spencer]  THE    JUNEAU    GOLD    BELT,   ALASKA..  29 
southwest  of  Juneau.  This  property  was  opened  in  1881,  and  it  con- 
tinued to  grow  in  importance  for  several  years,  so  that  by  1889  it  had 
reached  its  present  rating  as  one  of  the  great  mines  of  the  world. 
The  success  of  this  enterprise  was  an  incentive  to  prospectors,  the 
region  had  become  favorably  and  somewhat  widely  known,  and  capital 
appeared  to  be  ready  to  prove  the  value  of  several  properties  when,  in 
1896,  the  discovery  of  the  Klondike  gave  a  great  impetus  to  prospecting 
in  the  interior  of  British  Columbia  and  Alaska  and  caused  the  mineral 
region  tributary  to  Juneau  to  be  temporarily  abandoned  as  a  field  for 
investment.  The  gold  fields  of  the  interior  turned  out  to  be  of  more 
than  passing  value  and  the  exploitation  of  their  rich  placers  has  nat- 
urally held  the  main  interest  of  both  investors  and  promoters,  to  the 
great  disadvantage  of  the  longer  known,  though  less  rich,  coastal  region, 
the  development  of  which  would  have  involved  greater  outlay  and 
slower  returns.  It  may  be  said  that  only  now,  after  seven  years,  has 
the  district  regained  the  position  which  it  appears  to  have  held  in  1896. 
At  present  a  groAving  interest  in  the  gold  belt  here  under  considera- 
tion is  apparent  from  the  number  of  properties  which  have  recently 
changed  hands,  from  the  number  of  experienced  engineers  making 
examinations  in  the  field  with  a  view  to  acquiring  property  for  their 
clients,  as  well  as  from  the  demand  for  experienced  miners,  which  is 
continually  bringing  new  men  into  the  Territory. 
The  number  of  miners  and  laborers  at  present  engaged  in  the  region 
is  estimated  as  follows: 
Number  of  miners  estimated  to  be  engaged  in  Juneau  region^  Alaska. 
Independent  prospectors 140 
Douglas  Island  mines 900 
Mainland  mines  south  of  Juneau 80 
Mainland  mines  near  Juneau 80 
Mainland  mines  north  of  Juneau 90 
On  other  islands,  mining  and  prospecting 50 
Placers 100 
Total 1, 440 
About  30  per  cent  of  the  miners  in  the  region  were  engaged  in 
prospecting  and  preliminary  development  during  the  year,  and  indi- 
cations are  that  the  exploration  of  properties  recently  purchased  by 
outside  parties  will  materially  increase  the  proportion  of  men  engaged 
in  work  not  immediately  productive. 
In  1903  there  were  seven  productive  mines  in  the  district  in  addition 
to  the  placers  of  Porcupine  and  adjacent  creeks.  These  were  the 
Alaska-Treadwell,  Alaska-Mexican,  and  Ready  Bullion,  on  Douglas 
Island;  the  Silver  Queen,  on  the  mainland  opposite;  the  Sumdum  Chief, 
60  miles  to  the  south,  now  worked  out  and  abandoned;  and  the  Alaska- 
Juneau  and  Ebner  mines,  in  Gold  Creek,  both  of  which  will  soon  be 
