The Nome nugget., 1925-02-14
STATISTICS ON GOLD AND OTHER
 MINING IN THE TERRITORY OF ALASKA

year 1924 as compared with s20.33O.o00 during 1923 it is shown in estimates of the Geological Survey is preparing for publication in tits annual report The gold output was estimated at Sc 35o.ooo. compared with s59S5.3li in 1923. this being the only metal show an increase over the preceding year,
 Copper production declined from s12,630.335 in 1923 to approximately s1o,ooooao in 1924 sil= decreased from s66S,o12 to s45O,o00. and coal production fell off from s775.45s to s55oooo.
 The total value of Alaskas mineral output since 1>so is S635ooo.eoe.
 The increase in the gold output due mainly activities at the lode mines in Southeastern Al aska, there was slight decrease in the am ount of gold won from placers
 The benefits 10 the eold-mnins industry of in eror Alaska that certain to result from the completion of the Alaska Railroad" stated the sur vey's report. are rather slow appear in the fig ures showing the production of gold. for the work of testing large areas of placer ground and the gineer work necessary to complete ditches and in stall dredges other power-driven mining machin- cry require considerable time The results of op- erations large and of increased prospecting metal-bearing lodges will eventually be increase in production. The decrease in the total value of the mineral output of Alaska in 1924 from that in smaller production of copper and the much lower price of that metal
 Development work in various districts was de. scribed in detail. The Survey said chutes have been discovered in the Hyder district that have been considered sufficiently rich warrant the struction of mill. and that several other proper ties in that district likely become productive It adds that the prospecting has active thru ont the Juneau district, and promising bodies have been discovered properties between Funter Bay and Hawk Inlet. Other observations include increased mining activities Chichagof Island. further discoveries of gold quartz lodes at Naku Bay production of somewhat less lode gold in the Fairbanks district and production of considerable gold in the Kuskokwim district
 The 1924 gold output of s2,S5o,ooo from 20 quartz mines, an increase of more than s4O0,o0O over the output for 1923, mostly from the AL aska Juneau mine.
 It stated that although the production of gold by dredges in 1924 less by nearly s3oo.- 900 than in 1923. this decrease must be taken to indicate that dredge mining in the Territory is declining
 "It may be predicted the Survey continued that before many years the output of gold by dredges will exceed that made by. other methods of placer mining"
 Twenty dredges in operation in Alaska in 1924 and produced s1565O0o worth of gold. as compared with 24 dredges in 1923 that produced s1,S4s GOO worth of gold Of these dredges were in Seward Peninsula, three in the Fairbanks district, two each in the Innoko and Idarod dis trcts. and each in the Kuskokwim Circle and Yentna districts
 A decrease in 1924 in the copper production was ascribed average price which was consider ably below the already low average of 1923.
 Oil drilling operations continued throughout the year and the results awaited eagerly. "These results said the report "have not yet been studied sufficiently in the office laboratory to warrant statement regarding the possibility of obtaining oil in the region. The work done however con- firms the finding of the expedition that visited the coastal portion of Naval Petroleum Reserve Number Four in 1923 and reported the occurrence Of seeps of oil there"