New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-01-04
ALASKAP AIDFOR
BY COLD 0UTPU
Total For Last Twenty-Five
Years Is S162,686,4
CLAMOR RETARDS COAL MINES

United States Survey Points Out Wide
Iy Distributed and Largely Unex-
plored Area Of Fuel Lands Now Tied
Up by Failure to Issue Patents-Mors'
Railways Needed For Development.
Since 1880 and up to the end Of 1909
the total gold production of Alaska
has been $162, CSC, 455, says the United
States geological survey IN an advance
chapter of its annual report on Alas
ka's mineral resources. OF this $11S,-
219,757 came from placers and $44,-
4G6,698 from lodes. That alone repays
the purchase money Of the entire ter
ritory nearly twenty-five times over.
In 1909 the gold production was $780,
100000. an increase of $1,17O1S2,
about 6 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 1900. the Tanana Val
ley camp leading with $40, 15O,OOO. OF
this amount the Fairbanks district pro-
duced $0,GoO,O0O. 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
were prosperous except those Of the
Seward peninsula, where dry weather
curtailed the output.
The discovery of gold placers in In.
noko valley caused movement Of
population in 1909 which promises to
be important Thousands Of prospec-
tors and miners tlocked there from all
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 a
promising field for exploitation. The
1909 output is estimated at from $780,
600 to 100000.
Clamor Stops Coal Production.
There was no progress In coal mining
in 1909. 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 clamor
against all Alaskan coal claimants has
discouraged claimants and investors.
It should be hoped, says the Survey,
that it may soon be possible to devise
some reasonable or satisfactory means
of exploiting Alaska's wealth in coal.
Coal is widely distributed in Alaska
the only fields which can yield coal for
export are those in the Pacific slope
province. The coal in these fields in
cludes the Ignite or bituminOus Goals
Of southeastern Alaska, Cook inlet, the
Susitna basin and the Alaska PENN
suln, as well as the high grade fuels
of the Boring river and the Mantanus-
ka fields, constituting about 40 per
cent Of the so far known coal area
of Alaska. 1t includes also at least
90 per cent Of the known bituminous
| and higher grade Goals Of the terri
tory. And even yet over one-half of
this province is geologically almost un-
known, and future surveys may dis
cover other coal bearing areas. The
same is true Of the central province,
Of which almost four-fifths is still un-
known gcologically. In the other fifth
some coal areas are already known ut
widely separated points.
The coal fields Of northern Alaska,
embracing very extensive deposits ly-
ing north Of the arctic circle, are too
remote to have any present Importance
and must be regarded simply as part
of the ultimate fuel resources Of the
world.
Land Prices Above Average