Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-01-06
NEW STAMPEDES IN
ALASKA NEXT YEAR
Predictions of Great Activity In the
Iditarod Placers, the Chitina
Copper Region and Sushitna's
Gold Quartz Belt.

Gold Quartz Belt.
Three different mining stampedes,
each distinct in character, are predict
ed for Alaska next summer, and one
of them is on in the depth of this pres
ent winter. To the Iditarod placer dig
gings men are now toiling over the
snow trails in a wild chase for
share of the undOubted riches first
found there last season. Into the great
copper belt OF the Chitina basin there
will be another influx of miners and
prOSpectOrs next July when the Cop
per River and Northwestern railroad
reaches the outer edge of the district,
Still another group, the gold quartz
miners, will flock to Kenai peninsula
and the Sushitna valley as soon as the
snow has gone to follow up the recent
Moose pass and Willow creek strikes.
1t would seem then that Alaska has
finally advanced to the quartz mining
stage, and to this may be added in 1910
coal mining in the Boring river fields.
This change really marks most i'm
of the northern territory. Placer mill
ing produces much gold but it is not d
permanent resource, does not make a
permanent population or even warrant,
as a rule, the building Of railroads.
Quartz mining does. The placer fields
of the Iditarod and Innoko rivers,
which are said to be larger in extent
I>o, ho sol
to yield many large fortunes. If the
field proves as rich as the present
showing would indicate the district
will have population Of 10000 within
a twelvemonth. Already there are
1000 men where year ago there were
hardly dozen. The excitement re-
sulting will be great, and the romantic
story Of the Klondike and Nome will
be repeated. But it would be most ex-
ceptional if ten years from now should
see any important placer mining going
on i'll that now almost unprOspected
region. 1t will simply be worked out.
1t is different with the Chitina cop
per region. There is a known belt Of
mineralized rock 12O miles long and
eight or ten miles wide, and, though
this belt may also be said to be not
half prOSpected there are thirty-fve
or more groups of claims on it. One
or two of these have been SO far de-
VelOped that there is assurance of a
large ore supply for generations. So
sure is the future Of this region that
capital is spending $10,000,0O0 on a
Il
to tap it. Yet there is every possibil-
ity that dozens Of other properties still
unknown may equal that one or two.
The Chitina region had never been en-
tered except by a few miners, en-
gineers and Indians, SO that when the
railroad. ROW 100 miles inland, reaches
the mouth of the Chitina river, thirty
five miles farther, next summer, prac-
tically an entirely new country, the
future activity of which is assured be-
forehand. will be opened up. At pres
ent ingress is possible only by long
trail trips over very rough country,
condition that will be changed almost
in flash within a few months. The
result to those who know what pioneer
conditions are is apparent.
Another new mining field that gives
great promise of attracting large num-
bers of pioneers next summer is that
north of Seward, on Kenai peninsula
This is old placer country, in which
some Of the mother lodes have recent
ly been discovered and are proving
very rich. This country is still very
difficult of access beyond Cook inlet,
as there are not even government
trails, but a railroad is on its way in
land to the MatanuSka coal fields, and
the Alaska road commission has prom
| iSed next summer to build q trail
northward in this valley and across
the mountains to the headwaters of
the KuskoQuim on the way to the
Iditarod diggings. This will give a
placer mining along the line and will
allow the development Of several
quartz propositions.
The railroad out of Seward already
crosses the peninsula seventy miles
and with new government trails has
this last year made available much
gold quartz country of great promise
On the whole. the most conservative
| investigator must admit that Alaska's
| greatest mining days are of the future
and that the mineral wealth produc
| ton will be in the steady ascendant
| from now onward.