purington.] CIRCULAR LETTER SENT TO PLACER MINERS. 17 
It should be distinctly understood that the purpose of the expedi- 
tion on which this report is based was not the sampling- of gold-gravel 
deposits. Sampling is the business of the mining engineer acting in 
a private capacity, and is neither practicable nor permissible for officers 
of the Federal Government. 
Information concerning the tenor of the gravels worked was fre- 
quently given by operators whose claims were visited, and such state- 
ments have been considered in the estimates of the average tenor in 
gold of the gravels. 
On the following pages are reprinted the circular letter and the 
forms which were sent to miners in Alaska: 
Circular letter sent to placer miners. 
Your kind cooperation is earnestly requested in the preparation of the report on 
the placer mining methods of Alaska, which has been undertaken by this Office 
under the supervision of Mr. Alfred H. Brooks, geologist in charge of division of 
Alaskan mineral resources. 
Mr. Chester W. Purington has been detailed to investigate some of the principal 
placer districts of the Northwest during the coming summer, and will personally 
obtain as much information as possible. It being impracticable, however, to visit 
each operator, you are requested to assist in the preparation of this report by fur- 
nishing such data concerning your placer and the methods employed in operating it 
as are asked for on the accompanying blank form. The information furnished will 
materially aid the investigation and will insure the inclusion of all the districts in 
the final report, which it is expected will be distributed in 1905. 
Methods of operating are improved and rendered more effective by a community 
of interest, and while data furnished by you and made use of in the report may assist 
some other operator, you also may derive benefit from it through the suggestions of 
others. 
The results already attained in placer mining in Alaska and neighboring territory 
will be made use of for the purpose of outlining the most advisable methods to be 
followed in each of the principal placer districts. Especial attention will be given to 
gold dredging, hydraulic placer mining, the employment of elevators for obtaining 
artificial grade, and the determination of the best methods for the thawing of frozen 
gravel. A special feature of the report will be a comparison of costs of operation by 
various methods in all parts of the placer fields. It is evident that for carrying out 
the plan full data are necessary concerning the character of the ground, the local 
conditions, and the methods at present in use. 
As the value of these reports depends largely upon the promptness of their publi- 
cation, an early reply is earnestly requested. Please answer the questions on the 
schedule as far as possible. If you can not give the exact figures in all cases, make 
the replies as approximately correct as possible. 
A copy of the report will be sent to each operator furnishing a statement, An 
addressed envelope is inclosed, which requires no stamp. 
Form No. 1, sent to gold-placer miners of Alaska. 
It is hoped that even in cases where the operator does not care to give full data 
concerning his property and operations he will furnish at least a part of the informa- 
tion requested. Very few of the facts obtained will be embodied directly in the 
report, but from the sum of them will be drawn conclusions and suggestions which 
it is hoped will be of value to the gold-mining community as a whole. 
Bull. 263-05 2 
