Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1909-01-01
JAPAN BUYS AN
ANTHONY Mine
UP IN ALASKA

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 31.-The
emperor of Japan has purchased
from Joe Sliscovitch, the Alaska pio-
neer, the largest anthony mine in
America, the Pilgrim River mine,
from which the Japanese government
will take tons of minerals containing
valuable ingredient for smokeless
powder and metals which will make
the steel hulls of their battleships
proof against barnacles.
The deal was closed here through
agents of the Japanese government,
who paid over to Sliscovitch SO, 900
in cash and signed an agreement to
pay the remaining 100000 within
twenty days. Sliscovitch arrived
here four days ago and was met by
the Japanese agents, who had receiv-
ed reports of an assay Of ore taken
secretly from the mine in September.
Japanese experts have made a COM
plete investigation, not only of this
mine, but of nearly every important
property in Alaska during the last
six months.
Sliscovitch was surprised when the
offer was made to him, and he &C
cepted Immediately. He staked the
claim and the 100000 is practically
clear profit.
AS no mining operations are pos
sible in Alaska in the winter time no
work can be done in exploitation of
the mine until next season. It is I'M
derstood, however, that by next
spring all the preparations will have
been completed to throw a large
force of Japanese laborers into the
property to open the mine under the
direction of Japanese engineers. Ore
will be transferred to the mikado's
vessel on the coast and carried across
the Pacific to furnish Japanese fac
tories with the materials for
strengthening the navy efficiency of
that nation.
In the last year Alaska has been
overrun by Japanese agents who
have diligently hunted for mines
which contained the minerals es-
pecially desired by thir government.
The American settlers in the terri
tory have jealousy watched the en-
croachment of the little brown men
and have driven them out wherever
they seemed to be trying to gain a
foothold. Despite opposition the
Japanese have doggedly stuck to
their purpose and instead of working
in the open, have conducted their in
vestigation in secret.
When the mikado's agents learn
ed of the anthony deposits in the
Pilgrim River mine, they secretly OBJ
tanned the ore for test before they
opened negotiations with Sliscovitch
Even now, the Japanese authorities
are maintaining the greatest reti.
cence about their purchase. The
deal was closed in the private office
of Consul General Takahashi of Sar
Francisco.
Sliscovitch was made famous in
the stories by Rex Beach, who knew
him when he conducted a roadhouse
He appeared in 'The Spoilers and
THE Thaw at Sisco's." Three years
ago the miners attracted attention by
closing deal in New York by which
he obtained 10000. With $4,000
of this sum he bought an automobile
and started out to burn up Broad
way. His main fame came when hi
gave a champagne breakfast, tt
which many of the people about towr
were invited and at which the hos
appeared in a full dress suit anC
wearing brown derby hat. He sale
today that he would take another
trip to Manhattan as soon as he col
lected the remaining $4,000 du'
him from the mikado.