The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-10-02
ALASKA PLACER MINERS FIND / NECESSARY
TO NINE COAL ON T|ED.UP GOVERNMENT LAND
PURPOSE THAw'NG GROUND BECOMES EXTREMELY
DIFFICULT GET. EASILY oBTAlNABLE--
GOVERNMENT lNTERFERE7


of beds. In other places the width #
the coal veins exceeds that of the 9TH
or strata. In two places on Lignite
creek the coal veins were 2l2 and 133
feet in thickr ess, respectively. with
no beds less than four feet counted.
The geological survey has figured that
in a known area of 20 square miles.
counting the average width of the coal
to be l12 feet, there would be $780,
goo 600 tons of coal Estimates made
of the better known coal fields aggre-
eating 122 square miles, place the ton
mage at $780, 900 900 tons, which, the
survey states would possibly be null
tiplied several times if the total coal
content of the beds were considered,
As mapped by the survey the Nc
mana field has an extent of l65 square
miles. and It Is known that coal bear
ing beds extend both east and west Of
the Bonniteld into unsurveyed areas.
The coal Is a good grade of llgnl'e
and the miners of the Totatlanka al
test to its excellent burning qualities.
It leaves but little ash and no clins-
ers.
Wood Dimnishes.
To the people of the interior terri
tory the problem Of opening the coal
lands is an important one With the
wood supply In the Fairbanks district
constantly diminishing, the question of
fuel soon may become serious one
Already teams haul wood distance
of 8 and 9 miles to town. and SO far,
| it has been possible to keep the fur
lnaces and stoves of the interior min
ing camps supplied with fuel during
the winter months. The longer the
haul the more the wood costs. IA
places in the mining district back IF
Fairbanks mill owners are forced ~
pay as high as SIS cord for wool
delivered at their mills,
| Could Make Electricity.
| Cheap power, together with cheap
transportation, form the pilnclpal
needs for more rapid development If
the interior Cheap power, engineers
state. can be secured through utilizing
the water power Of the Nenana in the
summer and the coal in the winter An
electric transmission line 40 or %
miles long would connect the Nenana
with the Fairbanks district, Interior
Alaska awaits the building of gov
eminent railroad from tho Susitna on
the Pacific slope to the Nenana IN the
Yukon basin and thence to Fairbanks.
This route, which would mean an eX-
tension of the Alaska Northern ral-
road. Alaskans say, would tap the Ne
mana fields, make the better known
'Matanuska fields easily accessible and
furnish a good route for a railroad.
No Coal Boats in Alaska.
Travellers in the interior point out
that a common sight above Eagle IS
a Canadian steamer pushing barge
, load of coal to Dawson, for use there
in mining operations while such u
sight has never yet been seen on the
river after 1t enters American terri
tory.
Residents in Fairbanks during the
fall of 1911, when the second annual
Tanana valley fair was being plannel
, will remember the difficulty that
, marked the securing of a sample OF
, interior Alaska coal for the mineral
exhibit. Efforts were made to have a
man go up the swift Nenana river with
, a polling boat for coal from the out
groupings, but none wanted to FISK
the dangers. Finally, through the
kindness of some person who hl1
been there and who had taken peck
, etful of specimens from the VEINS,
handful of coal was secured, Inns
was given the place of honor IN me
exhibition and was guarded closer
Than we're the many thousands dollars
: worth of nuggets that were on display
= Place your legal al, ertisins In I'M