The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-01-23
TOTAL VALUE WORTH $2t,S5o. 600,
AS AGAINST $2o,e5o,ooo FOR
THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
Large Copper Production 10 Responsi.
BILE for the lnereass--Large Amount
Of Development Work Was Accom-
pIished on Various Copper Properties

sources and production in Alaska 70
1912 is now in preparation under tn
direction of Alfred II. Brooks of tn
United States geological survey Som
of the important features of this re
port relating to mining development
during the year are distracted in tn,
following statement. Complete Stats
tics of the mineral production OF Alas.
ka can not be collected within les.
than four or five months after tn,
close Of the year, but meanwhile Il
appears advisable to give prompt pub.
LEGATION to preliminary estimates
which are believed to be not over {
per cent in error.
1t Is estimated that the total value
of the mineral output of Alaska In
1912 is $21,S5O.OO0 compared with $780,
100000 for 1911. The value of the gold
output of 1912 is estimated at $16,-
650,000 that of 1911 was $16,S53,256,
1t is estimated that the Alaska mines
produced 2S,940,O00 pounds of copper
in 1912, valued at about s4,63O000 In
1911 the output was 27,267,S71 pounds,
valued at $3,364,5S4. The silver pro-
duction in 1912 is estimated to have a
value of 100000 as compared with
$243.923 for 1911. The value of all
other mineral products in 1912. in
Guiding tin, marble. gypsum, coal, pc
troleum, etc, was about $26O,0O0, COM
pared with s176,942 in 1911. The total
value of Aaska's mineral production
since 1880, when mining first began, is,
in round numbers, $229,000,000, Of
which $202,O00.0OO is represented by
the value of the gold output The to-
tai output of copper in Alaska since
1901 is about 9o.OOO,OO0 pounds, valued
at about $13145,OOO.
Important Features.
The increase in the value of Alaska's
mineral output is to be credited to
the large copper output as compared
with the previous year. While no new
copper properties were put on pro-
1uctive basis, a large amount of de-
work was accomplished in
several Of the copper bearing districts.
The gold mining industry was marked
~ important advances in developing
ode deposits. Work was continued on
| number of large lode mining enter
Drises in the Juneau district and con-
siderable advances were made at Fair
banks and in other districts. In adj
lition to this, promising discoveries of
luriferous quartz were made at Port
Wells and in the Innoko- Iditarod re-
zion as well as in other parts of the
erritory.
The output from the placer mines
vas less than in the previous year On
he other hand. discoveries of rich aur-
ferrous gravels were made on Ham
in ho
ey and workable pacers were found
n the Ruby district. Extensions of
.old bearing gravels were also found
n several of the older districts. The
installation of large plants has not yet
one ahead rapidly enough to insure
he keeping up of gold placer produc-
ion. 1t is significant, however that
he output in Seward peninsula was
ractically the same as that Of 1911. |
he maintenance Of this output in the !
eward peninsula is to be credited to |
he installation Of dredges, which was
ontinued In 1912 as in the previous |
ear. The data at hand indicate that |
! 1912 about 40 dredges were operated |
| Alaska. besides a number of others
nder construction. OF these, three
re in the Fortylnile district, one in
he Fairbanks district. one in the
irch creek district, one in the Iditarod
istrict, one on the Kenai peninsula
nd the rest on Seward peninsula.
There has been no change since the |
revious year In the opening of coal
elds. One coal mine was operated
n a part Of the year at Chisnik. in
lie Alaska peninsula. and the mining
coal for local use was carried on in
small way at several other localities.
were made in the Berlng
yer coal field under the joint auspi-
IS of the navy department and the
ireau Of mines to determine the
of the coal for naval use.
ne we'll was drilled at Katala and
ERE was small production of petrol
I'm from this field, the oil being re-
led near the we'll and the gasoline
sposed of in the local market.
Except for the continuation of the {
ork Of the Alaska road commission
the building of wagon roads and ;
ails, there was no marked improve {
ent in transportation facilities dur I
g the year. The total railway mile {
'e for Alaska in 1912 is 465, the same I
in the previous year. Most of the 1