Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-21
Recent Surveys II nlAIaska.

When Secretary of State Seward, in
1867, bought Alaska from Russia for
about 100000, the transaction was
generally regarded with disfavor in the
United States. twas considered fool
ish waste of American money, and the
only excuse or explanation then offered
was that the payment of this amount for
that frozen region was mode of COM
pensation to Russia for friendliness man.
Tested and services rendered to the
United States during the civil war.
The native name Alaska meant great
land" it was said, and the land was
without doubt impressively great in
area; but no one attached any value to
that half million square miles of sup
posed barrenness and snow and ice,
presumably uninhabitable by civilized
men and far removed from civilized
lands. 1t had been only burden to
Russia, and the Gar and his men of
state were glad to be rid of it. The seals
and fisheries had been source of some
revenue, but not enough TO defray the
cost of administration. Yet forty years
later, in 1906, a small fraction of that
great land" had produced in gold the
sum of SOB, 34S, 700, more than four
teen times the amount of the purchased
money. Within the last ten years
Seward Peninsula alone has produced
over $37 100000, about 7,500.000 of
which is credited to the year 1906
more than enough to pay the bill for
the Territory.
At first all of the gold mining was
done in the gravels of the creeks, but
during recent years the pan and the
sluice box of the placer miner have in
some places given way to the ore mill
of the lode miner, who has kept pace
with the geologist in his search for the
original sources of the golden sands and
nuggets of the placers. The search still
continues, as may be learned from the
United States Geological Surveys report
on the progress of investigations of the
mineral resources of Alaska in 1906, just
published. This volume, which may be
obtained on application to the Director
of the Survey at Washington. d. c.,
contains general account of the pro-
gress of surveys and the conditions of
the mining industry, by A. H. Brooks,
geologist in charge of mineral investi-
cations in Alaska, and number of de-
tailed reports on various portions of the
Territory by other members of the force.
Investigations were made in south.
eastern Alaska, in the Yakutat-Alsek
region, about Controller Bay and Cook
Inlet, on Seward Peninsula, and in the
Yukon district. These Investigations
did not relate solely to gold, but com.
prised examinations of deposits of copper
tin, and other metals, as well as beds OF
coal. seepages of petroleum, available
supplies of building stone and gypsum
and water resources for placer mining.
Less than one-fourth of the area OF
the Territory has been mapped and less
than One-sixth has been surveyed geo
logically. 1t is worthy of note that al.
though nearly half million dollars has
been spent on Alaskan surveys and in
vestigations, this is less than one-hali
of one per cent of the value of the golC
output during the period covered by the
surveys.
Transportation problems are still il
the forefront throughout Alaska
Steamboat service, both on the rivers
and ON the sea and its inlets, is being
rapidly improved, but except on few
short railways overland transportation
is still very primitive. The Alaskan
Road Commission is doing much t
help the mining interests in various
parts of the Territory by highway anC
trail construction. Year by year thu
, demand for railway connection of thu
inland region with open water becomes
more imperative, and until such roads
are built the interior of the Territory car
be but slightly developed.