The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-09-20
ALASKA AID FOR
BY COLD OUTPUT
Total For Last Twenty-Five
Years Is S162,686,455.
GLAMOR RETARDS COAL MINES
United States Survey Points Out Wide
" Distributed and Largely 'Unex-
pIored Area Of Fuel Lands Now Tied
Up by Failure to Issue Patents-More
Railways Needed For Development.

Pioreu area OF fuei; Lands Now Tied
| Up by Failure to Issue Patents-More
Railways Needed For Development.
Since 1880 and up to the end of 1903
the total gold production of Alaska
has been $162, 6s6,455, says the United
States geological survey in an advance
chapter of its annual report on Alas.
ka's mineral resources. OF this Sis,
219.757 came from placers and $44,
466,69S from lodes. That alone repays
the purchase money of the entire ter
ritory nearly twenty-five times over
In 1909 the gold production was $20,-
100000 an increase of $1,170,1 1872
about per cent over the production
of 1908, the largest yield since 1906
the year of greatest production. The
Yukon placers yielded their largest an
nual output in 1909, the Tanana Val
ley camp leading with 10,150O00. OF
this amount the Fairbanks district pro
duced $9,650,OO0. An important fea
ture of the years mining was the con,
tinued success of dredging in the For
ty Mile district. All the placer camps
We're prosperous except those of the
Seward peninsula, where dry weather
curtaiied the output.
The discovery of gold placers in In
noko valley caused a movement OF
population in 1909 which promises tC
be important Thousands of prospec
tors and miners flocked there from al
parts of Alaska and also from outside
the territory. Although the district
may not support the large population
it has acquired, it seems to offer 8
promising field for exploitation The
1909 output is estimated at from $500,
600 to 100000.
CIamor Stops Coal Production.
There was no progress in coal mining
in 1902 Not only was there no indus
trial advance but in some regions
there was decided retrogression. The
long delay in the issuance of patents.
to coal lands and.the popular clamol
against all Alaskan coal claimants has
discouraged claimants and investors
1t should be hoped, says the Survey
that it may soon be possible to devise
some reasonable or satisfactory meant
of exploiting Alaska's wealth in coal
/. Coal is widely distributed in Alaska
the only fields which can yield coal TO.
export are those in the Pacific slopt
province. The coal in these fields in
cludes the Ignite or bituminous COAL
of southeastern Alaska. Cook inlet, tn,
Susitna basin and the Alaska PENN
sula, as well as the high grade fuel
of the Boring river and the Mantanus
ka fields, constituting about 40 pei
cent of the so far known coal ares
of Alaska. 1t includes also at leas
90 per cent of the known bituminou,
and higher grade Goals of the terri
tory. And even vet over one-half o
this province is geologically almost un
known, and future surveys may dis
cover other coal bearing areas. TIL,
same is true of the central province
of which almost four-fifths is still un
known geologically. In the other fiftl
some coal areas are already known a
widely separated points.
The coal fields of northern Alaska
embracing very extensive deposits "
ing north of the arctic circle, are too
remote to have any present importance,
and must be regarded simply as par
of the ultimate fuel resources Of tn,
world
Land Prices Above Average.
Priced at even only half AGENT toI
in the ground, the best Alaska Goa
lands are worth from $50 to $500 al
acre, values far above the average
price of bituminous coal lands in th.
United States.
The market for the coal of Alasks
will be found within the territory itsel
and in the Pacific states The presen
market for coal in Alaska cannot sup
port the large mining operations re
Quired for commercial success Tit
Pacific states are now supplied by tho
coal fields of California and Oregon
and in minor part by the fields Of ths
Rocky mountain region and those 0
British Columbia and Australia. SOM
Pennsylvania and West Virginia Goa
is also shipped to the Pacific coast
Alaska's coal must compete with these
and especially with fuel oil from Cali
fornia.
The completion of the Panama cana
may enable eastern operators to de
liver high grade coal on the Pacific
coast at prices about the same al
those that can be offered by operators
in Alaska. Other competing fields will
be those of Vancouver island and New
South Wales&
More railways are essential to thu
development and success Of coal min
Ing in Alaska. At present the vast ter.
| ritory has only about $40 miles of rail
way, distributed among nine differen
systems.
The present Industrial advancement
| Of Alaska is small compared with thai
which viii take place when railways K
tidewater are constructed. AS 1t Is the
coal which will furnish the export
| tonnage necessary to support railways
built for opening the coal fields, it is Of
first Importance to the valuable terri
tory.
In Malacca there were formerly
many square miles of land covered
with lalang, the hiding place Of the
| tiger ana other big game. which have
| been transformed into fine rubber
| plantations. and now Malacca, which
L for - x,no,.- 1,on,, 10 verelx, x,o,~root,la