Five years ago this fal] Captain Back, then 78 years of age, discovered gold on Nansen creek, a few miles back from Carmack on the Yukon river and about 125 miles north of Whitehorse. While the discovery created some excitement at the time - so much so that a large number of claimns were staked - no big stampede was occasioned and of those
who secured ground, only a few were able to work it owing to the difficulty in getting in supplies over an unbroken trail.
Of those who secured ground, one man, E. L. C. de la Pole, who, as a young man came to the Yukon away back in 1889, mining on the Cassiar and Hootalinqua bars, going to Fortymile in '98 and on to Circle in '95, returning to Dawson in '96 where he secured ground on Eldorado, Bonanza and Hunker creeks, realized that Nansen was a "comer." For two years he worked his claim there and said but little of what he was taking out. As de la Pole did not reach Nansen until everything was staked, he secured ground by purchase of a half interest in one claim owned by Conrad M. Printz with whom he is still associated, the latter having remained on Nansen almost continuously for the past five
seasons.
Realizing that they had dropped onto one of the greatest hydraulic propositions in the north, de la Pole and Printz quietly began buying up other claims on the creek one by one until they owned seven miles on Nansen and twenty claims on Discovery Pup, adjoining their other property and known to be quite rich in gold. After thoroughly prospecting their holdings at different places, some of them miles apart, and finding them to yield gold all the way from $10 to $25 per day to the man, they decided that they had something with which they were justified in approaching capital. But capital is reticent until "shown" and that de la Pole succeeded in doing, not on his own word, although he is one of the most experienced placer miners in the north, but by having the ground thoroughly gone over, prospected and panned by experts who reported most favorably on the various showings.
On the reports made a company was formed and de la Pole, who was here
last Sunday on his way to the outside, will return within a few weeks with the first consignment of hydraulic machinery which will be freighted to Nansen over the snow and installed ready for operating when water runs next spring when will be started a mining industry that is destined to add largely to the world's supply of gold. While it is not expected that operations during the year 1916 will be on a gigantic scale, enough will be done to pave the way for more extensive operations in future years.
The gold from Nansen creek is nearly all coarse and wholly free from dross, its value being upward of $17 per ounce. As evidence that gold is there, Printz alone and with only the most primitive methods for obtaining it, has already washed out 104 ounces the present season.
As Whitehorse is the gateway to Nansen, it is believed the inauguration
of mining operations there on a big scale will be of great benefit to this place to say nothing of the impetus it will impart to prospecting and mining in other sections of the territory. de la Pole and Printz are both well and favorably known to all old timers in Yukon and they deserve to be richly rewarded for their perseverance and stick-to-it-iveness.
In connection with the above undertaking, arrangements are now under way with the Five Fingers Coal Company by which the latter will install a power plant for the purpose of furnishing power by which the hydraulic machinery will be operated on Nansen,
the grade of which is from 4 to 6 per cent., making it admirably adapted to the operation of hydraulics.
