The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-12-10
AlaSka'S Gold Production
for Last Fiscal Year
Falls Off $3,OOO,OOO.
CENTERs OF ACTIVITY
Shifting in the Northern Country"
Larger Production Likely With
Adjustment Of Labor Troubles.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S-A. H.
Brooks, chief of the United States
geological survey division of Alaskan
mineral resources, has returned from
Alaska and reports that several I'M
usual conditions have resulted in
such a curtailment of gold mining in
Alaska during the last summer as to
result in material reduction in the
gold output as compared with that
of 1906 Accurate statistics will not
be available for several months, but
the preliminary estimates indicate
that the value of the entire gold pro-
duction for 1907 will be between
ST., 100000 and $1S,OOO,0OO, as
compared with more than $21, 000,-
600 last year. This loss must be
charged for the most part to the de-
crease in the production of the placer
mines.
According to Mr.. Brooks all the
evidence points to the conclusion that
a greater annual production than
that of 1907 will yet be attained.
The mining industry has therefore re-
ceived only a temporary setback, but
cover in less than year or two.
Mr.. Brooks says: 1.-The curtail-
ment of placer operations can be as
signed to certain definite causes of
which the difficulties of obtaining ad-
equate labor is the most important.
The Fairbanks district is the one that
suffered most from labor troubles.
A strike started there on April 81,
just when the gravel accumulated by
the winter mining operations was
ready to be sluiced by use of the
water of the spring freshets. AS a
result many of the winter dumps
were not finally washed out until
fall. This not only prevented the
mine operators continuing work, but
also put many of the smaller opera
tors into financial difficulties because
they had counted on the winter pro-
duction to finance the work during
the summer. Labor conditions in the
camp gradually adjusted themselves
during the summer, but throughout
the open season there was lack of
experienced miners.
Strike Hurt Fairbanks.
When the strike began about
1,2O0 men, it is said, left Fairbanks,
most of whom started for the newly
discovered Innoke district. AS a re-
suit very few enterprises were begun
and many of the established mines
were not operated during the sum-
mer. Had there been laborers
enough the Fairbanks district would
have no doubt produced more gold in
1907 than it did in 1906. AS a matter
of fact, it's production was probably
100000 less than it was in the
previous summer.
Important developments were
made in the Rampant district,
notably in it's southern part on the
tributaries of Baker Creek, where
two bitches were built and some sue
cessful hydraulic operations were
carried on. Noteworthy, too, is the
installation of three dredges in the
Forty Mile district. Two of these
were in operation part of the sea-
SON.
tSome excitement was caused by
the discovery of placer gold at sew
eral points on the lower Yukon.
While no great values were found,
yet these localities are so accessible
that they give promise of being mined
at relatively low cost. The two
largest stampedes of the season took
place to the Chandler River. and to
the Innoko. In the first locality at
least one producing creek was de-
veloped and some good prospects
were found at other localities. OF
the Innoko less definite information
is available. More than 1000 people
took part in the stampede, and many
claims were staked, but little system
attic prospecting was done. The
region is rather difficult of access,
being several hundred miles from the
Yukon by the Innoko River route.
Some gold has been found, but it is
too soon to predict what the future
of this camp will be.
Seward Peninsula Suffered
Seward peninsula also had its
labor troubles during the past sum-
mer. Though they were not as SER
ious as those of Fairbanks. yet they
considerably hampered mine OPP
orators, and as consequence the
production will probably be less than
it was last season. The old beach
lines continued to be the center of
mining activity though much of their
extent has now been mined out. The
second beach line has been traced
east of Nome River to Cunningham
and Hastings creeks. The third
beach line has also been traced to
Hastings and has been found west of
Snake River at Sunset Creek.
There can be no doubt that the
discovery of these beach placers has
retarded the development of more ex-
tensive but less valuable creek and
tundra placers. These ancient sea
beaches have proved to be so rich
that mine operators are disinclined
to spend their activities in preparing
to work the lower grade deposits of
other forms of placers. AS a con-
sequence there has been but relative
ly little creek mining during the last
two years in Seward peninsula, es-
pecially in the vicinity of Nome.
I'm the northeastern part of the
peninsula two long bitches, one at
Candle Creek and one discharging on
the Keewalik, were completed. Con-
siderable mining was done in this
part of the peninsula, notably on