The Wrangell sentinel., 1930-01-02
Value of Mineral Output of Alaska
 in 1929 and 1928
s16.1O5,OOO s14.O6I.O0O


 from Alaska mines in 1929 is es- timated at S7,74S,000. This marks a noteworthy increase over the pro- auction of the preceding year. at tributable to increased output by both lode and placer mines. The greatest increase appears to have come from placer mines, so that the ratio of the value of the gold pro duced by them to that of the gold produced by the lode mines appears to have been about 51.4 to 4S.6, whereas in the preceding year more gold was recovered, from lodes than from plaeers. For the entire period that gold mining has been in prog ress in Alaska, however, the pla- cers have yielded about two-thirds of the gold produced and the lodes only about one-third.
 The large increase in production of gold from. placer mines is at tributable mainly to the greater output from the properties of the Hammon Consolidated Gold Fields in the Nome region and of the Fair banks Exploration Go. in the Fair banks region. The weather condi- tions that affect mining, such as plentiful water supply and length of season, were especially good dur ing 1929 and contributed in no small measure to an increased pro duction from many of the smaller camps. Two new dredges were built in the Fairbanks district, one old dredge in the Nome district was moved to a new location and re- built, and extensive repairs were made to several of the other dredges that lately had been idle. All the larger dredges that had been in op- eration during the last few years were again active, and most of them showed an increased output of gold. As a result it appears that approximately 70 per cent of all the placer gold that was recovered in Alaska in 1929 was mined by these machines, whereas in 1928 the ratio was 65 per cent.
 The amount of gold produced from the placers that are mined by other methods than dredging seems to have been approximately the same or a little more than in 1928. No new finds of placer ground that yielded any considerable amount of gold were made during the year, and inevitably each year many of the known placer areas are worked .u.. Prospecting for new deposits however, appears to have been somewhat more active than 1t has been ill the recent past, and per sons with funds appear to be talk ing a growing interest in the de- velopment of prospective mining properties.
 The increase in the production of gold from the lode mines is at tributable largely to the output from properties of the Alaska Ju- neau Gold Mining Go. in south eastern Alaska, which was both greater in quantity than in the pre- aeding year and of a somewhat higher gold tenor. No noteworthy new developments were reported at the other gold lode mines, but most of the properties that have been ] active during the last few years continued operations, though some of the mines on Chicagof Island produced at a lower rate and spent much of the year in development work. The recent find of lodes of | mixed suIphides in the Taku region, although principally in Canadian territory, has stimulated prospect ing in that entire district, and as a result several other lodes have been uncovered on which develop ment work is being done and which appear to be extremely promising. Tn the Willow Creek district the gold-Iode mines yielded a some what larger output than in 1928, though considerably less than form erly. Most of the gold-lode mines in the Fairbanks district had sue, cessful season, and it is estimated that their output of gold was some what larger than in 1928. Several other small lode mines scattered widely through the Territory but especially in Kenai Peninsula, near Nuka Bay and at Crow Creek, and in the Kuskokwim region near Nixon Fork, report some produc- ton of gold, and prospecting was active at other places.