Iditarod pioneer., 1916-02-05
MINING IN ALASKA IN 1915

The advance statement by the United States Geological Survey on Mining in Alaska in 1915" which has just reached | here, states that the annual report on min cral production in Alaska for 1915 IS now in preparation under the direction of Al fred H. Brooks.
 "The Alaska mining industry as whole was more prosperous in 1915 than in any previous year." says the statement. Fms IS indicated by the value of the total mn eral output. which is estimated to have been S32 ,CG0,000, compared with Sl9,O64,- 96S for 1914 The highest value for any previous year was in 1906, when Alaska produced S23,37S,42S worth of minerals, but this was at 8 time when the bonanza placers of Fairbanks and Nome were yield ing their greatest returns.
 "The high value of the mineral output in 1915 was due in large measure to the extraordinary amount of copper that was mined. Preliminary estimates indicate this to be S3,S5O000 pounds, valued at sl4,44O,C00. In 1914 21,45O,62S pounds of copper were mined, valued at $2,S52,- 934. The gold production also increased in 1915, when the value was about sl6,- 100000 against S15,626,Sl3 for the out
 ut of 1914 This is the largest gold pro duction since 1912, when the output was valued at Sl714595l As the production of silver is incidental to gold and copper mining, this also increased. It IS esti- mated that S4OO,000 worth of silver was mined in 1915 against S21S,327 worth III 1914
 "The output of other minerals, includ- ing tin, antimony marble, gypsum coal and petroleum, in 1911 had value ot about $3OO,000, compared with $232, BOP in 1914
 "In addition to the productive mining, large amount of dead work was accom-
 lshed during 1915 on properties that made no output Therefore the abnor- mally large value of the total mineral aroduction must not be considered as sim T lv temporary expansion of the mining industry, due to the high price of copper The developments made during the year
 rive assurance of continued large opera
 tions in both copper and gold lode min ing. Placer mining has been less pros porous for this industry has not yet re
 acted to the stimulus of the government
 railway, which will make available for profitable exploitation large bodies of low grade gravels The same is true of the i coalmining industry, which also must
 await railway transportation.
 "The first gold mining in Alaska was
 done in 1880, and since that time gold to
 he value of about s261 050000 has been 1 nroduced. Of this about s1S6, 200, 900 has been won from the gold placers. Copper mining began in l9O1 and the total cop
 ner output of Alaska is now about 2l7,- 25OGOO valued at s34 150000 The
 value of the total silver production to date
 is about s2,650,O00. Coal, petroleum, tln lead, quicksilver, antimony, marble, gyp- sum and other minerals have been pro- duced to the value of about S2 l5OOOO ! Therefore the value of the total mineral production during thirty-slx years of min 1 ing in Alaska has been S300,O00 900"
 With reference to the production in the 1 Iditarod district the statement says:
 "The value of the gold produced in the Iditarod district in 1915 is estimated at
 $2O50000 or practically the same as in 1914 In all thirty-one placer mines were
 operated, employing from $50 to 400 men. l Two dredges, one on Flat creek and one 1 on Otter creek were in operation through
 out the season. One drag-l excavator
 the first to be used for placer mining in
 Alaska, was installed on Willow creek dur ing the summer The principal centers of
 gold production were at Discovery claim,
 on Otter creek, on the upper part of Flat
 creek and at the heads of Happy and 1 Chicken crenkc y