Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-11-08
Alaska Mineral Production
 in 1918 Totals $28,253,96I

,f high grade. It was reported that m outfit was to be taken in on the snow in the winter of 191S-19 to pro:'- ,ect this deposit. A copy of the re- port may be obtained from the D. rector of the Geological Survey. D. c.
 Oil Drilling in Alaska
 The petroleum produced in Alaska is derived from a single patented claim in the Katalla oil field, accord ing to the U. s. Geological Survey, of the Interior. The old wells on this claim and the refinery were operated as usual in 1918. Two new productive wells were also drill ed in the Katalla field. The total pro- duction in 1918 was somewhat larger than in 1917.
 There has been a revival of interest in the potential Alaskan oil fields dur ing the year in anticipation of the ex- pected passage of law providing for the leasing of the Alaskan oil lands. It is reported to the Geological Survey that investigations of the supposed oil lands on the Alaska peninsula were made during the summer of 1918. No legal provisions has yet been made for the leasing, and the Alaskan oil lands are still withdrawn from entry. Thele was some drilling for oil in the cry stalline rocks near Cape Nome in the summer of 1918, but the results were unfavorable, as was to be expected. At Seward some interest was aroused over the discovery of inflammable gas issuing from the mud and water at several localities in the swamps along the railroad. The rocks near these To- calities, as described in 1915 by U. s. Grant, of the Geological Survey, are kslates that have been metamorphosed and folded to degree which makes it impossible for accumulations of oil or gas to be retained in them. Gold Dredging in Alaska
 Twenty-eight gold dredges were op- erated in Alaska in 1918, producing $1, ,425, 900 worth of gold according to a report on the Alaskan Mining h. dustry just issued by the U. s. Geo. logical Survey, Department of the h. terior. Twenty-one dredges were in
 Seward Peninsula, three in the ldita-
 rod district, and one each in the Fair
 banks, Circle, Yentna, and Kuskok- vim districts. These dredges handled
 about 2,49O,O cubic yards of gravel
 In 1917, 36 dredges handled 100000
 cubic yards of gravel and recovered
 gold worth $2,5O0,OO0. The average
 recovery of gold per cubic yard was
 about 57 cents in. 1918 and 6S cents in 1917. The gold dredges of Seward
 Peninsula produced gold worth $466,-
 900 from 1,164,000 cubic yards "i
 gravel, making an average recovery
 of 40 cents cubic yard in 1918. The
 dredges of the Alaska Yukon districts
 produced gold worth $SS1,000 frcm
 1 ,125, 900 cubic yards of gravel, with a value per cubic yard of about %
 cents.
 I Though dredges were built for use
 in the Alaska Yukon as early as 1Sot land at Nome in 1900, this method oi
 placer mining did not reach profit.
 able stage until 1903, when two snal dredges were successfully operated ir Seward Peninsula. Dredging begar
 in the Fortymile district in 1907; 1T
 the Iditarod, Birch Creek, and Fair
 banks district in 1912; in the Yentns
 district in 1916; and in the Kusko
 kwim region in 1918. A new dredg'
 was installed in the Fairbanks dis
 trict in 1918 and may have begun op erating late in the season. The new dredge on Candle Creek, in the Kus kokwim region, was completed in 191s and operated for short period. u to the end of 1918 gold to the valu' of $19,O35, ,OO0 had been mined b!
 dredges. The relatively low recover! of the dredges in 1918 was due, il part, to the unusually large amour of frozen ground encountered in Sc ward Peninsula, and in part to the ex , haustion of the relatively rich grount which had been dredged at Ruby il
 previous years. s
 Alaska Produces Tin
 The tin mines of Alaska produces 136,0OO pounds of tin, valued at SIS, } 900, in 1918, according to the U. s 5 Geological Survey, Department of tn } Interior. These figures may be com . pared with 100000 pounds, valued a , $123,3OO, in 1917. The decrease il : output in 1918 was due to the fac | that only one dredge was operated