PLACER MINING OF TERRITORY
FULLY DESCRIBED IN REPORT
OF U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The following is the second install
ment from the advance report or
Alaska mining conditions for 1919 by
the United States Geological Survey:
The estimated value of the placer
gold output of the Yukon districts foi
1918 and 1919 is given by the Geo
logical Survey as follows:
1918 1919
Fairbanks ..$ 800,000 $ 770,00(
Iditarod . 1,240,000 725,00(
Tolovana . 875,000 525,00'
Ruby . 400,000 150,001
Circle (Birch Cr.) 175,000 113,00(
Hot Springs . 150,000 105,00(
Koyukuk . 150,000 100,OOi
Marshall . 150,000 100,00i
Innoko . 120,000 60,00(
Fortymile . 75,000 40,00(
All others . 129,000 140,00C
Total .,$4,264,000 $2,830,00C
The placer gold output of the Fair
banks district was produced by about
thirty-six summer mines, employing
360 men, and about twenty winter
mines, employing eighty men. Drift
mining is on the wane at Fairbanks,
for in 1918 -there were over forty deep
mines and in 1919 there were only
twenty-eight. As only the deep mines
can operate in winter, this has
resulted in a great curtailment of win
ter operation, and has made the labor
problem more serious, for it is im
possible to have a permanent mining
population Vhere employment is as
sured only for the summer. The
larger part of the known deep depos
its of rich ground at Fairbanks has
been worked out, and it will probably
be impossible, under the present cost
ot operation, to revive tms rorm oi
mining on a large scale. The condi
tions here, however, are improved now
that the camp can be assured of fuel
at reasonable cost from the Nenana
coal field. The best immediate pros
pect for the revival of placer mining
at Fairbanks is that of exploiting the
large reserves of auriferous gravel
that can be mined by dredges and
steam scrapers. This gravel will be
mined by the use of Nenana coal after
the general conditions are improved
by the establishment of direct rail
connection with the coast.
In the Iditarod
Mining in the Iditarod district, ex
cept that done by the dredges, is de
creasing year by year. Much of the
rich placer ground has been worked
out, and the isolation of the district,
with the consequent difficulty of ob
taining labor and the high freight
rates, has not encouraged the exploita
tion of the placers of lower tenor. The
same is true to a great extent of the
Tolovana district, where most of the
mining has been done by underground
methods, but some shallow placers in
this district can be developed when
operating costs are reduced. Nothing
of importance was done in the Hot
Springs district. . .j
Other Interior Camps
Except for the discovery of another
paystrealc on Poorman creek, there
was no important advance in the Ruby
district during 1919. Placers were
discovered on the Hogatza river, in
the Koyukuk district, in 1919, but they
have not .yet been sufficiently devel
oped to determine their value. Placers
are also reported to have been discov
ered in the Birch creek basin, tribu
tary to Wild river, and also in the
Koyukuk district, though these reports
bave not been verified. These placers
rare in inaccessible regions and would
have to be very rich to justify their
development under present conditions.
These reports, however, indicate that
not all the Alaska prospectors have be
come discouraged. The gold produc
tion from the Marshall district has
been maintained by the output of a
few mines working on comparatively
rich placers.
Placer mining in the Fortymile dis
trict and in the smaller Yukon dis
tricts is being, and under present eco
nomic conditions will be, continued
principally by men who have oper
ated in these regions for a long time,
yet no doubt a large percentage of
such mining is being done at a loss if
the owner charged his own services
at present high wages against the
cost. The same is true of the Kobuk,
the most inaccessible placer camp of
Alaska. Such mining will, however,
be continued by many who prefer the
independence of working their own
small mines to the more substantial
reward that they might gain by work
ing for others. At least half of the
placer mines operated in 1919 were
! probably of this type, and they gave
. | employment to perhaps 500 or 600
j men. The value of their output is esti
j mated to be between $500,000- and'
$600,000.
Kuskokwim Region
The only important operation in the
Kuskokwim basin in 1919 was that of
the dredge on Candle creek, which
was installed in 1918. Placer mining
was, however, continued in a very
small way in the Kuskokwim and
Goodnews Bay regions. In all about
fifteen or twenty mines were oper
ated in these regions, employing be
tween sixty and one hundred men.
On Seward Peninsula
Seward peninsula was the most
prosperous of the Alaska placer min
ing regions in 1919. It produced gold
to the value of $1,300,000, compared
with $1,108,000 in 1918. A total of
twenty-one gold dredges were oper
ated on the Seward peninsula during
1919, distributed as follows: Eight
in the Nome district, eight in the
(Council district, four in the Solomon
district, and one each in Kougarok,
Fairhaven and Port Clarence dis
tricts. Three dredges used the so
called “cold-water method” of thaw
ing the gravels. In addition to the
dredges, , about seventy-five open-cut
mines and thirteen deep placer mines
were operated on Seward peninsula
in 1919. About five hundred and fifty
men were employed in placer mining, "
and about seventy-five of these were
engaged in deep mining during the
winter. Some twenty ounces of plat*
inum were won from the gold placers
of the Dime creek region, in the south
eastern part of the Seward peninsula.'
Coast Region
There were no important develop
ments in placer mining on the Pacific
slope of Alaska during 1919. The
value of the placer gold output from
this region was about $300,000 in 1919,
as compared with $400,000 in 1918.
HVdraulic mining was continued on a
considerable scale in the Nizina dis
trict of the Copper River basin. The
gold output of the Yentna district Avas
less in 1919 than in 1918 because the '
dredge Avas not in operation. A hy
draulic plant is being installed to fur
nish power for the dredge. So far
as knoAvn, beach mining at Yakataga
and other places continued on about
the same scale as in previous years.
Need of Transportation
As has been shoAvn, the general eco
nomic conditions that affect Alaska
gold mining, and especially placer min- “
ing, are \vorld-wide in their influence.
The Alaska placer miner has, hoAv
ever, in addition, his OAvn special dif
ficulties, and these relate principally
to transportation. With a decrease in
placer mining has come a decrease in
transportation facilities and an in
crease in freight rates. The best aid
that can be given the miner and pros
pector is good transportation service
by water and land and reasonable
freight rates. Of first importance is
the completion of the Alaska railroad,
but better and cheaper steamboat
service, on both ocean and river, is
also imperative. Moreover, if the rail
road is to be fully used for the develop
ment of the resources of the territory,
it must be supplemented by trails and J_
wagon roads. —
(To be continued tomorroAv) ~
Delicious mince pie at the City ,
Bakery. 13-tf
Scarborough Pictures that please at
prices that are right Over Cordova
drug store. Phone 140—3 rings.
Congoleum Rugs, suitable for every
room in your house, can be found at
the Northwestern Hardware Co.
Which
Direction? I
In morals, are you nearer your ideal “
than a year ago? Some people float Z
with the moral current or follow the
crowd, seldom making an effort to
heed their conscience. Give your con
science a chance in 1920! Follow
your best impulses and attend church
for at least six months and see If you
don’t get a new grip on the worth
while things of life. Begin now and
attend the homelike church, the
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
"The Church with a Message”
11 a. m. 8 p. m.
m
Beautiful
Hair
Cc^n be made more so by the constant use of our
hair tonics, scalp cleansers and other aids to
hair growth and beauty. By their regular use
fine hair is made finer and all hair is much im
proved. You’ll find in our toilet help depart
| ment every requisite for proper hair care.
NORTHERN IRUG CO.
“THE DRUG STORE OF ALASKA”
“SERVICE” is our motto
^1
!
THE TWO THINGS I
NECESSARY I
s to possess a Bank Account are: J
\ First, the Desire or Inclination. Every one H
has a wish for money. That is human na- ■
ture, for it takes money to possess the com- H
forts and necessities of life. j| ,
a Second, One Dollar or more. Afterwards m
jjj the sizfe of your bank account rests with you. j|
1 Bank of Alaska |
j CAPITAL $170,000.00 1
|| Branches at Skagway, Wrangell and Anchorage ‘ W
-— — -■——- *--——— -*-—
ALASKA TRANSFER COMPANY
TRANSFER AND STORAGE
GOAL AND WOOD
AUTO SERVICE
DAY OR NIGHT
Office, Northern Hotel Bldg. Phone 85
, ARE YOU GOING OUT THIS FALL?
Visit San Francisco and Stop with
Mark C. Thompson
at his new hotel in the heart of the city between
Powell and Mason Streets.
The Dale- Tallac Hotel
140 ELLIS STREET
Special Rates and Headquarters for Alaskans.
CITY BAKERY LUNCH ROOM I
Special Carefully-Prepared Lunch served from 11:30 a. m. Our Fine
French Rolls with every meal
Big Variety of Pastries and Cakes, Always Fresh
Sanitary Machinery of Ln<^=» Model. Patent Brick Oven. Best Ma
terials used by Expert V. >» .. reducing our Famous Cream Loaf
Best in Town
French Bread Rye Bread
, ' i
——————-•
-= '*
Alaska |
Steamship Company I
Regular Sailings Between Seattle,
Ketchikan, Juneau, Cordova, Valdez,
Eilamar, Liscum, Latouche, Seward
FROM SEATTLE— SAILS SOUTH
DEC. 20. ALASKA DEC. 28 i
DEC. 30. NORTHWESTERN JAN. 8
JAN. 10. ALASKA jA*L 18
JAN. 20. ALAMEDA ..JAN. 23
JAN. 30. ALASKA FEB. 8
Frequent sailings of freighters carrying explosives.
This schedule subject to change without notice.
F. B. TRACY, Agent 4
1 ■' ■ —■ ~~ ^ ....—
II - ^PACIFIC STEAMSHIP COMPANY^ II
Alaska—Washington—California ALASKA ROUTE I >•
Safety Courtesy Service Speed j
OFFICE EMPRESS BUILDING I
WEST BOUND SOUTH BOUND
LEAVE CORDOVA . LEAVE CORDOVA
*AN. 3. WATSON ..JAN. 8
Three Sailings per Week from Seattle for San Francisco, Los An
geles and 8an Diego. For further information call
L. A. COUNTS, AGENT Res. Lathrop Apts.
Phones: Office 223, Residence 2 23—2 rings.
-
I !opp r River and j
Ni irthw stern Ry.
Trains leave Cordova for Chitina Monday and Thursday,
Trains leave Chitina for Kennecott Tuesday and Friday.
Trains leave Kennecott for Chitina Sunday and Thursday.
Trains leave Chitina for Cordova Tuesday and Friday.
Dining Car in Connection with all Regular i
Passenger Trains between Cordova and Chitina.
Freight received and delivered at Cordova
\\ harf from 9 a. m. to 5 p- m., except Sundays. ^
Tickets on sale at Second Street Depot office
one hour before departure of trains.
CALEB CORSER Superintendent
D. L. LEATON, Ticket Agent
— ————————____________________•
*
l~ ' _ ib
juoi xtiiiuiiiivruj, a uiiNis Ur
I MASTER-MADE
DRESS SHOES
FOR MEN. CALL AND GET THE PRICES AT
THE BARGAIN STORE
x JOHN RAW80N
#
Sixty Steam-Heated Rooms, Electric-Lighted |
Hot and Cold Water in Every Room I
With or Without Bath
Cordova House
/
DOOLEY & GREENIG
4
Headquarters for Railroad and Mining Men
Satisfaction Guaranteed :: Rates Reasonable