THE
McCarthy weekly news
Entereu .«* second class matter. Septem
ber 111* . MM8. at the Post Office, at
McCann-. Alaska, under the Act of
March .i. IS 19.
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C. F. M. COLE. Manager
M. M. COLE Editor
Saturday Sept. 24th. 1921.
PLACER MINING DECLINES
Through Lack of Prospectors
We are indebted to the Depart
inent of the Interior for Bullet
in 714, just received from the
United States Geological Survey
on the Mineral Resources of
Alaska compiled by Alfred H.
Brooks and others.
This is an exhaustive report
on the progress of investigation
in 1919 and gives a thorough
resume on all branches of mining
Regarding placer the follow
ing is a most interesting extract:
During thst ,39 years of mining
Alaska has produced gold to the
value of more than $811 COO,COO,
and $218,000,000 of this amount
is to be credited to her placer
mines. . For reasons al
ready discussed there was less
placer mining in 1919 than in
than in 1918, and the outlook for
a revival of the industry as a
whole under present economic
conditions is not hopeful.
A most unfortunate effect of
the decline in the production of
gold, especially by placer min
ing, is the discouragement of
the prospector. Though many
prospectors devote their attent
ion to the search for copper and
other minerals, prospectors ss
a class are held to their vo
cation by the hope of finding
rich placers which they can de
velop by individual effort,
The loss of over 1,100 imm in
the placer mining industry
means the loss of an equal num
ber of potential prospectors.
Many prospectors have been
drawn away from Alaska by
the high wages and good busi
ness opportunities which war
conditions have created in the
States.
It is, indeed, no longer nec es
sary to go to Alaska to obtain
high wages. As a consequence
probably half, possibly three
quarters, of the prewar Alaska
prospectors have sought ocher
fields.
The value of the placer-gold
output of Alaska decreased from
$o,91)0,000 in in 1918 to $4,970,
000 in 1919, and che output will
oe less in 1920.
The decrease was general for
all Alaska districts except for
some in the Seward Peninsula
and the Ktiskokwim regions.
It is largely due to conditions
that affect gold mining adverse
ly throughout Alaska.
Shortage of labor, lack of
transportation, and unfavorable
seasonal climatic conditions have
also operated to curtail the plac
er gold output of certain dis
tricts. The depletion of bonanza
placers also helped to decreaee
placer mining.
No important discoveries of
placer gold were made during
the year, and there was a mark
ed decrease in prospecting for
placer gold.
About 4GG placer mines were
operated in the summer of 1919
and 8b during the previous win
ter. but many for only part of
the season. About 2,177 men
were engaged in productive pla
cer mining in the summer and
318 in the winter.
CUR SYSTEM OF BANKING BY MAIL
BRINGS THIS BANK TO YOUR VERY DOOR.
To open an account, place the amount of your deposit
in an envelope and mail to us. By return post you
will receive a bank book showing amount of your deposit.
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THE CONCRETE BANK
ESTABLISHED 1909
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CALEB CORSER Supt. F. W. SOMMER Agent.
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ATTORNEY
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Cordova, Alaska
JOB
PRINT
ING
GOOD WORK
News OFFICE