The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-28
HOME FROM ALASKA
What u. IS. Deputy Clerk Reed Says
@:.% of The Permanence of the
Frozen Camp.
Minneapolis Men Who Are Doing
Well at Nome-Quartz Min
ing Next. <~

he Bureau,
Washington, Nov. a7.--John r. Reed,
for several years deputy clerk OF the
United States district court, Nome.
Alaska. passed through Washington few
days ago. route to Boston. where he
will spend the, winter with his family. He
will return TO Alaska next season. but
not as court official. His long residence
there has made him thoroughly &C
Quainted with the country, its needs anu
opportunities. and he will return as
mining expert. and will invest extensively
In mining properties.
There is no TRUTH says Mr.. Real.
'in the stories which occasionally have
been published in the states. that the
Alaskan gold supply is in danger Of being
exhausted. On the contrary. there is every
evidence that the supply is still far be-
low what it will be when quartz mining
has been commenced. All mining in
Alaska to date has been Of the placer
sort. SO far only the top of the ground
has been scratched. You remember how
1t was years ago in Montana. Placer
mines were numerous around Helena, and
after they had been exhausted it was
predicted that Montana would produce no
more gold or silver. or valuable metals
of any sort. And yet. what has been
the fact? Quartz mining was developed,
capital was invested. and to-day Montana
Is one of the greatest mining sections in
the whole world.
THE placer mining in Alaska will last
for years to come, but within a short time
shafts are to be sunk and underground
work begun. [ came out on the same
steamer with Mrs. Charles D. Lane of
San Francisco, the wife of the well
known millionaire mining promoter. She
spent the summer at Nome with her hus-
band, and had among her luggage q
satchel filled with fine gold bearing quartz
taken from the Nome district. It will
De analyzed during the winter and if it
ls anywhere near as rich as she and her
husband have reason for believing, next
season viii witness the beginning of
quartz mining in Alaska on a gigantic
acale. The Lane syndicate will nut mill
mons. If necessary. into the work. and will
ueVelop the property with the utmost
rapldlty We in Alaska believe that the
placer mining has been only the prelin
mary stage of the work. and that it is to
ne iollo"ed by something which will be
or immensely more important conse-
Quences to the territory
=. we have been bothered a great deal
III past years by the annual influx Of
sreenhorns. adventures and ne'er-do
"eils. who are always attracted to y new
country: these people are being thinned
out rapidly. Those who haven't retrrneG
to the states have become EXPERT ninars
ana no new ones are coming in to take
tnelr places. The pOpulat ton is now on
a'pefmanent basis. and we are ready for
u delesate In congress. which we will ash,
~ nave congress provide for this winter
Ina territory needs so much attention that
delegate is pressing necessitv Con-
sress and the government at WASHINGTON
eeheralE nave taken only a passing inter-
est IN the territory. On account Of this
neglect We have been the victims of ,n
wise avs or unworthy officials. and Of
systematic policy Of Selfshness and greed
II one hundredth part of the attention
that has been given the Philippines had
peen given us, Alaska would TODAY he
thoroughly understood by the United
states, and there would be no trouble In
securing those things which we need for
our comfort and development If a dele
gate IN congress could be had, we would
move forward with increasing rapidity
towards permanency and wealth.
=. we have been fortunate in our I'LL
olclary. The country is familiar with the
trouble into which Judge Arthur II. Noyes
OF Minneapolis was plunged His sue
cessor, Judge Wickersham of Tacoma. was
Tar from being satisfactory, and he in
turn has been succeeded by Judge Alfred
s.. Moore. who, so far as ability as a.
lawyer and judge is concerned, Is the
weakest of the three
Our effort at having telegraphic COM
munication established with the outside
world Is to bear fruit. The line has been
completed to ST. Michael, which is $50
miles by water from Nome in summer and
800 miles by land in winter: We think
there is no good reason why this line was
not extended to Nome last summer Had
the general government taken the proper
interest in us it would have BEEN The
completion of the line cannot be postponed
longer than next year. AS to railroads,
we are very hopeful Several short lines
already reach out from Nome towards
the mountain divides west and southwest
1t is only question Of time when we will
cross these divides and be ready to con-
meet with through lines coming west
through Canada. Five years Is not a long
time in the life of a new country. and
we think it will Sitness the beginning of
a comprehensive system of railroad con
nection with the outside world. We are
looking for great things along this line.
There is a possibility Of Alaska being an
important point in a gigantic American
Asiaitic railway system. If So Cape
Nomes future Is more than assured"
Speaking with reference to Minneapolis
people at Nome, Mr.. Reed said that they
were still very much in evidence, although
not so much in earlier years. J. W.
Griffin, as Is known of course. came out
this season. 8. B. Howard was there
during the present year. G.. A. Mitchell
Is there and on the road to prosperity
His outlook is good. and next year he
proposes to become actively interested in
several mining schemes.
w. w. Jermane