The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-31

for number of years professor in the
College of Mines at the University of Cali
fornia.
DR.. Becker said yesterday at his rooms
in the Palace Hotel that until after coz
siderable office work he could not say
much in detail about the work done. He
said:
The first mines examined were the sumdum
ana those near Juneau, the Douglas Island,
Sheep Creek Basin and Silver Basin, and fur
Their north those at Berners bay. These all
form large belt up and down through Juneau.
Ihen there were some undeveloped mines near
Sitka. popularity found worthy of note was
the presence in the gangue both in the Juneau
belt and about sitka of magnetic iron pyrites.
which is comparatively rare mineral in gold
mines. They are found in great variety. 1t is
found In most cases wherever nickel ores are
found. Now, as consequence, / suggested up
there that they have the magnetic iron pyrites
tested for nickel A report got into the papers
that had discovered a nickel mine. 1t Is not
true that have any knowledge of the exist
ence of nickel in that region. There may be
nickel; shall know when I have my Office
work done.
Another peculiarly found, and that was
great abundance of chlorite as gangue
found in gold mines, although 1t is occasionally
found in the gold mines in North Carolina and
Europe. 1t has some interest as bearing on the
genesis of gold ores.
Further west there is some good property at
Kodiak Island, but only partially developed.
Still further west at Unga Island, is an impor-
tant mine, second only to the Treadwel and
Mexican, called the Apollo Consolidated. The
ore is notable in two respects. 1t contains a
large amount Of free gold in an unusually fine
state of division, so that at first sight rich
ming through it like oxide of iron. Kidneys
of this quartz with fine free gold give the value
to the mine.
The other notable feature is that II contains
q nrci6 QrQ q or1niI of tnl>
is a very rare accompaniment OF gold Only
one other case of the kind has been reported
In America, and that was in Virginia some
fifty years ago. The Apollo Consolidated is
turning out several hundred thousand year.
don't think there is much doubt that Alaska
is going to be an active mining region;
but do not think that it will rival the Cali
fornia mining belt. The veins are not SO large
and well developed as they are here.
There has been quite an excitement this
summer about the placers at the head of Cooks
Inlet. The amount OF success thus far achieved
hardly warrants the amount of interest ex-
hibited. The profitable washings thus far dis.
covered are confined to a couple of miles on
Bear Creek, which empties into Turnapafn
Arm. think it proper to make this statement
to prevent too much of a rush of people there
who are not supplied with means to live on
until they can find something or return. / did
not visit Yukon. / learned, however, that
there were great many poor men stranded
there unprepared with means, and large pro-
portion do not find gold. Any man who pro-
carry along means to support him for a year at
least.
AS to the coal deposits, the only coal we
found that seems likely to be of any CONNER
cial value was at Cooks Inlet, on Kackenack
Bay. 1t is tertiary coal, which is really
Ignite, and sometimes somewhat resembles
logwood. The coal is present in large ouanti-
ties. Its heating effect is comparati lively
slight, SO that it takes about two tons to do the
work of one ton of Vancouver Island coal. IL
also contains large quantity of ash. 1t seems
that it might be economically mined IL the
mining was carried out on large scale and
with great system, as the Goals of Western
Pennsylvania are mined. 1t seems impossible
that any profit could be made except under
such conditions. This coal is associated with
large quantities of clay, but whether this CLAW
is fit for pottery and brick I cannot say until
the tests are made.
There are other coal veins on Kenai PENN
sula, west of Cooks Inlet, but the quantity ap-
pears to be too small except for local consump-
ton.
There is also coal at Point Barrow. in North
western Alaska, which seems to be of paleozoic
age and OF good quality. But it is too remote
and in region icebound so much of the wear
as seemingly to deprive it OF all value
DR.. Becker will return to Washington In
about month. 1t will be some time after
that before the necessary tests can be
made of the samples taken to make up his
report.