The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-04-25
HOME RULE FOR ALASKA A
NON-PARTISAN PATRIOTIC BILL
Continued from page 6,

NSOhehoON aAOass PeoN VI
anything in our northern states. They
have no billiards., and the winters,
although cold, have little snow. and
the climate is dry and invigorating.
Cattle can Craze there all the year
round, and they are fatter and in bet
ter condition in the spring than they
are in the fall. What country for
the cattlemen!
North of the Yukon is vast coun.
try, stretching away from the Yukon
river to the Arctic ocean. This part
of Alaska has very little timber. It
is rich in mineral resources, in cop
per and gold and tin and coal and
various other kinds of minerals. This
mart of Alaska will always be sparse
ly inhabited by migratory popula-
ton, by people who go there to mine
and when the mines are worked out
they will come away.
Southwestern Alaska, however, lin
QlcatlnB Oh the HlapI 10 uSophSu IA
the next % years to have a perma-
nent agricultural and cattleraising
population, and the day will come
when this part of Alaska will con-
tain and sustain several millions Of
people who have gone there and been
there for many years, many OF whom
we're born there and who intend to
stay there. Mark what i say, the
day will come when southeastern and
southwestern Alaska will be states
in the union. The value Of Alaska's
mineral production for 1911 is esti-
mated at $2O,370,OOO, of which ST.
10000 was gold. The gold produc-
ton of 1910 amounted to $16,12S,74s.
The copper output Is estimated at g..
5000 pounds in 1911, against 4,241,-
$50 pounds in 1910. Alaskan mines
and quarries also produced silver, tin,
coal, marble and gypsum to an esti'
mated value of s3sO,0O0, an increase
Of 100000 over 1910.
The total value OF Alaska's miner
al production since 1880, when min
ing first began, is, in round numbers,
5000, 100000, or more than 20 times
the sum paid to Russia for the terri.
tory. OF this amount $195 1850, 900 rep
resents gold, and copper $S,17O,OOo,
the mining of the latter metal having
begun about ten years ago.
Aside from this increased produc,
ton, the most important event last
year was the opening of the Copper
river region by the completion Of the
railway.
Aside from the increase in copper
mining, the advance made in the de
veloping of gold lode mines is most
encouraging feature. The most not
able advances in lode mining were
made in the Juneau, Valdez, Renal
Peninsula, Willow Creek and Fair
banks districts. Dredge mining also
made great progress, notably in the
Nome region.
At the close of 1911 there were 465
miles of railway in the territory, com
pared with 81 miles in 1910. This
mileage is distributed among nine
different railways, from five to 19S
miles in length The most urgent
need If for railway to connect an
open port on the Pacific with the
Yukon basin.
have spoken of Alaskan resources
in general terms as reason for hei
recognition. Her mines OF gold, Sill
yer, coal and copper. already known
to be great, are considered by many
practically inexhaustible. She has
the largest stamp mill in the worlt
at Treadwell and bids fair to become
the greatest gold-producing countr,
on earth. The rapid development o.
the gold and silver mining industry
of Alaska during the past four year:
is shown by the fact that the produc
ton has advanced from about $4,000,
90 in 1896 to about S17,000,00O in 1910
This will increase rather than di
minish At present the value OF thu
precious metals lies chiefly in the
gold placers of Nome and the interior
regions. In the Nome region some
5000 square miles are known to carry
auriferous gravels,' while in the Yu
kon basin the area of auriferous gray
els is probably several times as large
But it is not all placer mining. Gov
Clark says that quartz mining is the
kind in which Alaska will be preem
inent in the near future and that ever
now it is affording the finest illus
ration that the world knows of prof
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