The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-11
YEARS REVIEW
Of ALASKA FIELD
What Has Been Doing and
Prospects for Future in
Nome Region.

The Oct. z issue of the Nome Gold Dig
ger contains a statistical review OF 1907
conditions and 1908 prospects in the gold
fields of Seward peninsula. The season S
gold output is estimated at s7,050000, the
figures being based largely upon reports
of customs officials. The amount appear
ing on customs hous records from June
j to Sept. / was s., 337, zoe, to which has
been added 1895 600 received at Nome
banks 500, 900 brought out by individuals
on their person and S5S5,0o0 as the yield
from Sept l TO the close of navigation.
This estimate is about $4,000 less than
the recorded output for the season 1906.
1t has certainly been a most satisfactory
season. considering that II has been one
of extensive preparation for greater ac-
Invites in both placer and quartz opera
tions for the year 1908.
For the so-termed open season period
of three months ended Sept. l. the follow
ing data well tells the Nome story: Pas
sengers arriving, 4207;-general merchan-
received, 3,6H tons; foreign coal received,
26.l07 tons; domestic lumber received, s.
O6S,S $40 feet; foreign lumber received, 20l,-
102 feet: livestock received, 1897 head;
passengers leaving. 1853; merchandise
sent out 6S1 tons; immigrants landed, 90;
United States mail received 100 tons;
United States mail dispatched. 10 tons;
ocean steamers engaged in Nome trade,
j.. ana cOdSJW1Se steamers III NOIu6 lIdUe
10. The population of Seward peninsula
(area % 700 square miles) this season has
been about 1900. The region now has
1.i54 miles of telephone line, III miles of
railroad and 500 miles of water bitches.
The regions gold production to date has
been over s3O.Oo00O0. The tin output of
this season is valued at $500
The open-navigation period is now over
for the year. and placering came to an
end about thirty days ago. when the ditch
lines frozen UPWARDS of gtHh
men will be employed during the winter
months in the Nome. Council. Sunset
kougarok and other sections of the penin-
sula.
The feature Of the past seasons opera
tions. other than the increased amount of
all kinds of machinery installed, has been
the advent of dredges and large hydraul-
licking plants. This years dredging OPP
erations are said to have been very sue
cessful, and a number of dredges are
either I'm present or contemplated build
ing. Quartz mining also received more
attention and it is likely that next year
Will chronicle notable advance in this
branch.
No noteworthy progress has as yet been
made in the exploitation of the other
known mineral resources of this vast re-
gion. except in the case of tin deposits
This year there has been but a small
output of tin ore and concentrates, but
developments have been prosecuted that
would appear to indicate a cOnsiderab Bile
production next season, by which time the
tin smelter at Tacoma, Wash, will prob
ably have been built.
Copper deposits have been uncovered in
a number of places somewhat removed
from the coast line. but there is pre-
dicted an appreciable output of the red
metal for 1908. The increased tonnage of
coal mined has had an important bear
ing ON the metalliferous industry: newly
found coal seams within radius of forty
miles of Nome. and readily accessibly by
railroad, are now being opened up. The
mining of the large anthony deposits
ana ruoles' garnets and other precious
stones is to be theoretically carried on
next year. All of these items indicate
that the mineral resources of the north
land are varied and that a considera bic
production OF metals and minerals other
than gold will be made in future years