The Ketchikan miner., 1907-05-25
THE MINES
What the Mines and Miners of This District Are DOing.-.Cheer.
 ing Prospects Ahead.

of The Miner placed on public record the prediction that Alaska was destin- ed to become one of the great mining fields of the world, it did not once occur to him that he might live to see that prediction verified in nearly so large measure as it has been. That prediction, instead of being received with some degree of allowance for a perhaps over sanguine and enthusias- tic temperament, which would not have been far wrong, subjected the person making it to the widespread ridiculu and censure of the news paper world, some even going so far as to declare that person making statement of such probability, even possibility, in.regard to country of eternal ice and SD ow, if not proved a fit subject for an insane asylum, should have meted out to him no better fate than that of drowning, if indeed sufficient open water could be found in Alaska to permit such a sentence to be carried into execution. And in view of all the facts and cir cumstances-of the little knowledge the world then had of Alaska, and what it did have gleaned from re- ports of subsidized officials whose sell fish interest it was either to wholly condemn the country or damn 1t With faint praise-the ridicule accorded d suggestive of anything of even dor mant value in Alaksa was not at all unnatural. And, looking back over the years that has elapased, the writer is free to confess that he had little more than an instinctive feeling that it must be so upon which to base the prediction he then placed on record. At that time there was but one ledge mine in operation, and that a low grade propoistlon of the final success of which not few believers in the country were skeptical, though it is true some considerable gold had been taken out of the gravel deposits a short distance back of Juneau, and some placer gold was beginning to be brought out from the Forty mile district. Though there was some promise of successful quartz mining, nothing of substantial character had been accomplished up to that time, save in the instance of the low grade proposition referred to. Except as to vague rumors coming from the natives of the Copper River region. nothing was known or thought of the existence of copper, and though coal of an inferior quality had been mined by the Russians on the east shore of Cook inlet, and some by our own revenue cutters on the shore of the
 Arctic ocean, it was not known or thought that coal of merchantable value existed anywhere in the terri
 tory.
 Comparing conditions now with those which prevailed twenty-two years ago, the changes that have been wrought appear altogether phe- nomenal. Then the southeastern sec ton constituted about all there was of Alaska, so far as any trade or industry other than the fur trade was concerned. Now, not only does Alaska stand in the front rank of gold pro- ducing states and territories, but she is rapidly forging to the front in the way of copper production, and it would not be at all hazardous to pre- dict that at or before the end of another period of ;;twenty-two years she will lead the world in the pro- duction of the red metal. Prior to 1904, she had produced no copper at all last year she produced s, 700 900 pounds, and will certainly double that, amount the present year. Now she is known to possess great measures, of coal of the very best quality, rail- roads for the development of which are in course of construction, and when they are completed bringing fuel to Alaska will be wholly in the nature of carrying coals to New castle" Every year, if not month, adds to the list of her mines of copper and precious metals, and she needs now nothing but the development of her coal mines to assure her an era of mining prosperity which nothing short of a great national calamity can seriously affect or for long disturb.
 At the Mamie mine operations are progressing smoothly, and in the highest degree satisfactorily One of the two lenses spoken of several weeks ago as having been revealed by the diamond drill, has been opened by cross-cut tunnel, thus insuring d steady increase of product from this time forward. A product of nearly, if not quite, 5000 tons the coming month is confidently anticipated.
 The Hadley shelter was closed down for couple of days last week, on account of burned out hearth, occasioned by defective fire brick. No time was lost. however, in putting in new lining, the management hay o, 1a nronapat iors in advance fpp