The Alaska daily empire., 1915-08-06

EAAOEAtA litAlAi - E Che mineral zone Hes diercty and ad- iacenl to the natural channels Of wa. ter transportation The second im- portanl point is, that tho high noun. tains Ironing the hanging way of the lode system act as bulwark to the moisture of the ocean and ere ates conditions allowing a heavy pre- cipilation which, In turn becomes yai- udble as cheap and abundant power. The third characteristic is, that the lode systems so far determined have such melallurgical characteristics as to permit of simple and easy ex. traction.
 "These three factors are necessary to and actually make possible the cheapest known working costs for gold mines in the world By way of comparison. there are lodge systems as large as those in this belt and haY- ing the same values found In many mining districts, but as a rule these three clements necessary to cl2ap working costs permit Of working ore, under the right conditions, that will show an extraction of not over S2 a ton. Inasmuch as the conditions which create high grade values are unusual high grade deposits of any size are, as @ rule. of rare occurrence. and the mining of such deposits is invariably coincident with short life. On the other hand small strin. gers and veinlets Of high grade ore, which cannot be worked themselves, scattered over a large area, is con dition which exists in this district and which makes up the large depos- its now being worked and developed.
 "All of these special features just mentioned have strong bearing on not alone the present history of this pie. the life of the despits, on account district. but its future. For exam of their size. will be great. It is confidently expected that some of the deposits already developed will be working for upwards of a hundred years from what is at present known of them. The normal working con. stant. both as to output and men dition of this type of deposit is con- employed
 From the standpoint of the mer- chant. mines of this character. as against high grade deposits, allow him to build and develop along natural and substantial lines without fear that the bottom may drop out with the working out of high grade body oi ore From the standpoint of the miner and the working man. as against the quick and easy returns in a high grade camp, followed by a shifting of his position and occupa- tion. he can. if he will. determine to definitely settle in this given area, build his home and bring up his fam ily. feeling that his work and his fu- ture rests on substantial founda- tion.
 "it is an interesting thing to note that better than fifty Co seventy.iive per cent. of the gross yield from the deposits Is paid direct to labor and supplies. The present gold output for the entire district io rthe year 1914. or up to the present time. is approxi. mately five million dollars. SO that over two million dollars has been paid direct to labor. and this does not con- sider the new money which is going into equipment and development work, but refersonly to present out put
 "As an example of what large, low grade mines mean Co the laboring man and merchant. take for example the Treadwen group of mines This group Go date has milled some 45.OOO.- 900 tons of ore and produced in the neighborhood of S6O,00O.OOO in gold and silver. Out of this. approximate ly S3000O.000 has been paid out in the form of salaries direct to labor has been paid out in equipment. ma chinery and supplies. The yearly output of this group averages about S40O0,000 a year, and is increasing. The average number of men employed is 1,500 with payroll of approxi- mately S166.OOO Q month. All this is taken direct from the ground and is added wealth, not alone to the conn munity itself but to the world at large
 Up to the present lime some S5.OOO.- 900 has been expended on develop ment work on the low grade proper ties in this district, and there is an