White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-22
CH|T|NAC COPPER
BELT IN ALASKA
RICHLY MINERALIzED REGION
TO BE OPENED EARLY THIS
SPRING BY COPPER RIVER
& NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY.

While much has been said about
the new Copper River & Northwest
ern railway, just being completed
in Alaska, the public has but a hazy
idea of the vast m~ineralized area
Which will be opened by the road to
prospectors of the United States. 1t
is a region Astounding In copper,
gold, coal and various other geologi-
cal formations, with valleys suscer"-
able of being successfully farmed,
timber and water in abundance. This
whole country along the Copper
River, Chitina River, Kuskulana
River and others, has long been
known as an excellent mining Sec
ton, but owing to the inaccessibility
of the district and the almost I'M
heard of transportation charges, 1t
fully work any of the mines, and so
the country was passed by.
The United States geological sur
vey refers to this region as the
Kotsina-Chitina Copper Belt. 1t Is
q tract of mountainous country, TAX
ing In the watersheds of the Kotsina,
Kuskulana, Gilhena, Strelna, Lokina,
Nizina, Kennecott, Chitistone and
Chitina Rivers, with all their various
tributary streams, and 1t is situated
In the central part of southwestern
Alaska, the sea port and commence
ment Of the railroad being Cordova.
This tract of territory containing the
known copper deposits, is lis miles
long, with a mea width of about
five miles, and the copper is to a
greater or less extent connected with
a contact of Chitistone limestone and
Nikolai greensboro. which has its be-
ginning In he vicinity of the foot of
the Chftina Glacier. All the copper
deposits within the belt, now being
worked, are situated at attitudes
ranging from 5000 to $500 feet, and
In the territory embraced by this
belt, about 1900 claims have beer To-
Gated up to January 1911, all these
claims being located by different Am
erican citizens who have been at
tracted to the country by the build
ing of the railroad. One of tho mines
the Bonanza. will begin regular ship
ments with the completion of the
railroad IN March 1. and several of
the other mines are preparing to get
out the ore.
Many of the existing copper claims
are still owned by their original To-
Gators, who are business men of Val
DEE, Cordova and other Quitting
points on the coast.
Also included in this copper belt
are two creeks containing extensive
deposits of auriferous gravel, Chititu
Creek and Dan Greek, and their pro-
duct for 1910 showed an increase of
about 100000 over any recent year.
For several years past the presence of
nuggets of stibnite containing free
gold, has been noticed in the clean
ups on the two creeks. Accordingly,
prospectors are studying this new
section very thoroughly, with a view
OF opening up a valuable gold area.
A very important factor is the dis
covery of gold bearing quartz veins
In 25 DR. 30 localities. extending from
Moose Pass. which Is east of the
town of Seward. to the Mckinley
Lake region, which is % miles east
Of Cordova. The veins discovered
contain free gold. in some instances
associated with telurides. These dis
coveries have nearly all been made
during the last six months and the
search for collaborating quartz has
been greatly stimulated since Christ
mas by the report of the Cliff mine at
Valdez, which, in seven months, took
out over $3.50 and paid $40 900
in dividends and royalties.
w. G. Nicholas and crowd, from
Salt Lake City, have a vein IA feet
wide with clearly marked walls.
slate and greensboro schist. which
has been opened. and although no
ore has been blocked out, free gold
is plainly discernible across the en-
tire IA feet, exposure; while a second
vein, which has just been cut by a
short tunnel. shows an abundance of
free gold and a quantity of tellurides.
Seattle dealers In mining ma
chinery are beeing flooded with
orders for stamp mills and machinery
used In quartz or lode mining, which
is something of a novelty, owing to
the fact that the outfit OF the placer
miner has been a feature In the trade
OF past years.