The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-04
PLACER MINING
IN NORTHWEST
Government Report With a
Comparison on What Is Do
ing in Seward Peninsula.

No more striking example of the rapid
industrial changes that may be wrought
in an Isolated province by the explOita =
ton OF rich gold placers could be Ci ed
than that which is afforded by the his
tory CT the large peninsula thrust out
from the northwestern coast Ct Alaska,
dividing the Boring sea from the polar
sea.
II a report (bulletin No. Se0 soon to
be iesuedby the United States geological
survey, Alfred H. Brooks. in charge of
the division of Alaskan mineral re-
sources. says:
"A decade ago Seward peninsula vas
little more than barren waste, uupeO-
pied except for few hundred EskilnOs
and q score OF white men; now Il is the
scene or intense commercial activity, sup
porting permanent population OF 1900
or 1900 people which in summer is more
than doubled. Then the igloo of the Eski-
mos and mission were the only perma-
nent habitations; now a well-built town
with all the ad1uncts of civilization looks
out on Boring sea and a dozen smaller
settlements are scattered through the
peninsula.
Annual Production 100000.
"This region, which then produced only
few furs, now increases the wealth of
the world annually by nearly 100000 A
decade ago the only communication with
the civilized world was through the an
nual visit of the Arctic whaling fleet ana
the revenue cutter; now score of ocean
liners ply between Nome and PuSet
sound during the summer months, ana
even in winter a weekly mail service Is
maintained by dog teams. Moreover, ni-
itary telegraph lines, cables and wireless
systems and a private telephone system
keep all parts of the peninsula in close
touch with the outer world KalIWays
connecting some of the inland mining cen
ters with tide water traverse regions
which a few years ago were almost I'M
known tow hite men. This industrial i'm
provement is the result of the discovery
and exploitation of the gold deposits.
AS there has been but one successful at
tempt at auriferous lode mining IN this
region. practically all the gold production
approximately SS7. 100000 in the nine
wears from 1898 TO 1907-has been taken
from the placers, and 1t Is the geologic
and industrial history Of these placers
which is discussed in this report.
Comparison With California.
COMPARED with the output of the Cali
fornia placers. which are estimated 70
have yielded in two years QS9l 10 Ie9S'
$50 100000 and OF the Klond1ke placeFs;
whose output in the first decade IS valued
at Sis 900, 900. the production of the Sew
ard peninsula placer mines Is small A
rough outline map in Mr.. BROOKS report
illustrates approximately the relative size
of the gold-bearing areas OF the three re-
ejons and his comparison is most inter
esting: =,
The auriferous gravels of California
. probably cover an area about equdl
10 that occupied by the aurlferous gfaNels
of Seward peninsula. but the klondlke
gold field Is probably less than one-tentn
as large The California placers are not
only ideally located for economic explol,,
tation but their gold content averaged
no less than that of the Seward peninsula
gravels Moreover. the high gravels OF
California are far more extensive man
those of the Alaska field WIN aDuii-
dant water supply, steep stream graal-
ents heavy gravel deposits, accesslplllty
and selubrious climate. il is no wonder
that the California placers Tar out
stripped the northern ueld IN the IHs'
years OF production.
KIondlke Is Richer.
1.-The KIondike, on the other hand, Is
less favorably situated than Seward pen
insula and its water supply available Tor
mining is much less. 1t appears, however
that the placers Of such creeks as FL
dorado and Bonanza. in the klondlke'
averaged richer than any deposits OF sim
flar extent. yet found in the peninsula. 1t
was the exploitation of these almost faDu-
iously rich and relatively shallow gray
els that brough the klondike gold OUT
nut up with bound. and IT is their quick
exhaustion that has caused an almost
equally rapid decline of the annual yield.
There are still extensive bodies or lower
grade gravels TO mine In the Klondlker
but these can be developed only by
means of extensive water COnduits or by
dredging. Mining in the Klondike has
Dassed its zenith, whereas in Seward pen
fnsula the maximum yearly output is still
TO be reached.
''In the comparison of the Seward pen
insuIa placer fields with others, 1t must
he borne in mind that probably three
fourths of the entire production has been
5rauyn from the region adjacent 10 Nome
and from Ophir creek and its tributaries
Therefore. though the gold-bearing area
Is large yet only few square miles
have been extensively exploited
md II Is probable that it will be some
time before the maximum Yield will be
attained"
The report from which the above eX-
tracts are made contains. in addition tC
raners bv Mr. Brooks papers by Messrs
a. ]. Collier. F. L. Hess and P. 5. Smith
If Includes several maps and other illus