The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1919-03-15
AID IS SOUGHT
BY COMMERCIAL
CLUB FOR MINES

The mines committee of the Ne
mana Commercial club has taken
steps to secure practical aid from
the federal government in promot-
ing the development of mineral
areas tributary to Nenana. The
plan of the committee is to induce
the government to send two mineral
experts, one a mineralogist and the
other an assayer, to the Nenana
district for the purpose of making
an intensive study of local miner
allied areas, testing ores and sup
plying prospectors and miners with
information which will be of real
value to them. The plan is similar
to the suggestion contained in a
letter written several weeks ago by
Frederick D. Browne, to the chair
man of the Alaskan Engineering
commission.
The steps which have been taken
by this committee to secure the
assistance desired, were made known
at the regular meeting of the Com
mercial club, held last night, in a
very interesting and progressive re-
port submitted by NJ. A Schaeffer,
chairman of the cmmittee The OBJ
jective of the committee is made
clear in the following letter, ad-
dressed to Dr. Martin, Of the Geo
logical survey:
Nenana, Alaska, Mar. y, 1919
Dr. G. C. Martin,
U. S. Geological Survey,
Washington, D. c.
MY dear Sir:
AT a recent meeting Of the Ne
mana Commercial club, the problem
of opening up our surrounding min
ing districts was discussed and as
you know from personal observa-
ton, the most pressing need is
roads. Roads of any kind to make
access easier for the prospector and
miner, and later on, if conditions
warrant, for the transportation of
machinery, etc
Pr .f2.e capital to undertake the
building Of such roads is out of
the question and if we sit back and
wait until the Government, Federal
or Territorial, gets ready to build
these roads for Us, without urging,
this whole country may be covered
with glaciers again.
Now what would a private COM
pany do, if it contemplated the ad-
visibility or practicability of build
ing a road? Find out first whether
conditions are such as to warrant
the expenditures. And that is
exactly what we expect to do, in
trying to enlist your help.
Assuming you are willing to CO.
operate with US, what steps should
we take to help you get enough
of an appropriation to send, say
two men, a geologist, or mineralo-
glst and assayer, or whatever you
suggest, to get the report needed?
If We have to get the money from
/ Congress, or any other source we
: ought to have an idea of how much
to ask for, and you can give us the
necessary figures. You know just
what we need: report including
both the known quartz properties
and available placer ground, defin-
lite data if possible, as to whether
the showing of both warrants the
expense.
In order to help the work along,
We will mail copies of this letter
to Mr.. Franklin K. Lane and also
to Mr.. VIM. C. Edes, and l enclose
a copy of Mr. Fredk D. Brownies
letter to Mr.. Edes, which seems to
be germane to the matter in hand.
REST assured that any help from
you will be highly appreciated and
suggestions diligently carried out,
as the time for carrying out above
mentioned work is naturally con-
fined to the summer months.
& Would also like to hear your
comments on Mr.. Brownies letter,