Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-09-23
PROSPECT0RS ARE
NEEDED IN alaska
MINERAL DEPOSITS OF TERRI.
TORY MORE VALUABLE THAN
OTHER RESOURCES
MANY PROMISING QUARTZ CLAIMS
Government Railroad VIII Throw
Open Thousands Of Acres 10
= Profitable Mining.

:. Profitable Mining. a.
Los Angeles, Cal-Alaska needs
prospectors more than il needs farm
ers for the mineral deposits OF the
Territory are far more important than
all its other sources OF wealth com.
bined.
This is the sentiment expressed by
Lionel A. Johnson, who has returned
from Fairbanks Alaska. where he has
been the editor for some time OF the
Alaska Citizen. In speaking Of Alas,
HAS future he says:
There is no place in Alaska where
gold has not been found, but the cost
OF mining at the present time pre-
vents the workings of any but the
very richest properties. The Govern
ment railroad that is TO be construct
ed from Seward, on the southeastern
coast, 10 Fairbanks, which is in the
heart of the territory. will certainly
reduce the cost of fuel ard supplies
to sucl an extent that thousands OF
acres of placer ground, which are now
valuelesS, will be mined at a profit
I'm area, Alaska is equal approx
lmately to one fifth OF the United
States proper, and in all OF that great
country there are less than $4,000
white persons. Thus It may readily
be understood that they can make but
slow progress in developing a terri
tory as large as the combined areas
Of about ton average states.
Throughout the interior Of Alaska
the ground is frozen to a depth OF
more than 100 feet in most places.
and the thawing of the ground is the
most expensive feature OF placer min.
ing The thawing is done by burning
wood but when the railroad Is built
the big deposits of Alaska coal will
provide cheaper fuel.
Mining operators say that they
cannot make profit on placer ground
that does not yield at least 81 to the
square foot of bed rock. Ground half
that rich would be like mint IN Cal.
fornia. The rich ground in the Fair.
banks district, like that in the other
old camps OF the north, Is getting
pretty we'll worked out, but it Is Ger.
tain that many other rich localities
will be found later,
Many promising quartz properties
have been discovered In the interior
of Alaska. but the high price OF labor
and supplies has prevented them from
being properly developed.
Since Congress authorized the con.
struction OF government road into
the interior, quartz prospecting has
taken new impetus. and several Of
the mining experts who have been
there in the last year have told me
that deposits of low grade ore are al.
most exhaustless.
"Alaska's most notable quartz mines
are near Juneau, on the southeastern
coast. These are the Treadwell and
the Sheep Greek mines. At the latter
there are being crushed 5000 tons OF
ore a day and new unit of the mill
is just being completed, which will in
crease the capacity to 10000 tons a
day. There Is enough ore blocked out
in this mine to keep its mill crushing
II at the rate Of 10000 tons a day for
100 years. The remarkable thing about
it Is the fact that the ore produces
only about $40 ton, and the milling
of the ore is done so economically that
the owners realize a profit OF 81 to
the ton.
There are many big quartz depos.
its in the interior of Alaska that are
richer than these but it will take
cheap transportation facilities to de.
velop them.
an the Alaska range Of mountains
some distance west OF Mount MCKin.
ley, some wonderful bodies of low
grade ore have been discovered. The
most notable Of these are in the Broad
Pass country. through which the new
Government railroad will pass. One Of
these lodges is said to have a general
width of 200 feet for about IS miles.
1t carries both gold and copper and Is
said to assay from $3.50 to 5000 ton
in gold.
ION the northern slope Of the same
range, not far from Fairbanks, an
other ledge, said to be 80 feet in width
has recently been discovered. The ore
is of low grade, but will be profitable
when touched by "a railroad. Still an.
other great deposit of low grade ore
has been discovered in this range,
near it's summit and not far from the
head waters Of the Copper river. II Is
not possible to call to mind the num-
erous other promising quartz claims
that have been found in this range.
hut it will take capital to develop
them.
Gust now there Is considerable ex.
element about the new placer camp
that has been discovered north of
Fairbanks. II is at the headwaters of
the Tolevana river. but its extent l..
not fully determined,
Hardy grains and vegetables arc
raised at q profit at Fairbanks, but
farming like mining, is expensive I'm.
der present conditions. and the high
nrino. In tho local mark of IRE alone