170 ALASKAN MINERAL RESOURCES TN 11)0(1. 
water from Taylor Creek, about 6 miles up, and discharges at t 
mouth of the creek. Both these ditches were completed in 1 ( .)() 
The Kougarok Mining and Ditch Company had one ditch in operatic 
in 1906 and two more partly constructed. Of these the Homestal 
ditch, which heads on the Kougarok 3J miles above Macklin Crei 
and discharges at the mouth of Homestake Creek, with a head of ll 
feet, was completed in 1905. Work has been begun on the Altoor 
ditch, which heads 1\ miles above the mouth of Washington Creel 
A third ditch has been located, to be built up Macklin Creek, takir 
water from Schlitz and Reindeer creeks north of the Arctic divide 
T. T. Lane has completed a ditch from Henry Creek, discharging i 
Homestake Creek. All the above-mentioned ditches discharge wit hi 
a few miles of one another on Kougarok River and represent an aggrc j 
gate outlay that hardly seems warranted by the developments 
placer mining. 
The Irving Mining Company has constructed a ditch from Washing 
ton Creek along the north slope of the Kougarok Valley nearly to tl 
mouth of Mascot Creek. Another ditch that has been built on Norl 
Fork by the Northwestern Mining Company heads at the junction o» 
Alder and French creeks and is to be built to the Kougarok, abou 
7 miles being completed in 1906. The Lane ditch, from Coffee Creel I 
to the mouth of Dahl Creek, has already been mentioned. Smalle 
ditches have been built or surveyed at various places, includinj 
Arizona, California, Coarse Gold, and Windy creeks. Besides these 
there are many other schemes for ditch building which have not go 
far enough to deserve individual mention. 
The summer of 1906, being abnormally dry, was especially fa vorabk 
for ditch construction, but w T orked havoc with those who were pre- 
pared to sluice. It is perhaps well, however, that the managers of the 
large companies should know what they may expect and be able tc 
include an allowance for a <\v\ season in their estimate of cost. The 
records show t hat in the last seven years there have been two notabfl 
dry summers (1900 and 1906) and that therefore the last season is not 
by any means as abnormal as some promoters would try to make the 
public believe. 
Up to 1 906 the Kougarok district could be reached from Nome onll 
by an overland journey of about 100 miles or by a very circuitous 
water route via Teller, Imuruk Basin, and Kuzitrin River. Frou 
Lanes Landing, at the head of scow navigation on the Kuzitrin 
freighting by wagon to the creeks cost from 6 to 15 cents a pound, the 
winter rates being much lower. J. M. Davidson and Andrew J. Stone 
who are among the largest operators in the district, have established 
a transshipping point on Kaviruk River, a called Davidson Landing 
and built a road from this place to the upper Kougarok region, a dis- 
tance of 40 miles. Small lighters can be towed directly from the 
a Called locally Marys River. 
se 
