The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-01-18
MINING IN ALASKA, 1922
RESULTS DISAPPOINT
WAITING FOR ANOTHER BoNAN
"A ACKNOWLEDGMENT
MENT RAILROAD.

Reviewing the mining situation in
Alaska during the past year, Alfred
II. Brooks, of the United tsates geo.
logical survey says:
THE rather widespread pessimism
concerning the present and future
prosperity Of the Alaska mining in
dustry is not hard to understand
Dazzled by the quick fortunes made
during the prosperous days of bonan-
"a mining. the public has failed t o
mark the steady advance of other
and more permanent kinds of mining,
which were not only continued during
the war. but which have been greatly
accelerated during the last two years.
The great publicity given to the fail
ure of three of the large lode gold
mines near Juneau has entirely OBJ
secured the slow but steady develop
ment of other Alaska lode properties.
The marked decline in the annual
output of copper since 1917, the result
of the low price of that metal has
been enormously interpreted as mark
ing the decline of the Alaska copper
mining industry. The public, misled
by the widely circulated and grossly
exaggerated statements of the extent
and value of Alaska coal lands, is
puzzled by the apparent lack of pro-
gress in their exploitation. 1t is true
that the rather slight underground
exploration of the best Alaska coal
1eo.r 20. fofo of
DRY. but. on the other hand, the actual
achievement of furnishing local coal
to the region tributary to the Alaska
railroad is a very considerable adj
vance, even though a reserve of eX-
port coal has not yet been developed.
Many who have long heard of prom
Using occurrences OF petroleum in
Alaska have wondered at the delay
in it's development, but drilling for oil
was prohibited from 1910 to 1920 when
a leasing. law was enacted. Since then
the surface of the oil fields has been
actively explored, but there has not
vet been time to start actual drilling
in these distant fields.
Resources Are There.
Even Alaskans, many of whom are
survivors of the days of bonanza mi
ming. are by no means hopeful of the
future. Those who have seen miners
without capital grow suddenly veal
thy from placer gold dug out with
their own hands and who have beheld
prosperous communities spring up al
most over night are often impatient
with mining projects that can sue
coed only by large investments and
after years of preparation
some enormously assume that the
revival of mining in Alaska can be as
sured only by the discovery of great
mineral deposit, such as a large oil
pool or a rich placer field, and no
doubt only such a discovery could re-
vive quickly the former prosperity of
the territory. Alaska mines have pro-
duced nearly half a billion dollars
worth of minerals. and 81 per cent of
this amount has come from her gold
deposits and silver and copper The
estimated known reserves of these
metals alone. without regard to future
discoveries or other minerals, such as
oil and coal, are sufficient to assure a
future for the mining in
dustry. Many appear to believe that
the building of the Alaska railroad !
should have Immediately produced a
marked boom. Now that a year has
passed since the railroad began to
furnish transportation and cheaper
fuel without causing an immediate in
crease of mineral output they are loud /
in condemning the entire project The |
government railroad, as well as the
in the building of wagon
roads has already stimulated mining,
out it will be some time before the re-
suits of this work will be expressed in
, notable increase in mineral produce
ion"
luicllyt' rictscopper shrd en- cmfwpp /