The Cordova daily times., 1917-01-16
SSL@ak Story Not Mirag@@~
PRICE RECEIVED $5,0OO AND TUMULTY MORE

placer ground carrying both tin and gold. Developments were also con tinued on the Lost River lode tin mine. The rest of the concentrates were recovered incidentally to placer gold mining in the Hot Springs dis trict and the lower Panama basin.
 ANTIMoNY MINING.
 The mining of anthony ore (stib- nite) began in Alaska in 1915. and continued in a small way through the first half of 1916. The fall fin the price of antimony during midsummer put an end to most of these opera tions. About 1GO 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 Alaska placers, up to the last two years the demand for it has not been sufficient to encourage it's recovery. The re cent high price of tungsten has in. duCed Alaska miners to turn their attention to scheelite deposits. In the fall of 1915 a scheelite bearing vein was discovered in the Fairbanks dis tricts, and its development began. Lat CT two other sCheelite bearing veins were found in the same district Dur ing 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 the crude ore was shipped out by steamer. Considerable sCheelite was also dis covered from some of the gold plac- CTS al Nome. and a little was pro duced in other districts. It Is esti. mated that about 50 tons of scheeite concentrates were produced in Alaska during 1916, for which the producers received over $50,0OO.
 MINERAL FUELS.
 The production of petroleum from the only oil claims patented in Alaska m the Katalla district, continued in 1916. The operating company was re- organized and more extensive exploi- tation was undertaken
 About 5000 tons of coal was mined in Alaska during 1916 from half dozen small mines The largest pro. > ~er was the Blur Point mine. on Cook 5ulcL where q Ignite bed was exploited for the market The mining of coal in the lower end of the Mata- nuska field. for the use of the Alaska engineering commission. was also a significant event. This part of the field is already made accessible by the government railroad. now under construction. The construction of a private railroad from Boring river into the Boring river coal field was also begun, and a little coal Was mined at the southwest end of the Boring river field. Tenders for leases of coal lands in both the Boring river and Matanus- ka coal fields under the new law have been received by the interior depart ment. Another important event was the completion of the geological sur vey of detailed examination of the more accessible part of the Nenana coal fields, lying about Go miles south of Fairbanks. All these facts indicate that systematic exploitation of the Alaska coal fields will soon be under taken. sa ss.SS
 COPPER RIVER BASIN.
 AS in 1915. the principal copper mines of the Copper river basin are the Jumbo and Kennecott. Bonanza, which made enormous shipments throughout the year. Productive min ing was also continued at the adjacent Mother Lode mine. Much development work was done on other copper pro. perties in the kotsina Chitina copper belt, but there were no other produc- ing mines. Hydraulic placer mining continued on d large scale in the Nj gina placer district. The placer gold output of the Chistichina district. also in the Copper river basin, was larger than that of any previous year.
 PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND.
 The value Of the total mineral pro. duction of Prince William Sound was about $3,O0O,000 in 1916. compared with $L84O,000 in 1915. This repre. sents the value Of the production of eight copper mines and eight small gold mines. The Beatson Bonanza Ellamar and Midas mines were the largest copper producers and the Gran ite and Ramsay-Rutherford mines the largest lode gold producers.
 Some time since "Smokehousa Mike" of the gas boat Chase. bound for Seldoyia with a load of coal. had to abandon his tow on November 1o nugfng tp uFax.,x. ,,.,a.A --