The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-12-04

Alaska peninsula and on the lower
! Yukon as we'll as at Cape Lisburne.
In 1907 Alaska produced upward
of 100000 pounds of copper. Had
dy, Alaska. is the center of the cop
per industry.
, me Treadwell mines, the fourth
/ in size in the world, with its low val
ues, had an object lesson for the
mining world. The output is valued
at $35. 900, 900 and the magnitude OF
ahis enterprise with 900 stamps mill
has obscured the fact that there are
other extensive mining operations in
| the juneau district
The Copper river region has been
, focal point of interest because of
plans for reaching il by rail from
Pacific tidewater. It's ores are sui
phides with native copper.
The Klondike gold fields now pro-
duce about $10,0OO.00O worth of
gold annually and are. of course. in
Canadian territory. The Fairbanks
district is. from the standpoint OF
production. the most important Of
the inland districts. with an annual
output of about $4,000, 900. u
gravels lie at a considerable depth
varying from 30 To 800 feet
The Seward peninsula since its
gold discovery in 1898, has produced
$40. 1000, 900 worth of gold Lode de-
posts including gold, copper. anti
mony and galena have been dis
covered in various portions on the
peninsula
Though the coal fields of Alaska
I IL > Il. 4.
Pacific seaboard offers no good har-
bors. Plans are on foot for the con-
struction of breakwaters near Katal-
la which it is proposed to connect by
railroad with the coal fields. Another
! plan is TO construct line from Cor
doya bay, which means 100 miles of
! track. The coal of Alaska is higher
/ in fuel value than any other west of
the Rocky mountains.
DIR. Brooks then discussed placer
mining. He declared that in the
placed mines of Fairbanks, where
wages are Sc TO $40 day. only the
richest could be operated He de-
scribed the various methods of placer
mining length including dredge min
ing and exhibited many photographs.
He declared the. .aaska mining was
being hampered by expensive trans
portation. that railroads were few
and that the river shipping seasons
were necessarily short He declared
that the mining would be almost i'm
possible were the claims no. very
rich.
As matter of fact there are very
extensive areas of auriferous al.u-
vium which can now be handled
at profit because of the high cost OF
operation. This can be reduced by
the Introduction of machinery and
skilled engineers sadly lacking in
most Alaskan mining enterprises
But for any material reduction IL will
be necessary TO establish systems oil
, transportation. Those who are ia.
miliar with the mineral resources Of
Alaska give them a right to on opin
ion but that there is large field fol
mining which can only be developed
by construction of a railroad from Tho
seaboard TO the Yukon basin.
The time will come when We vii
have several trunk lines with man,
branches making all the minera
bearing parts of the territory acces
sible at all times.
These schemes may appear vision
airy but when we reflect that Alask;
, with its primitive systems of trans
portation has already added 20 fh'
worlds wealth to the extent of Owe
100000 there seems to be som'
, justification for this opinion.