The weekly Alaska citizen., 1920-01-19

able to pay the continued increasing expense of mining The only other large gold-lode mine in Alaska is in the Sitka district. where operations in 1919 were, so far as known. on about the same scale as in 191S
 The most important event of the year bearing on lode mining in Alaska was the development of some large ore bodies in the Steward rive basin of Portland canal, which marks the southeastern boundary of the terri tory So far as known, the only property developed sufficiently to prove the value of these bodies are on the Canadian side of the Interna- tional Boundary but close to it. The same geologic conditions occur on the Alaska side of the boundary. where metalliferous lodes have long been known to occur and where many claims have been staked The na- tural seaboard outlet for the Cana dian as well as the American proper ties in the Stewart river basin is the town of Hyder on the Alaska side of Portland canal. The lodes of this district, so far as known. consist of | CD disseminated deposits in fracture zones. and (2) vein filling in well-de- fined Assures. Excitement has re, gently been caused by the finding of 1uriferous lodes carrying high values In silver. Galena, tetrahedrite (graS copper ore), pyragyrite (ruby silver) and native silver, are said to occur in these ores. There is reason to be, 'i0ve that similar deposits may occur in the Alaska part of the Stewart river basin.
 The small lode operations in 1919 several of them no more than pros- poets from which a little ore is be ing taken. are distributed as follows l One each In the Ketchikan, Chtna and Kenai peninsula districts: five In the Willow creek district; and six
 in the Fairbanks district The most l active prospecting and development of gold lodes In 1919 was in the Vii low creek district, which lies adja cent to the railroad, where, however. no property has yet been opened up and equipped on large scale There Is good reason to believe that lode mining in the Willow creek district will make substantial gains in 1920 1 At Fairbanks lode mining and pros pecting have almost ceased, the only operations being those of a few own CTS who continue little development with the plan of blocking out ort. to be mined when the railroad is com. nleted. Incidental to this work a little ore is recovered and milled | and there are many small auriferou, 'odes in the Fairbanks district which can be profltably exploited when the economic conditions improve. The discovery of an ariferous lode. carrv ing also copper and silver on Nixon Fork. In the Georgetown district of the Kuskokwim, is reported. Some developments have been made on thi. lode and preparations are under wa, to mine enough of thn orc for q r,ill test.
 Copper Mining.
 Eight copper mines were ol eratoc in Alaska in 1919, producing about A 800 900 pounds of copper, valuod at sS,5o0000. The production of con her in 1918 was 69,225O pounds val ned at s17,099, 900 and came f,n,n IT mines. This c,irtallment Of conpor | rhning was due to the fall in the nlCe of copper and the uncertaint, "f the market, as a result of which the larger mines decrea sei their cut nut and many of the small onas we," closed down. Turnout the war tho mall operators have been hammered ny the lack of of shipping to trans. nort his ore and of srelters to .'e- luce it, conditions that have hloc,teo the development of a numbe' of 0ron- l critics and discouraged the connor- mining industry. Largely for thosn reasons there has been relatively littla n"osnecting for copper during tho last few years. Should the price of con per go up many small mines would resume operations and the large" ones increase their output. Under pres ent industrial conditions there Is rot much likelihood of any great improve mentment during 1920.
 Most of the prospecting for con per in 1919 was done in the Susitna basin. tributary to the Alaska rail road. A number of copper lodes o' some promise have been found in this region. but they have not been sufficiently developed to prove thei- value. The availability of the Mata. nuska coal which is especially adapt- ed for coking. makes the outlook fo' a local copper-smelting industry in th's region rather hopeful.
 In southeastern Alaska the Rush and Brown mine was the largest con per producer. Copper was also. pro duced at the Salt Chuck min Q bat-