The Nome nugget., 1925-06-27

hundreds of miles of known mineral bearing terri tory untouched by the hand of industry owing to the absence of roads and resultant difficulties of transportation.
 The noted geologist Dr. Alfrel H Brooks. of the United States Geological Survey Bureau, has es- timated that there 21o square miles Of placer gold deposits within the confines of Seward Peninsula In addition there numerous gold deposits in lode form scattered throughout the dis tric-. of these 210 square miles of placer gold areas scarcely than 5o square miles have been touched by the miner. although their value has been known for years, while the literally hundreds of quartz deposits presenting productive possibilities there i. not one producing values This remarkable condition is due almost entirely to absence of highways during the greater part of the two decades of gold production.
 Gold mining Nome is present carried on by the of gold dredees and hydraulic systems. the former being now greatly in the majority as far as big operations are concerned The prin- cpa company interested is the [. s. smetng. Refining and Mining Company operating here as the Hammon Consolidated Gold Field which they recently took over, consolidating it with the Nome Mines Inc. thus controlling a vast area of gold bearing tundra between the Boring Sea beach and the foothills. This company has at present three mammoth Tuba electric dredges at the Little Greek site and is also operating a giant hydraulic in section of the workings when there is an excess of water at the thawing Furnishing power for these dredges is large desel plant in the city At present the main work consists of thawing and drilling operations. preparing the ground for future uninterrupted dredging activ- tiles When the dredges at Little Creek are turned loose again they will have thawed ground enough ahead them practically continuous operation.
 Despite the deterring conditions under which it labors. the Nome District the prosperous of the Alaska placer mining regions in 1920. It produced gold values at s1.311,S19.oo compared to combined total of s166s ,076.00 from all other placer districts. Eighteen dredges. about seventy open mines and thirteen deep or under ground placers were operated; about $50 men being employed. Regarding the future placer outlook, Dr Alfred H Brooks of the |. s. Geological Sur vey says "It estimated some years ago Isos> that the value of the gold reserves in the gravel plain, ancient beach and high beach placers of Seward Peninsula about s215.0oo.ooo.oo subtractns the of gold that has since been mined from these deposits leaves the value of the reserves s2Oo,o0O,oOo.oo, Though the above es- inmates of the available placer reserves may appear extravagant comparison will be shown that they moderate. With the return of nor nal conditions. development has increased steadily in recent months and several important small strikes have been made result of renewed pros pectng efforts
 Platinum
 Platinum valued at s34,Os7os was produced in Alaska in 1920, large portion being obtained in the Nome District. The bulk of the Nome output was mined from the Dime Creek placers. although recoveries of considerable value made Bear and Sweepstakes Greeks, and at Willow Creek. Until 1916 effort made to recover this valu- able metal but each succeeding year witnesses an
 Tungsten
 Tungsten bearing lodes developed at Fair banks and Nome when the needs lea to abnor- nal demand Considerable Tungsten was shipped from these properties between 1916 and 1918 and schelite recovered from concen- trates of gold dredges at Nome .. In all about ST tons of Alaska Satellite concentrates have been mined and marketed.
 Silver
 Silver bearing found in many places in the Nome District The omalik sver-lead mine on Fish River has produced considerable ore in past but suspended operations with the decline in silver, some years ago. Promising lodes To- cated at various other points. notably the Kug- ruk River, where extensive development work has been done during the past years; although rtat;op ;Rnulti bava for ptad