60  CONTRIBUTIONS    TO    ECONOMIC    GEOLOGY,    1903.  [bull. 225. 
ROUTES   OF  APPROACH   AND   SOURCES   OF  SUPPLY. 
The  district  can  be  reached  by  trail  from  Eagle  and  Circle,  or  by 
Yukon  and  Xanana  rivers  to  Chena  or  Fairbanks,  and  thence  by  trail 
to  the  diggings.  The  distance  from  Circle  to  the  Tanana  is  about  150 
miles,  and  this  is  the  shorter  and  better  trail  from  the  Yukon,  and  is 
generally  preferred  to  that  from  Eagle  by  way  of  the  Goodpaster.  It 
can  be  traversed  by  pack  train  in  the  summer  and  by  dog  team  during 
the  winter  months. 
Fairbanks,  situated  on  a  slough  of  the  Tanana,  and  Chena,  about  9 
miles  below  Fairbanks,  are  the  nearest  sources  of  supply,  both  places 
possessing  stores.  Fairbanks  is  accessible  only  by  the  smaller  steamers 
like  the  KoyuJcuk,  a  boat  120  feet  long  by  21  feet  in  width,  with  an  aver- 
age draft  of  22  inches.  Chena  is  on  the  main  river  and  can  be  reached 
by  the  larger  steamers.  The  total  population  of  both  places,  together 
with  that  of  the  creeks  during  the  present  winter  (1903-4),  is  probably 
about  800.  Both  are  connected  by  trail  with  the  diggings.  The  dis- 
tance from  Fairbanks  to  the  nearest  creek  where  mining  is  in  progress 
is  about  10  miles,  and  the  trail  is  said  to  be  somewhat  shorter  and 
drier  than  that  from  Chena.  Freight  may  be  shipped  by  way  of  Yukon 
and  Tanana  rivers  to  either  place.  Passenger  rates  from  Seattle  to 
Chena  or  Fairbanks  by  way  of  St.  Michael,  Yukon  and  Tanana  rivers, 
during  the  past  season,  were  1150  first  class  and  $100  second  class; 
freight  rates,  $80  a  ton.  The  rates  from  the  Tanana  to  the  creeks  vary 
from  a  few  cents  a  pound  in  the  winter  to  about  25  cents  a  pound  dur- 
ing the  summer  season.  A  telegraph  office  has  been  established  by  the 
Government  about  half  a  mile  above  Chena,  and  telegraphic  communi- 
cation thus  is  made  possible  with  other  portions  of  Alaska  and  the 
outside  world.  It  is  probable  that  in  the  near  future  an  office  will  be 
established  at  Fairbanks. 
There  is  very  little  timber  large  enough  for  mining  purposes  on  the 
creeks,  but  a  sufficient  quantity  is  to  be  found  a  few  miles  away  in  the 
lower  valleys  of  the  larger  streams  and  in  the  valley  of  the  Tanana 
itself.  Three  sawmills  are  located  at  Fairbanks  and  have  a  total  daily 
capacity  of  about  50,000  feet. 
Feed  is  good  in  portions  of  the  main  valley  and  on  the  timbered 
slopes.  Grass  was  found  growing  luxuriantly  along  the  trail  from 
Fairbanks  to  the  creeks,  and  as  late  as  the  11th  of  September  had 
been  untouched  by  frosts.  On  the  creeks  where  work  is  being  done 
there  is  but  little  horse  feed. 
GENERAL  DESCRIPTION. 
The  Fairbanks  district  lies  within  the  area  of  the  Yukon  Plateau, 
which  extends  from  the  northern  base  of  the  St.  Elias  and  Alaskan 
ranges  to  the  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  far  north  of  Yukon  River, 
and  its  characteristics  are  those  of  the  great  province  of  which  it  is  a  part. 
