The Cordova daily times., 1921-01-03
WHAT'S THE MATTER
 WITH ALASKA?
und Ellsworth Sumner in Railway and Marine News

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 The statement has recently been made in several Alaskan and Seattle papers that Alfred G. Brooks of the U. s. geological survey was to make special report upon the need of a smelter in the territory. MT. Brooks is said to be an eminent minerologist and it appears to the writer, who is a mere newspaper man, that there real ly does not appear to be any particu- lar reason for making such study or that any special data should be re- quired by MT. Brooks to make up such 8 report. If a person who is not a mining engineer can offhand write a very complete report on the geologi- cal occurrences, mining, milling and smelling conditions and possibilities in Alaska, it seems surprising that so much publicity should be given to this suggested and extensive study by one who has for twenty years been writing reports and specializing on the minerology of Alaska. However, if MT. Brooks really wishes to get some data on that subject he might refer to the bulletins of his own de- partment which have been issued from time to time during the last decade also the rather voluminous report of Railway Routes in Alaska" :" published in February, 1913, over the signature of MT. Brooks himself in connection with Major J. J. Morrow, corps of engineers, U s. army; Ciivl Engineer Leonard M Cox, U. s. navy and Consulting Engineer Colin M. In gersoll of New York.
 This was the last important Alaska documetn published by Republican administration, but the report was pigeon hoIed and its findings or recommendations wholly disregarded ed by the succeeding administration.
 This matter is cited merely as an illustration of bureaucratic methods largely responsible for the troubles that beset Alaska. MT. Brooks should be able to sit in his office at Wash ington and without referring to any book or written authority, write or dictate a complete history of metal lurgy as refers to Alaska just as this article is being dictated by lay man, without reference to any geo. logical textbooks or other authoritive papers or documents.
 Briefly, the treating of ores dates from ancient history but the large large smelter and the improved con centrating mill are both developments of the last half century. Alaska has notable illustrations in successful and very large stamp mills and concen- trating mills. In 1907 it was planned to erect in Prince William Sound a modern smelter to care for the ores tributary to that section but the coal lands were withdrawn from entry and the creation of the great forest re- serves immediately blocked further mineral development with the result that this smelting plant which meant an initial cost of $500,00O at that time and which would now probably run up to three or four times that sum did not materialize, and probably it never will be revived until such time as de- velopment of the territory is made possible and prospecting encouraged.
 This discussion recalls a story of the past. It was at delightful din- ner given at a hospitable home in Denver during the height of the min ing and smelling boom in that state. The subject turned to some i'm portant smelting litigation then in the courts. A distinguished mining engi- neer was explaining some of the in tricacies of the questions involved, showing the importance of first se- curing an adequate and steady daily supply or ores and fluXeS before the smelter could be a success. A bright young girl of the period was listen ing attentively to his discourse and at the conclusion she remarked "I understand perfectly, it is a case of first getting your smelts." Now that is an old story, repeated in the min ing districts for all these years but it still applies to Alaska, and for the benefit of MT. Brooks we would sug gest that he first procure a good sup ply of "smelts" before he recommends the erection of smelter.
 We have very vivid remembrance of all of the copper projects that have been exploited in the Prince William Sound or Copper river district whose owners or discoverers have put forth hn 1niY