The Alaska daily empire., 1916-01-03

that was mlnod. Preliminary esu- mates indicate this to be Ss.s5O.ooo pounds. valued at S1A4OO,OOO In i9ls 2l .45O.6 CPS pounds of copper was min- ed. valued at $2.S52,9S4. The gold pro ducdon also Increased in 1915 when the value was about $i6s0O,0O0. as against S15.BS6,SlS for the output of 1914. This is the largest gold produc- tion since 1912. when the output was valued at S11145,95l. As the produc ton of silver ss Incidental to gold and copper mining, this also increas. ed. 1t Is estimated that S44OO0O.- worth of silver was mined In 1915, as against S2iS.327 in 1911.
 "The output of other minerals, in- cluding tn. antimony. marble gyp- sum. coal and petroleum. in 1915 had value of about $800,O0O, compared with $22.0OO Tn 1914.
 "In addition Co tho productive min ing a large amount of dead work was accomplished during 1915 on proper ties that made no output. Therefore, the abnormally large value of the to- tai mineral production must not be considered as simply a temporary ex- pans.on of the mining industry, due to the high price of copper. The de- give assurance of a continued large op- erations in both copper and gold lode mining Placer mining has been less prosperous for this industry has not reached Co the stimulus of the Gov erument railway which will make available for profitable exploitation large bodies O. low-grade gravels. The same is true of the coal mining in- dustry. which also must await rail way transportation.
 "The first gold mining !n Alaska was done in 1880, and since that time gold to the value of about $26l,O50 GOO has been produced or this amount about S1S6. 100000 has been won from the placers. Copper mining began in 1901. and the total copper output Of Alaska Is now about 2lI250000 pounds valued at $34.15O,000 The value of the total silver production to date is about S2,65O.00O. Coal. petrol cum. tin. lead. quicksilver, anthony. marble, gypsum and other minerals of about $2.15O.OOO. Therefore, the value of the total mineral production during S6 years of mining In Alaska has been $3OO.OOO.000
 Gold Placer Mining.
 "The data in hand indicate that the value of placer gold produced in 1915 was S1O.5OOOOO. compared with S1O,- 730.00O in 1914. This decrease of out. put, if borne out by the final figures. is chargeable to the falling off in the output Of some of the Yukon river camps. On the other hand, the de- velopments of the Tolovana district, where gold was discovered In the au- tumn of 1914, indicate that this will become of some importance as a pro ducer
 Gold Lode Mining.
 About 23 gold lode mines were op- erated on a productive basis in 1915, compared with 2S in 1914. On the other hand. the value of the gold-lode output has Increased from $4.S63.O2S In 1914 to $6.2Oo.OOO in 1915 This Enc crease is to be credited to the Juneau district, where large developments were continued throughout the year. There can be no question that the gold lode output will Increase at a rap. i'd rate. This will be due not only to large scale operations in southeastern Alaska, but also to the encouragement gwen to lode mining by the railway under construction from Seward to Fairbanks.
 Copper Mining.
 "The tremendous Increase in the copper output during 1915 has been noted. Nearly four times as much copper was produced as in the previous year. and the value was nearly five times as much. The copper was talk en from fourteen mines, of which sev- en were in the Ketchikan district, four on Prince William Sound, and three in the Chitina district
 Though the high price of copper lead to the reopening of some or the smaller mines in the coast region. yet t should be noted that the Increased output was possible only because of the large developments that have been under way for some years. The ad- vance of the Alaska copper.mining industry during the year may there fore be said to have been a normal development to the industry It Is of course true, however. that if 1t had not been for the high price of copper the output would have been consider ably less It augurs well for the fu- ture Of the industry that the Alaska copper m.res are now 80 sufficiently developed to produce SO large Q ton mage.
 Tln Mining.
 "The only tin mining in Alaska dur ing 1915 was done in the Hot Springs district of the lower Panama river basin. Here considerable tin is re- covered incidental to gold mining.
 Anthony
 "The high price of anthony in 1915 led to the mining of over 200 tons of stibn.te ores in Alaska. Nearly TOO tons of this output came from the Fairbanks district, and the rest from the Seward Peninsula.
 Mineral FueIe.
 "One coal mine was operated on Cook Inlet in 1915 to furnish Ignite