The Nome nugget., 1925-02-14
GENERAL DESCRIPTION NOME DlSTE':'"


 square miles of territory, occupies large section of Northwestern Alaska known geographically as Seward Peninsula; is bounded by the Arctic Ocean or the North and Boring the wes, and pos sesses 500 miles of coast line. Nome, with a population varying from $50 in winter to 2.ooo in summer, is the chief port and commercial center of the entire district regions farther north and d vast section the Northeast Coast of Siberia Nome is the mail distributing for the entire district and is also the judicial headquarters for the second Alaska Division In practically all things the entire division is served from this port, The country generally is of rolling character with wide valleys and numerous lakes and streams. The lowands merge into low rounded hills fronting a single lofty which crosses the heart of the district The summer temperature ranges between io and 30 degrees: the mean annual tenn peraturc between 25 and 10 degrees. Extremes of temperature recorded in Nome s..ound - de erees in July to 30 degrees minus ill January Annual precipitation is about 15 inches
 Tine district is unquestionably of the mos highly mineralized regions of the known earth. Gold is the chief resource but varieties of lesser minerals are found large portion of the district and petroleum is known to exist in the region of Pont BarroW, snort Clstauce to tue north of the peninsula Oil indications also found within the district at several points. The only tin mines in Alaska and the largest known deposits of tin in America located in the Port Clarence section and coal beds of important extent exist in the Kugruk and Cape Lisburne regions near the northern
 sirce the discovery of gold 25 years the Nome district has produced more than s100. 0oo.- GOO in gold and silver. in addition to tin. tungsten antimony and other metals valued at several mil lions. Copper and graphite known to exist in exploitable quantities and rich gold quartz in small bodies and low grade quartz in large bodies has been found points. Almost all the best known metals found in exploitabie quantities. The gold produced is almost entirely from placers. quartz mining not having reached q state active development yet Dredging has become the chief method of gold extraction, all though numerous hydraulic and "open cue" plants are operated A very large part of the known mineralized have been hardly than pros pected, remoteness and inadequate transportation facilities having greatly hindered development in the past, and many new plaeers and other mineral discoveries may be expected in the future when the district $ thoroughly exploited.
 In addition to it's great mineral resources, the Nome district also contains tremendously important possibilities thriving reindeer industry. which although hardly than started conner cial scale. has already yielded approx- mating s5.ooo,ooo.
 Fish of various species abound in the lakes, streams and coastal and form the basis for a great industry. Herring particularly plenti- full and pronounced by experts unexceled by any herring known to the worlds markets. Sal and other varieties also plentiful.
 The district also produces large variety of fur bearing animals which yield large annual rev enue, in addition to animals and wild fowl in large numbers. Berries and wild flowers grow in abundance the amending daylight of Although the district as q whole is devoid of tim profusyn and the low hills and valleys are covered with vast carpet of thick moss and grasses
 Transportation
 Roads the first essential to the development short sighted and illiberal policy the part of the Federal Government. inadequate and costly trans portation facilities have been the chief drawback to extensive exploitation of the great mineral wealth known to exist in the Nome District. With in the nearly 2s 1000 square miles of territory there are less than $50 miles of permanent roads and more than 25 per of the total mileage is found within 20 miles of Nome. Development cannot proceed save at a slow pace under suck conditions During the past year or two the Government has inclined to more liberal spirit and prospects are
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