El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-10-28

-AIRBANKS. Alaska. oct 2S.-The
II completion Of Uncle Sans railway
= VIII be the beginning of a new era
in the mining camps OF Alaska The
road will give easy access TO many
thousand square miles of new territory
and viii pass through regions where
the precious metals are known to exist.
It viii cross the Kenai peninsula, which
is peppered with gold and which con
tains working mines. both placer and
quartz.
The first gold found in Alaska was
discovered there in 1884 by a Russian
engineer. but, in the changing condi-
tons the camp was abandoned ana
the discovery forgotten. over 20 years
ago workable placers We're found on
the northern part of the peninsula not
far from where the railroad now runs.
and they are still mining there The
total output of the peninsula has been
in the neighbOrhood of two million
dollars worth OF gold and only small
part Of the country has been pros
pected or scratched.
Little Work Thus Far Done.
Even less work has been done in the
country running north to the Tanana
valley. About 40 miles from Anchor
age are the Willow creek mines.
where they have recently taken out
several hundred thousand dollars
worth of quartz gold with a little
miles north Of Seward. and perhaps
500 miles from Fairbanks Three mines
are working there now. and there will
he more when the coal from 8Iatanuska
fields can be brought in by the rail-
way
On Broad pass. over which the road
crosses the mountains at an altitude Of
about $500 feet. silver-lead ores are re
the BOnnifield district, consisting of
gold placers which have already yielded
considerable metal And then there
the Sl1wetna and Yetna mines. west of
the Talkeetna river, where they are
thawing placer gold out Of the ice. and
10 the north and west is the KantiShna
mining district. which contains not
only gold, but antimony.
Anthony has risen in price since
the war in EurOpe. and II is now worth
several hundred dollars ton. Another
valuable mineral which is being mined
near Fairbanks is scheelite. It is a
h1gh-grade tungsten used in the max
ing Of ammunition The concentrate
is now selling for over $1,000 a. ton
As to the Fairbanks district itself. /
II has many gold mines. both placer
and quartz. The most Of the gold so
far has come from the plaCers. the
total product amounting 10 more than
$4,000. 600.
Cheap Fuel For Gold Fields.
The plan is to extend the railroad by I
\ branch line TO the Kuskokwim re- /
sion- This will give cheap fuel to a 4
large area of gOld-bearing territory
and VIII make the Innoko. IditarOd and I
other placer mines much more acces- ]
sible- There are . or so plants now .
operating in the Kuskokwim basin. !
most Of which are tributary to Fort I
AIcGrath. which viii be the terminus I
OF this branch Of the railroad
The Innoko district has % or 80 i
mines now working The gold output i
OF the ldltarOd annually amounts TO 4
100000 and upward The placers are ]
ON or near the Iditarod river. branch 4
of the innokO about 100 miles south /
east Of Fort IcGrath. The gold is
found IN the beds OF the creeks 4
great part Of the output is that OF the
Yukon Gold company. which is working
the creeks with dredges driven ~
gasoline or electricity There are sew
eral hundred men employed there.
Common laborers are getting Sc a day
and board
Another rich placer district is at
Ruby close TO the Yukon It produced
million dollars in 1914 and has 50
different mines which are operated
during the summer In the Hot Springs
district. which lies near the Tanana
river between Fairbanks and Fort Glib
hon. 30 miles are being operated, and
not far away are the Tolovana and
other new gold fields.
Fuel is n Necessity.
In all OF these gold regions. the out
put depends on fuel 10 operate the ma
ehinery and 10 generate the steam
needed to thaw the mass Of frozen
gravel and ice in which the gold lies. (
The gold may be 50, OF even $50 feet
below the surface It has been held
there in-its frozen vault for thousands
of years, and heat is the only key thai
viii unlock the door and let the gold
out
In the mines about Fairbanks they
have been paying SIS and upward a
cord for the WOOD from the spruce, !
birch and cottonwood trees nearby /
This wood is soft and Of small heating I
value, two cords Of IL being equal 10 I
only one ton OF soft coal When the
railroad is finished the miners will get
coal for IS or SIS a ton. and this viii
represent a heating value for which Z
they are now paying from $50 TO s32-
II viii give them a clean saving Of So
in the cost of their fuel This saving
alone means big dividends to many
mines that are now wavering between
profit and loss
Everyone Thinks Gold.
Travelling through a gold country
like this makes one covetOus. Every
one thinks gold. talks gold. and. con-
sidering the prices at the restaurants,