The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-12-07

! acter of the industry i'll certain dis
I tricts reduces to the minimum its
| benefits TO Alaska, save in taxation
! imposed and paid Great fleets come
! into the waters provisioned for the
| short season, with hordes of alien
! laborers, and make their enormous
catches and go out. Naturally there
Is not American labor sufficient and
/ available in remote regions for fish
! ing needs. AS much of the land ali
along the coast is fertile and adapt
able to gardening and small farming,
/ fishing villages should spring up in
course of time and it would seem the
part of ultimate wisdom for the big
packing companies to aid in estab-
fishing such permanent Communi'
ties.
Mineral, Coal and Oil Development.
While no new mineral discoveries
of momentous importance We're re-
| corded during the fiscal year, i'm.
! petus was given to mining enter
prises by improved economic condi.
lions and better transportation facili-
ties. The working season of 1922
was marked at its opening by re
ilcWtu anu tItldi ecu dtliN ilitS anu
| the output of ore for smelling in
creased notably. Placer mining was
successfully pursued in the Fairbanks
region and elsewhere, and prelimin-
airy plans were effected for the re-
sumption of dredging operations on
an extensive scale on the Seward
| Peninsula, with Nome as base. On
/ the islands and mainland OF South
eastern Alaska promising projects
made Roadway. Established enter
prises operated profitably as hereto
fore, producing ore to the value OF
millions, and newer lode properties
| underwent large and successful de-
velopment. Mines at Willow Greek,
above Anchorage. within reach OF
| the railroad, and at the boundary
I line, in the vicinity of Hyder, a grow
! ing camp on the Portland Canal, re
ceiyed especial attention and gave
gratifying promise. Rich claims are
dormant in various sections because
OF transportation and monied needs.
, In spite oil the enormous yield of gold
for years, the domain, save in spots,
has been prospected only in desn-
tory way and it's deposits of precious
metals is yet untold. Bat capital is
required to reveal and demonstrate
this unquestioned mineral richness
and turn il to account. Nuggets are
no longer found i'll paying quantities
in the hills and streams and fortunes
are not to be made ION shoestrins."
The day of such things is gone.
Prospective Oil discoveries in the
vicinity OF Cold Bay on the Alaska
! Peninsula and preparations for drill
! ing by big organizations riyeted
popular attention upon that region
and gave evidence of an impending
stampede. Countless claims were
staked and filed and, in the middle
OF the season, at the close of the
fiscal year. important activities, sup
ported by ample capital, were under
way and the utmost confidence was
felt in the prospects. 1t was recog-
| niZed that strike of oil at tide
water would speed prosperity for the
| Territory and make for population
and transform barren country.
Seepages in the Matanuska district
in proximity to the railroad, giving
abundant signs of oil deposits, also
/ commanded notice. Meanwhile, the
! Katalla field, on Controller Bay, con
J tlHucu W yltlu HIGH SIiiQc VII VI
/ paraffin base in limited quantities
| from thirteen wells. The extraordin-
airy quality of Alaskan oil gives added
| interest to this natural resource.
! Alaska coal, long locked up, is
coming into large local use by com
munities to the westward and in the
interior reached by the railroad, and
! the production is steadily increasing
! as obstacles are. overcome. Several
companies are operating Matnusha
mines profitably and the ensuing
year should see all along the coasts
Alaska coal supplanting the product
now and hitherto imported from Brit
ish Columbia and the States. For
half century unavailable, it is be
| ing made available at reasonable
cost and the government is wisely
encouraging private enterprise by
building roads and spurs to going
/ mines and buying coal for the rail
road from one of these. The so-called
Enthusiastically a low-grade bitumin
ous-under production in the Nenana
or Healy fields. in the interior, is
now extensively used most helpfully
and these coal beds. Easily accessible
are wide and appear inexhaustible
| The production Of coal. coincident
j with the completion Of the railroad