The Alaska daily empire., 1916-12-14
ALASKA MINES BREAK RECORDS
 OF ALL YEARS
(Contlnued nom Page I.l

Continued from Page 1.)
 the Panama Valley and other dis
 tricts of the Interior, and In the
 seward Peninsula, even far north ol
 the Arctic Circle. where vast copper
 deposits have been located, as well
 as iron and other minerals. The stimulus of railroad construction and
 cheaper fuel will galyanize many now dormant districts into new life,
 and new mining regions, now wholly undeveloped and practically unknown,
 will become large mineral producers.
 Hundreds of years hence Alaska may
 reach the maximum of her mineral
 production; certainly not before. No
 conspicuous development of quartz
 mines may be expected until they
 can be reached by means of rail roads. wagon roads, and trails. and thus be enabled to secure cheaper
 fuel and other supplies. The first anthony produced in the Territory
 was shipped from Nome and Fair
 banks last year, and there was an
 active search for tungsten and other rare metals. stimulated by the high
 prices prevailing Development of
 tungsten (sheelite) was begun in
 the Fairbanks district
 In addition to tho minerals mem toned above. marble, gypsum, barite, petroleum, and tin were produced
 on about the same scale as in 1914.
 There was also some development of chronic iron and graphite A new placer camp was discovered in the iditarod district last spring. gold having been found in the Dina river section. The principal creeks are called Tolstoy and Cooper, Suffic- tent work has not been done upon which an estimate of the value Of the discovery can be based.
 Productive mining in Alaska began in 1880, when the Juneau gold plac CTS were first exploited lt is esti- mated that since that time mineral wealth has been produced to the value of more than S30O0OO,OO0. In 1880 the value of the total output was only S20,0OO Ten years later it was $760,000, although that amount had been exceeded by about Sl50.0O0 the previous year In 1900 the out put reached value of SS.166,000 In 1890 the first silver output was worth S6.O7l; in 1900. S45.494. In l 1901 the first copper was mined, the value of the output being $4OOOO l In 1910 the gold output was valued at $16,126,749. although the greatest output was reached in 1906. when | the output was S22,OS6,794; the sil. l yer output in 1910 was SS5,239, and i the copper output S539,695 although 1 the production in 1906 had reached | $1.13S,2G0; and in 19O7 $1.261.757. ! In 1915 the value Of the gold output | was $16,7O2,144; silver $5fS,393; and i copper. S15,139,l29.
 The gold produced in the Pacific coast belt is derived chiefly from lodes in southeastern Alaska and the Prince William Sound region, but includes small output from gold placers Previous Co 1885 the plac- CTS of the Juneau district yielded l. considerable gold. and since 1899 the porcupine district in southeastern Alaska, has been small producer. The beach placers along the Pacific ,Oast have been worked spOradically since 1888. Up to 1909 all the gold rom the Copper Aiycr and Cook nlet region was derived from plac- ITS; since then there has been considerable output from those Of 2 he Kenai Peninsula The gold out , ut of Seward Peninsula is practi- ally all derived from pacers, | hough there has been a little lode mining. Since 1910 there has been
 small lode production from the ! fairbanks district. which in 1915 mounted to about 75 per cent of S he total. and some gold has been ecoyered each year from placers in | he lower Kuskokwim basin. (
 The total output of gold in the V acific coast belt of Alaska from 5 $50 to 1915 is estimated at S76,. Q 59,29l. The output Of the Copper v yer and Cook Inlet region since S95, when it began producing, to O ,l5, was $6.613.7S3. The output of t le Yukon Basin. in Alaska from C 'SS to 1915, was $lO6,423 1G9; since s '97 when gold was discovered in ( h Seward Peninsula. that section | as produced gold to the value of 3 '1,562,7OO. The total production was 2 ,6O.S5S.943 ' About 29 per cent. of the total c old production of Alaska has been V ,tained from lode mines. In 1915 . e lode gold production was 9S per & mt; in 1914 32 per cent: in 1913 3O .6 per cent; and in 1912, 29 per tt mt. These figures indicate a grad 31 T transition from placer to lode ming. r Twenty-eight gold lode mines, in- T lding several properties that made N fly small amounts, were operated . e whole or part of the year 1915 {
 Alaska the same number as in IA. Of the producing mines. 13 gre in Southeastern Alaska, , on
 ince William Sound, 4 in, the Ke- i Peninsula, in the Willow Creek strict und g in fho L~o ,lf-