The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-01
ALASKA'S MINING SEASON.
COrD REPORTS FROM ALL THE
DISTRICTS.
Nome Is Now Prosperous and In Good
Condition for the Winter--Rspid DE.
NslOpment OF the Terri;Ory's OH Field
situation In the Conner Field

Condition for the Ninter--Ra Did DE.
,elOpment OF the Terr!;Ory's on Field
situation In the Copper Field.
SEATTLE. Wash. Nov. 2l-The Pioneer
lining Company of Nome las Just completed
THE annual clean up. and declares a dividend
OF O per cent. on capitalization OF 81. zoe. 0CO.
leaving reserve in tie treasury OF ESQ. 900
'or future expansions and improvements in
the spring. II las been decided to connect
The different properties by rail from Nome
TO Circle city, involving the construction
OF eighty miles of road This will open up
an extensive new mining country.
The past season. while a quiet one In Nome
district. las been tie most satisfying in its
history. nearly all the people doing we'll
There are now 5000 men in the several camps
prepared to spend the winter. and all have
plenty OF provisions. TIE Nome or Behring
Sea, fleet numbering about forty vessels.
cleared from Nome waters last week. leaving
the country cut of from the outside world
till next May. when navigation opens again.
Naldes Is in touch with the outside world
md the steamers engaged in this trade are
making regular trips. which will continue
during the winter There are 1000 miners IN
this district at present. many of whom ar"
Quitting TO 90 over snow and ice 10 the
mines. There * great activity in Naldes.
with promise OF still greater during spring
and summer.
strike in its history. made within the past
month on Crow Greek. From grass roots
TO u depth OF ten feet il is pay that goes 81 80
TO the pan. with little variation This strike
Las made several poor prOspeCtors very rich
men and has given new life TO the district
The Older mines in this district have also been
worked very successfully during the past
season. 50 that there is every reason to ex-
pcCt a busy year in Cook 5 Inlet In 1908
The railroad engineers who have been
operating in this Part OF the Territory for the
psst year. and who were Instructed to make
the strictest observations, are now engaged
in writing up their field notes and making
their maps. They bring the most encourage
ing reports regarding the mine raj re-. ourccs.
the agricultural possibilities. fisheries eli
mate &c. and also the possibility of railroad
construction along the river courses over
Itch valley lands extending for hundreds
OF miles They were astonished at the per-
lection and superiority of the vegetables
grown in gardens planted by the mines and
think the country could sustain a large and
thrifty farming population in a few years.
Among the other great resources, Cooks
Inlet i now Boosting OF productive oil wells
which give great promise. The oilbearing
territory j. very great and Thousands OF acres
ere being located at the present time, despite
the teyere winter weather New York people
ire among the most cnthusia site oil seekers,
and they in the field in large force with
money and machinery. Thi> oil field. Ms
lar as pro-pected. extends along the coast
for distance of $50 miles and into the interior
from fifty to -eventy-hve miles
While the coast districts of the Territory
are making 20 hattering an exhibit the in
terror or Yukon sections are scarcely second
in consideration. The first 20 feel the new
life impulse wa, old Forty Mile The new dis
,over"- have filed miners with ent, .u,iasm
and the q" men now in camp have rebuilt
the place. hlied the Old cabins and constructed
many new ones The future il full of prom
i~e. great deal of winter work /, now
under way in this camp. and pay dirt enough
will be- taken out to insure large returns in
cleanup in the spring. Wickershain, the
new camp IN Forty Mile district is also grow
ine and i, the headquarters of the new Com
missioner. These two American points
are drawing heavily on the population OF
LAKE SUPERIOR coPrER
HorGHroN Mica. Nov. :S.-Nith copper
OF the nt,e-,. Tor while the metal has sold |
az l9w as hine oeits within n decade. the
wages and higher prices for mac hinrry and |
supplies IL not less than 20 and probably about
25 pcr cent. so tnat copper selling at ii cent,
Il no more pro1tdbi" now than stai sold
q, nine cents in 1894
great many estimates have been made
some ol which have shown tilat the l.. X
superior mines would all have 10 shut down,
because richer mines elsewhere could make
Of metal returned by the mines are most mis-
hadIns. unless considered in CONNECTION
with other facts OF equal importance. NhiIe
the Lake mines are the lowest IN grade of
any dStNe copper mines OF the WorId, they
have the great advantage OF securing the
down 10 furnace to eliminate ganrue rock
adherihg 70 the paiticies OF meal. and Is
then finished copper, commanding the highest
price H. tue woiiu'; market.
Ore inines may be- div ided into two classes
the hislt-gfade ana tue iow-grade prop
|
ana carbonate ores ana the Iich.st sulphid,s.
sucn as Cna!cooit. and coy,l!ito. Sucn
mines run from /: 10 as Lisn as g. per cent |
copper in their ore. They would close all
thc other mines were II not that these rch /!
ores are merely surface deposits as Il rule.
No copper min" oil cithcr tuo first or second |
rank, AZ any Loin1 on the globe. i, making |
re otter class OF COPPER ore mines ia |
GUIDES all the great producers except the |
bI E% in nay ~. SSpBr nnd Num-
tsha, Anaconda, Mountain. United Verde.
1onnr. Queen: Greene bceo, No into.
max. the bulk of tnsir production from
medium and low-grade sulpidc ores. mainly |
from cHalcopyritc returning to per cent
be brought up by several successive oonccn- |
trations. where tpe ore will concentrate. !
prev ious to smelling. and, when smeltcd. |
three TO four times ~ mucn ore must be run |
through t.e furnaces TO make a ton OF cop |
N" case OF the Rio into smelling is out of |
the question except tor limited percentage |
great bulk of the ore Ii treated by Invitation |
processes, requiring eight to ten years Tor |
colnpirt" extraction OF values
The mere matter OF percentage of copper |
l. lnconclusive, The prime factor IL quantity |
of ore. secondly Rrade,-tnd al OF the big |
ore bodies are ow-grade-and last. but not |
least are the quest ions of wages. transporta-
tion, capital. equipment and mana cement. |
At the present time the Boston and Montana |
and Calumet and liecla mines are ma king |
cheaper copper than any other mines oil |
the first rank The former Is owned by the |
Anna gdmated Copper Company, and the |
Inter by independent interests.
There are other and smaller mines TINT |
are making copper as cneaply, II not cheap per. |
Among these j. the Wolverine, "A little Michi- |
gan mine that was failure twelve years ago,
and Is now making about l0,o0o,0o0 pounds |
refined copper annually. The Wolverine |
made copper, AT the mine. for 81 cents per |
pound last month. The cost OF smelling,
marketing and all miscellaneous charges |
averaged "A little less thun Z. cents per pound |
last year. on product ion Of less than |
1904, 0Op pounds As fixed charges are tho |
same, with output doubled. the present cost, |
outside of mine and mill, Is not more than |
II, cents pound, giving the Wolverine |
copper made AT an actual net cost Of about |
go cents a pound, in October, 1902, or az the |
rate of upaHrd of 80 per cent. annual profit |
on shares OF s?i pcr value and &i3 II share |
actually pIit In.
These figures do not bear out the theory |
that tn" Lake mines can he closed by tier |
competitors elsewhere. As plain matter |
OF fact. some OF the Lake mines are in bad |
way financially and are likely TO get in |
l..tn la h.Ve. l...a