose of the investigation. Xhe fact that replies have been received 
from all parts of the Territory, in many cases from the most remote 
