Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-08-17
MATTERS AT KETCHIKAN
Some Account Of That Rich Mining District BY
an Olympinn.

Some Account Of That Rich Mining District BY
an Olympinn.
kETcKIKAN, Alaska, July 6, 1906.
EDITOR Standard:
DEAR SIR: AS | have contemplate
ed writing to you for some time,
thought that l would inform you OF
the progress OF the Far North, or the
southeastern part Of Alaska, as it is
called. ketchikan is the first town in
Alaska and it is the port OF entry. All
the boats have to stop here to clear at
the Custom House. They say that
we have the liveliest town in Alaska,
and it is growing steadily. Build
ings are going up all the time.
Some people say that we are going
ahead OF the times up here. They
don't realize the development of our
mines and the surrounding country in
general. The mines nre coming to the
front as fast as our means can bring
them. We have here now nine pro.
ducing mines in this district and two
large smelters, one OF 45O tons capacity
and the other $50 tons per day. The
last one mentioned is at Copper noun
tain, on the west coast OF Prince OF
Wales Island, the other on the east
shore OF the island on Clarence Straits.
At place called Hadley, or better
known as the Hole.in- -the-Wall" as
it used to be called, they employ about
200 men in the mines and the smelter
together. The one on the west coast
employs about $50 men all told. Now
as our mines that are producing, COM
mencing on the west coast OF the
island, there is Copper Mountain. 1t
has been producing ore OF very high
grade in copper. The property known
as the Cap Wyman mine, on the west
coast, is also shipping q very high
grade ore, both gold and copper. and it
is paying a good dividend to its owners
now. The next on the west coast is
the Sulzer property, which is shipping
ore and is paying a good profit to the
owners. They are now building large
bunkers and wharf to accommodate
large steamers for the purpose of load
ing ore. The next on the west coast
is known as the Bent property and is
now working and producing some very
fine ore of q hish grade. There are
number OF other prospects that are
promising to make good paying mines
in the near future. All they need is
more capital to help develop them.
Then crossing over to the east shore OF
the island is the property owned and
worked by the Brown Alaska Co. at
the Hadley smelter. They shipped
some 300 tons OF copper mating last
month that paid good profit to the
owners. There is the White Eagle
now owned and worked by Sam. l..
Silvermsn & Co., which is shipping to
Brown.Alaska smelter at Hadley. The
next is the Mount Andrew company,
now owned and operated by the Brit.
tania Smelter Co., of British Columbia
They are working a very large crew Of
men and ship the ore to their own
smelter in British Columbia. This
has proven TO be . paying venture to
the company. To the south OF the
latter are the mines owned and worked
by B. A. Eardley & Co., at Dalomi, on
Prince OF Wales Island, better known
as the Valparaiso group. 1t is a gold
property of high grade, and the ore is
free milling. The next to the south is
at North Arm, where a new mining
camp was just started last spring.
They are making great preparations to
begin shipping ore and are building
large bunkers and wharf. The bunk
ers will hold 10000 tons OF ore when
completed. The next producing mine
is about four miles still farther south
at Niblock anchorage. A group of 81
claims are now working and shipping
good grade of ore, carrying from 5 to
7 per cent. copper and about 81 40
cents in gold. 1t has been paying the
company q nice profit and they have
been shipping from $500 to 1000 tons
per month for the last Is months
They have just finished sinking to the
250.foot level and have made the cross
cut through 20 feet of solid ore of a
very high grade in copper, gold and
silver. This is one of the most prom
ising mines in this part of the country.
The ore lies in bettmen, limo and
schist formation very easy to work, and
lies close to deep water. The company
has contract to furnish $4,000 tons
to the Tacoma smelter. There are
quito a number OF other properties in
and around Niblock that have the
promise of making good mines. l now
own a group of claims joining this
property. which are showing up we'll.
My only wish is that had the money
to develop them, but nevertheless l
| will trv and pet them to producing
before long or sell them to some com.
pany that can work them. The next
producing mine is Angravena Island
three miles from Ketcbikan, owned
and operated by some Of our best
Ketchikan people. II is paying hand
somely. 1t is what we call base ore
or gold.bearing quartz with galena iu
the quartz.
There are quite a number of good