The Alaska daily empire., 1920-12-08
KUSKOKW|M LODE DISTRICT WILL z RE PROVEN BY WORK NOW GOING
 ON, MINING ENGINEER ASSERTS

which the winter mall IS now DellS hauled. f,8 .1 f Mail Service
 l. "The mail service to McGrath is very slow ard inadequate for the future camp. The Postal Depart ment, planning on present and past census figures, does not build for the future Its service follows the development of a district but takes no part in the opening up of a new section On the other hand, the policy of the Department of the tn' teriOr, with its Geological Survey. Bureau of Mines, Reclamation Ser vice, Alaska Engineering Commission, etc. is just opposite to that of the Postal Department. Although the population of the Kuskokwim and Iditarod districts is very small (be- tween three and four hundred whites), their possibilities entitle them to better mail service.
 "In this world, there are two kinds of obstructionists; the active-those who actively oppose measures and plans for progress, and development; and the passive-those who see the need of service but do not lend a helping hand. e. g., the Postal De- partment in Alaska. F s
 "In connection with transportation and mail routes, the proposed winter and summer route from some point on the U S. Railroad near Lignite Creek to the Kantishna District should be mentioned and particularly the proposed extension from the Kan tishna to McGrath. This road, if available now, would assist greatly in opening up the Upper Kuskokwim district, but unless begun and com- pleted in the next few years, the greatest need for the road will have passed The dredges will have worked out their ground and the lodes will have passed into old age. The Lode Mines
 "The lode mines oI Nixon Fork near McGrath, concerning which much has appeared recently in the press, are. situated near the heads Ol ItuDy anu M oLCly SiSOhot all tributaries of the left limit of the Nixon Fork of the Tacotna river The mines are B miles easterly from McGrath and II miles north erly from the forks of the Kusko- kwim river.
 ''The claims are located along the margin of granite stock about 5 niles in diameter which intrudes a paleZoic limestone. All the ore bodies to date have been found in the limestone, although some mineral bearing veins occur in the granite. The naturalization seems to be close ly associated with certain porphyry likes when they occur at or near the lime-granite contact The po- sition, shape and occurrence of the ore bodies are very irregular; some lie along bedding planes in the lime; others along fractures in the lime, md some immediately at the contact.
 "The average assay of the ore that will be mined. will depend somewhat on the costs of operating and the efficiency of the milling process. The lower the cost of operating, and he higher the efficiency, the larger will be the average tonnage of ore md the lower the average assay. At resent one ore body which has def mite walls will average about $60 in yold and silver Another will aver agc about $50, and third, in the I~I Of 3nt, the tonnage is indefinite.
 Prospect Work
 Three shafts have been sunk on he claims this past summer which are only 50, 70 and 100 feet deep. From these shafts $50 feet of drifts, crosscuts and raises have been driv- en- Sinking deeper was prevented by the lack of hoisting equipment. The early freeze-up delayed the ar rival of gasoline for the compressors and hoists and this winters work will also be slowed up materially. Tn addition to the underground work, l 732 pits and trenches weres dug ! through to 8 feet of soil and gravel to determine the nature of the bed rock below At the permanent camp site, two frame building have been completed for a bunk-house and a mess-house, as well as framed ! warehouse and power house at the | Berrys Landing on the Kuskokwim. Two log barns, an assay office, a foremans cabin and a log hoist and compressor house have also been erected this summer. Thirty one men was the largest number em ployed at any one time. The crew for the winter has been cut down te 25 men. Charles Horner of Tread we'll, is at present the foreman iE charge, Lloyd Bullard, formerly the TreadwelI assayer, is the assayo. and surveyor. Frank Pusich of Tread we'll and Thane is the blacksmith.
 Twelve sacks of ore have beer shipped to Treadwell upon which metallurgical tests will be made to determine a suitable process for re- covering the gold, silver and copper. Half of the xDprimenting will De