Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-11-08

The Alaskan mining industry in 1, 1918 has just been set forth in detail ] in a report by the U. s. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. Regular mining may be said to have begun in Alaska in 1880, when the Juneau gold placers were first ex- plotted. It is estimated that since that time mineral wealth has been produced to the value of more than $41s, 100000.
 The mineral production of the Terri tory in 1918 was valued at only $2S,- 253,961. This output was almost SIP, 100000 less than that for 1917 and was the smallest since 1914. The decrease was chiefly in copper, the production of which fell from 88,7S3,- 400 pounds, valued at $24,240,59S, in 1917 to 69,224, ,951 pounds, valued at S17 ,O98, ,563, in 1918. The reduction in the output of copper was due to short age of labor and ships. The produc- tion of gold decreased from 709,O5O ounces, valued at 4,657 1858, in 1917 to 458,641 ounces, valued at $9,48O,- 953, in 1918, and was the smallest since 1904. The reduction in the out
 put of gold was due chiefly to cur tailment of operations because of the
 scracity of labor and the high cost of materials. There was reduction in
 the output of silver and lead due to
 the decrease in gold and copper. The
 production of tin, tungsten, and anti
 mony showed considerable decrease
 the production of antimony practically
 ceasing because of the inability of the
 producers in the interior of Alaska to
 compete with the cheaper foreign pro
 duct. The production of coal increas-
 ed from 53,955 tons, valued at $265,- 317, in 1917 to 75,606 tons, valued at
 S411 $50, in 1918, and was the larg.
 est in the history of mining in Alaska
 Petroleum continued to be produced from the single patented claim neal
 Katalla, and the local refinery was operated on about the customar!
 scale. The production of marble an'
 gypsum in southwestern Alaska wa
 somewhat less than in 1916. Chro
 mite was mined in about the sam'
 amount as in 1917. The production O } platinum, which was begun in 1916 continued on an increased scale, chief lily from the placers in Seward Penn sula. A considerable amount of palla r dium was recovered from copper or from southeastern Alaska.
 !, Platinum From Alaska
 The output of platinum, palladium : and other metals of the platinum !. group in Alaska in 1918 is estimates 3 at 2S4 fine ounces, valued at $36,6OO 3 according to the U. s. Geological Sur ] vey, Department of the Interior.
 7 Platinum was recovered from tn y gold placers of some districts il larger amounts and from some il s smaller amounts than last year.
 One of the most interesting event - of the year in connection with Alask y mining is the recovery of substantis t amounts of palladium and of som e platinum from the copper ore of tn e Salt Chuck mine, near Ketchikan. }. Alaska Produced 70 Million Pounds :, of Copper
 The copper production of Alaska | 1918 was 69,224,951 pounds, valued a 5 $17,O98, ,563, according to report O the Alaska mining industry in 1915
 just issued by the U. s. Geologics e Survey, Department of the Interior This is less than the production ! | 1917, which was 88,793,400 pound o valued at $24,240,59S. The reductio
 in output is stated to be due to short a age of labor and ships. During tn ! year IT copper mines were operate 5 the same number as in 1917. A coI U per prospect on the Alaskan Penn F sula is under development, and inter r est still continues, the report state' s in the copper deposits of the Talkeet ! na and Broad Pass districts. The COZ > per deposits in the Alaska range re ' gently reported are still attracting al
 tention, although little work has bee
 done on them. The deposit of col
 per discovered in 1915 on Rainy Greet
 a tributary of the South Fork of Delt l, River IT miles above Miller's roac It house, is said to be large body (
 low-grade ore on which considerabl
 crosscutting has been done. There t also low-grade copper deposit in tn - gulch 1 1-2 or miles west of Pa' r sons roadhouse. A copper lode o n McLaren River, tributary to the s,
 sitna, is said to be 10 feet wide an