1 1 8 ALASKAN MINERAL RESOURCES TN 1906. ; 
this region will be in the areas where mica schist is the dominai 
formation or where streams have cut rocks of that type. The fa 
that placer gold has not been found in paying quantities whe 
streams have headed hi granitic or other crystalline rocks bears oi 
this statement. 
Recent prospecting has developed the fact that a well-define 
bench occurring about 75 feet above the bed of Willow Creek carri 
gold in commercial quantities. It is planned to install during tl 
coming winter a hydraulic plant for their exploitation near tl 
mouth of Wet Gulch, 2 miles below Grubstake Gulch, on the soul 
side. The location, with excellent facilities for dump and a catchme] 
area at least as large as that of Grubstake Gulch supplying wat 
under sufficient pressure, suggests a commercial proposition w( 
worth investigation. The possession of the creek claims as dumph 
ground will be necessary. Such bench claims lend themselves pa 
ticularly to exploitation by hydraulic methods and may be work* 
at far lower cost than gravels situated at the level of present strea 
drainage. 
NELCHINA RIVER. 
Two prospectors from Copper Center were met in the head wat 
country of Nelchina and Tyone rivers. Gold was reported presei 
in all the stream gravels, but in very small quantities. The go 
obtained on the Tyone is almost exclusively in the form of smj 
round plates, worth about a cent a piece. Occasionally small shod 
nuggets are found, not exceeding 5 or 10 cents in value. 
Panning of the hard conglomerate interstratified with Jurass 
shales and sandstones failed to yield colors. Yet, in view of tl 
unaltered and unmineralized character of the prevailing sandstoq 
and shales and the comparative coarseness of the gold, it is neverth 
less probable that the meager gold content of the present strea: 
channels lias been derived by a concentration of the ancient coi 
glomerates. 
KNIK RIVER. 
It is reported that prospectors discovered gold on Metal Creek] 
tributary of Knik River, $7 or $8 a day to the shovel being claims 
YENTNA DISTRICT. 
The following data are compiled from various sources: The placi 
gold diggings of the New Yentna district are located approximate] 
75 miles northwest of the mouth of Susitna River where it ent« 
Cook Inlet. They occupy in the main the headwaters of Kp'dltn 
River, a northern tributary of the Yentna, 25 miles above the lattel 
confluence with the Susitna. The Yentna heads in the Alaska Ranj 
and enters the Susitna 20 miles above its mouth. 
