The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-07-26
MINING TRIBUTARY TO
THE ALASKA RAILROAD
SECTION VISITED BY PRESIDENT
RICH IN MINERAL
RESOURCES.

The Alaska railroad traverses a re-
gion rich in mineral wealth. whose
resources have been disclosed by in
vestigauons of the department of the
interior made 10y the geological sur
vey during the last % years The new
railroad directly serves the mining in
terests of Kenai peninsula. the Susitna
and Matanuska valleys and the cen
trial part OF the Yukon basin. and will
also improve the accessibility of the
entire Yukon basin. The mines of the
vast inland region of Alaska that is
now directly or dmdirectly served by
the railroad have. under the primitive
conditions of transportation that have
existed in the past. produced miner
ais worth S15O.OOO.OOO
In 1922 the territory Immediately
tributary to the railroad produced 50.
OS42lO worth OF gold. silver. coal and
a little lead copper and tin. Indirect
ly the railroad serves a much larger
mining region which in 1922 produced
over 100000 worth Of minerals.
Gold and Coal
on leaving the coast the railroad
traverses Kenai peninsula, where gold
mining has been going on in small
way for 2S years. At Anchorage it is
only a short distance from the Willow
creek lode district which in the last
decade has produced over $4,000. 900
worth of gold. A branch line provides
for the high grade coal
Of the Matanus<a field. The produc-
ton of coal in this field has already
had a stimulating effect on the de-
yelopment of other mining districts.
The Yentna placer district. which pro-
iuced by hydraulic and dredge mining
'22S,O 900 worth of gold in 1922, is ac-
,essible by a 6O-mile wagon road from
ralkeetna station. Between Anchor
lge and Broad Pass there are unde-
'eloped copper deposits within 10 to
20 miles Of the railroad.
The railroad also traverses the
Western margin of the large Nenana
ignite field whose Ignite coal re-
erves are estimated at over 5000. OOO.-
100 tons. The field is the chief source
II fuel for the great inland region of
Alaska, and its development, because
# the railroad construction has al
eady stimulated placer mining in the
earby districts.
About 60 miles west of the railroad
les the Kantishna district. where pla-
er mining in a small way has long
zen going on. Here some promising
-old and silver lodes have been found.
nd only the completion of wagon
Dad is needed to assure their devel-
pment.
Gold at Fairbanks.
The district around Fairbanks, the
abroad terminus, has since the dis
overy Of gold there in 1903 produced
73, 6S6976 worth OF minerals. chiefly
rom the placer mines. Lode mining
q a small way has been going on
ince 1910 but has been hampered by
he high cost of transportation and
he lack of coal. This situation has
cen changed by the building of the
abroad. In 1922 the Fairbanks dis
let produced 1852, 27s worth of min
rails. and mining is now on the in
-ease. Tungsten. anthony and sill
er-lead lodes as well as gold have
cen mined in this district
There are also a number of small
acer districts directly tributary to
lie railroad. including the Valdez
eek district east of Broad Pass; the
district. travedsed by the
ilroad: and the Hot Springs and
Dlovana districts, accessible by boat
Id wagon road from Fairbanks. The
OF Springs district contains tin de-
'sits of promise.
Production in 1922.
The mineral output of the region
butary to the railroad in 1922 is to
credited as follows: Fifteen aurif-
Gus lode mines produced .$3O5, SIS in
Id and $4,000 in silver. and PIG pla-
r mines produced S1.SO6.OOO in gold
d S8919 in silver incidentally TO
e mining of gold and silver $3.50
,rth of lead. tin and copper was pro-
ced Seven small coal mines were
Grated and produced 1870 tons OF
al valued at s4O5,724.
The stimulus to mining was already
L in 1922, even though the railroad
Is not then finished When the mi
1g developments now under way
e completed a much larger annual
neral output is assured.
The data here given are extracted
I'm the annual report on the mineral
sources of Alaska for 1922 by Al
d II. Brooks, chief Alaskan geolo-