The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-01-16
WATER SCARCITY AND mad
EQUATE LAND LAWS
HARDSHIPS.
Mineral Output Placed at $19,-
100000, About a Million Less
Than Last Year---One Great
Need Is Transportation Facili-
psychological Survey Report.


Alaskan mineral resources, will be is
sued by the survey about the list of
May. The following is a summary of
the more important features of this
report Accurate statistics of the min
eral production are not yet available,
but the error in the figures here pre-
scented for gold production is believed
not to exceed Is per cent, while in
those for the copper output it is prob
ably less than 10 per cent.
The value of the mineral production
in Alaska for 1908 is estimated at $19,-
for 1907. This decrease is ito be
charged to the gold placers and copper
mines, as most of the other mining in
dustries show an increase in value of
output. The value of the total min
eral production from 1880, when min
ing first began, to the close of 1908 is,
in round numbers, $142,OOO,OOO, the sill
yer output is valued at $1,15O,OOO, and
the copper at $4,1OO,9O0. The balance
represents the value of the marble,
gypsum, tin and coal product
Causes of Decreased Production.
Measured either in terms OF produc-
ton or of dead work accomplished,
1908 was not prosperous year for the
mining industry of Alaska as a whole
The causes which brought about this
retardation were in part those that
affected the mining industry every
where; in part they were due to GER
tain conditions peculiar to the North
ern territory.
Gold placer mining, which was af-
fected to only small degree by the
financial depression, experienced a
very decided setback because of the
drought which prevailed throughout
the summer months in nearly all the
important districts. The lack of water
so curtailed the output of all the Yukon
and Seward peninsula districts that the
value of the total output of glacer gold
from these sources was probably near
ly 81, 100000 less than in 1907. The de-
crease of the placer gold production
| for Alaska as a whole is, however,
but temporary, for the maximum an
nual output of the auriferous gravels
has not yet been reached
In spite of the business depression
| the production of the auriferous lode
mines of the territory in 1908 was
| about 81 per cent greater than in 1907.
Among the conditions that are re-
tarding the advancement of the miner
| al industry are the inadequacy of the
public land laws under which placer
ground is acquired and held, and the
| impossibility which has thus far ex-
listed of obtaining title to coal lands.
Transportation.
Improved transportation facilities
are among the most urgent needs of
| the mining industry of the territory
| Much progress was made during 1908
| in the construction of wagon roads
and trails, but these can only supple
ment and not supplant railways. The
| inadequacy of river transportation
lines in seasons of low water was en-
| phasized by the conditions on the Yu-
| kon last summer.
AS the railways in Alaska are of
much public interest at present, the
following table of mileage has been
compiled from the best data available:
Mileage and Terminals of Alaska Rail-
ways, December a, 1908.
Seward Peninsula: Seward Peninsu-
la railway, Nome to Shelton, 80 miles.
Paystreak branch Seward Peninsula
railway, 6.5 miles.
Council City and Solomon River.
Council to Penelope creek, 355 miles.
Wild Goose railway, Council to Ophir
creek, miles.
Fairbanks: Tanana Valley railroad,
Fairbanks and Cinema to Chatanika, 46
miles.
Kenai Peninsula: Alaska Central
railroad, Seward to near head of
Turnagain Arm, So miles.
Copper River: Copper River rail-
road, Cordova to Childs Glacier (Sep-
TENDER 10, AZ miles. Probably eleven
miles have been built since Septem-
Der II.
White Pass: White Pass and Yu-
kon railroad, 20.4 miles. Terminal at
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
Yukutat Bay: Yukutat Southern
railway, Yukutat to Situk river, 9
miles.
Lode Mining.
The tonnage of all the lode mines in
Alaska for 1908 is estimated to have
been between 1,650,00O and 100000
short tons, as compared with 1905, SOC
short tons for 1907.
The copper ores in 1908 yielded an
average of $1.30 per ton for gold and
silver and 3.18 per cent in copper. It
is probable that the copper percentage
for 1908 has been slightly increased,
as with the low price of copper only
high grade ores could be profitably
mined and shipped. It is estimated
that the copper production of Alaska
in 1908 was about 100000 pounds, as
compared with 6,3O8,7S6 in 1907.