Douglas Island news., 1919-01-17
GREAT SLUMP
 IN PRODUCTION
Value of Minerals in Alaska Falls Of $l3,OOO,OOO on Account
 of War Works

Advanced information Of the forthcoming report Of the United States Geological Survey on the min eral resources and mine production Of Alaska has been received. Some Of the interesting features follow:
 The value Of the mineral output of Alaska in 1918 is estimated at $2S.- 9OO.OOO, a decrease of almost S13.- OOO.OOO from the value Of 1917 and the smallest since 1914. The de- crease was chiefly in copper and gold and was due to shortage of labor and ships and high cost of mining. There was an increase Of more than GO per cent in the production Of min cral fuels, and slight increase in chrome ore. The only new item among Alaska mineral products in 1918 is palladium. Since 1880 Alas ka has produced gold, silver, copper and other minerals worth more than $419.OOO,OOO.
 Alaska mines produced gold to the value Of about $1O,OOO. .OOO in 1918. compared with $14.G5O.OOOO in 1917. The total value Of the gold mined in the territory is now about $3O2.OOO,OOO, Of which $213,OOO.- 900 has been won from placers. In 1918 about G9.4OO,OOO pounds Of copper was produced in Alaska, val ued at about S17.1SO.OOO The pro- duction in 1917 was SS,793,OOO pounds. valued at $24,24O.OOO. The total copper produced to date is 99.OOO,OOO pounds, valued at S1O5.- 100000.
 The value of Alaska's lesser min eral products in 1918 was as fol- lows: Silver. $S7O.OOO; coal. sl35.- 900; tin. $9O,OOO; lead. S5.OOO; miscellaneous metallic products, in- cluding chrome ore, tungsten, pal ladium, platinum and antimony $117OOO; and miscellaneous nom metallic products, including petrol cum, marble, gypsum, lime and bricks, S12O.OOO.
 Copper Mining
 The copper production in Alaska in 1918 was about Gg,iOO.OOO pounds. valued at $1I1SO,OOO. ob- taincd from about 72O.OOO tons Of ore. This is less than the production in 1917, which was SS,793,OOO pounds, valued at $2I,2iO,OOO, ob- tained from GGO.OOO tons Of ore. The reduction in output was due 10 shortage of labor and ships. During the year fourteen copper mines were operated, compared with seventeen in 1917. Six mines in the Kctchi- kan district yielded1. .7Sl,OOO pounds of copper; four mines in the Prince William sound district yielded l5,- OGO, ,OOO pounds and four mines in the Chitina district yielded 52.5S5,- 900 pounds.
 Placer Gold Mining
 The value Of the placer gold pro duced in Alaska in 1918 is about S6.1OOO. .OOO. derived by regions as follows: Yukon basin. S4,325.oOo; Seward Peninsula, $1,14O,OOO; Cop per River, $500. .OOO; Cook inlet, Su- sitna region, s215,OOO; Kuskokwim region, S9O,OOO,OOO; miscellaneous, $3O,OOO. The total production in 1917 was S9,S1O.OOO. The decrease in 1918 was general throughout the territory, except in the Chistochina district. where there was a 90 per cent increase, and in the Upper Yu- kon districts, where there may have been a slight increase.
 The decrease was in general due 10 curtailment Of operations because of shortage Of labor and high cost Of supplies. Local decreases were also due to unfavorable climatic condi- lions and to the depletion Of some of the richer placers. Twenty-eight dredges were operated in l9lS- twenty in Seward Ponisula, three fin the Iditarod district, two in the Fairbanks district. and one each in the Circle, Yentna and Kuskokwim. Thirty-slx dredges were operated in 1917.
 Gold Lode Mining
 About twenty-five gold-lodr mines were operated in 1918, compared with thirty-one in 1917. The value of tho lode gold mined in 1918 is about S3.7SO,OOO. compared with .$4.5SO, ,OOO. The decrease was partly due to the disaster at the Trcadwell mine in April, 1917, and partly to curtailment of operations, especially in the Juneau district, because of shortage of labor There were in- creased outputs at the Ready Bull lion and Chichagof mines, in South eastern Alaska, and in the Willow Creek district. Most of the gold mines on Prince William Sound have suspended operations. The mill and cyanide plant of the North Midas mine. in the Chitina Valley, was completed and began operating late i'm the year. In the Fairbanks dis