The Nome nugget., 1925-01-24
GENERAL DESCRIPTION NOME DIsTR''v

Seward Peninsula; is bounded by the Arctic Ocean on the North and Boring Sea the West and pos sesses 500 miles of coast line. Nome. with a population varying from $50 in winter to 2,000 in summer, is the chief port and commercial center of the entire district the regions farther north and a section of 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 lowlands merge into low rounded hills fronting single lofty range which the heart of the district. The summer temperature ranges between 40 and 50 degrees; the mean annual tenn psrature between 25 and 40 degrees Extremes Of temperature recorded in Nome around 77 de grees in July 30 degrees minus in January. Annual precipitation is about Is inches.
 The district is unquestionably one of the most highly mineralized regions of the known earth Gold is the )Assf resource but numerous varieties of lesser min erals afA found over large portion of the district and petroleum is known to exist in the region of Point Barrow, short distance to the north of the peninsula Oil indications are also found within the district at several points The only real 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 Lsburne regions near the northern coast.
 Since the discovery of gold 2s years ago, the Nome district has produced more than sloo'ooo'- 900 in gold and silver, in addition to tin tungsten antimony and other metals valued at several mii- lions Copper and graphite are known to exist in exploitable quantities and rich gold quartz in small bodies and low grade quartz in large oooles has been found at numerous points Almost all the best known metals are found in exploitable quantities. The gold produced is almost entirely from pacers quartz mining not having reached a state of active development as yet Dredging mas become the chief method of gold extraction al though numerous hydraulic and "open cue' plants are operated very large part of the known mineralized areas been hardly more than pros pected remoteness and inadequate transportation facilities having greatly hindered development in the past and many placers and other mineral discoveries may be expected in the future when the district is thoroughly exploited.
 In addition to it's great mineral resources, the Nome district also contains tremendously important possibilities in it's thriving reindeer industry, which although hardly more than started commer- cial scale has already yielded revenues approxi- mating s5.oOo,ooo.
 Fish of various species abound in the lakes, streams and coastal waters and form the basis for a great industry Herring are particularly plentl- full and are pronounced by experts unexcelled by any herring known to the worlds markets. Sal mon and other varieties also plentiful
 The district also produces large variety o1
 
 enue in addition to game animals and wild fowl in large numbers Berries and wild flowers grow in abundance in the amending daylight of summer Although the district whole is devoid of tim Der larger than willows. plant life exists in great profusion and the shnfs and valleys covered with a caraetef thick moss and grasses
 Roads are the first essential to the development of a new territory. As result of an extremely short sighted and lberal 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 23ooo square miles of territory there are less than $50 miles of permanent roads and more than 25 per of the total mileage Is found v,th,n sO m,les of Nome Development cannot proceed save at . slow pace under such conditions During the past year or two the Government has inclined to more liberal spirit and prospects are