The Alaska citizen., 1917-01-22

banks are awaiting the Cheapening of operating costs, especially of fuel, which will be brought about by the government railroad.
 COPPER MINING.
 The enormous copper output from Alaska mines in 1916 has already been referred to. During the year IS copper mines were operated. com pared with l3 in 19l5-seven in tn, Ketchikan district, eight in the Prince William Sound district, and three In the Chitina district Tht enormous output from the kenne- colt mine, in the Chitina district, overshadowed all other operations. Had the transportation companies and smelters been able to handle he ore, however. many of the small CT copper mines would have mad a much greater output It Is esti mated that about 550,OOO tons o, copper ore were hoisted in 1916.
 TIN MINING.
 About 232 tons of stream tin were produced in Alaska in 1916. Of thi, about 162 tons came from the York district. where two tin dredges were operated, and q third was working on placer ground carrying both tin and gold Developments were also continued on the Lost river lode tin mine. The rest of the concentrate were recovered incidentally to place. gold mining In the Hot Springs district of the lower Panama basin
 ANTHONY MINING.
 The mining of antimony ore (stib nite) began in Alaska in 1915 anC continued in small way througl ,he first half of 1916. The fall in he price of antimony during mid summer put an end to most of these operations. About 1460 tons of crude ore was mined and shipped during 1916. Much the larger part of this came from the Fairbanks district
 TUNGSTEN MINING.
 Though sCheelite has long been known to occur in some of the Al aska plaCers, up to the last two years the demand for it has not been sufficient to encourage it's re coyery. The recent high price of tungsten has induced Alaska miners to turn their attention to scheelite deposits. In the fall of 1915 a schee- lite bearing vein was discovered in the Fairbanks district, and it's de yelOpment began. Later two othel scheelite bearing veins were found in the same district. During the winter some of these scheelite ores were treated In a local mill, and the concentrates were shipped out by parcel post, Scheelite mining was continued during the summer, and he crude ore was shipped out by teamer. Considerable scheelite was also recovered from some of the gold placers at Nome, and a little was produced in other districts. It is estimated that about 50 tons ol scheelite concentrates were produced in Alaska during 1916, for which the producers received over s50,000.
 MINERAL FUELS.
 The production of petroleum from the only oil claims patented in Al aska, in the Katalla district con tinued in 1916. The operating com pany was reorganized and more ex- tensive exploitation was undertaken.
 About 5000 tons of coal was mined in Alaska during 1916 from half a dozen small mines. The large1t pro ducer was the Bluff Point nine, on Cook Inlet, where a Ignite bed was exploited for the local market. The mining of coal In the lower end of the Matanuska field, for the use Of he Alaskan Engineering commission. was also a significant event. This part of the field is already made accessible by the government rail road, now under construction. The construction of private railroau from Boring river into the Boring river coal field was also begun. and little coal was mined at the south. west end of the Boring river field. Tenders for leases of coal lands in both the Boring river and Matanuska coal fields under the new law have been received by the interior depart ment Another important event was