36 ALASKAN MINERAL RESOURCES IN 1906. 
unsuccessful prospecting. Therefore the Fairbanks district proper is 
eminently not the place for prospectors of small means, but affords 
splendid opportunities for those with good financial backing. In 
adjacent areas, however, such as parts of the Tenderfoot district, 
where the alluvium is much shallower, there are much better chance 
for the individual miner. It must be remembered that these out- 
lying districts are but little easier of access than they were a few 
years ago. 
There was a great scarcity of water in the Fairbanks district up to 
the last week in August , after which time there was considerable rain 
One of the most favorable features about the Fairbanks district is. the 
fact that the work goes on throughout the year, thus giving steady 
employment to miners and assuring a more permanent population, 
In 1906 the summer production was probably not more than 50 pel 
cent of the total. 
Means of communication are being rapidly extended. Nearly all 
the large producing creeks are now connected by wagon roads, either 
with water transportation on the Tanana, or with the Tanana Mines 
Railway. This, together with the telegraph and telephone lines, much 
facilitates business. 
Cleary, Fairbanks, Dome, Vault, Esther, Goldstream, and Pedro 
creeks and their tributaries are the chief producing creeks of the dis- 
trict. Cleary continues to stand first in production, with Fairbank 
in second place. The finding of values on Cripple and Treasun 
creeks definitely extends the producing area to the southwest, an 
report ed discoveries of gold in the upper Chena may show a north- 
easterly ex tension of the same belt, though this is not yet established, j 
The facts in hand are, however, sufficient to determine that there j 
is a gold-bearing zone, at least 10 miles wide, running northeast and 
southwest, which has been traced for about 30 miles. Its north-- 
eastern extension would intersect the upper Chena basin, while to thed 
southwest it runs out into Tolovana flats. A logical deduction from j 
these facts would suggest that the prospector should turn his atten- 
tion to the Chena basin and to the streams draining the upland which 
bounds the Tolovana flats on the east. It should be remembered 
however, that the investigations so far made indicate that the condi- 
tions which bring about mineralization are local, and hence the forma- 
tion of placers probably does not persist over any great distance. 
Worthy of special note are the rich placers found last year on Vault 
Creek, which had previously been unproductive. On nearly all th( 
producing streams which are tributary to the Chatanika the pa) 
streak has been traced well down to the main river. In fact, th< 
origin of the rich gravels found in various places at 100 to 200 lee 
depth under the valley floor of the Chatanika is among the most puz 
