The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-08-12
CURRENT RETURN.
 TO PROSPECTING. SEEN BY HESSE.
Activity in Gold Minin g Industry Is Most Hope
 full In dication

One of the most hopeful signs for the future of the Territory is the return to prospecting for and development of gold properties now being manifested, declared w. A Hesse. Territorial Highway Engi- neer. who returned Monday night from a two and one-half months inspection trip that carried him as far north as Seward Peninsula.
 While it cannot be said that conditions are rosy any place l have been able to visit, this mani festation of activity in the gold mining industry is very encour- aging" Mir. Hesse said.
 Activity in Lodes
 Development work in the Will low Creek district is particularly encouraging, and there is more &C., tivity in gold lode properties in the Fairbanks district than there has been for great many years. The yield from lodes there is the greatest in the history of that camp.
 Nine gold dredges are in opera ton in the Fairbanks region. The prospects are bright there for successful season"
 Increased freight rates over the Alaska Railroad has handicapped development of the mining indus try. in the opinion of MT. Hesse. Discussing the lode mining outlook in the interior, he said:
 Tt might interest you to know that the Cleary Hills Mining com pany is hauling powder from Valdez by motor truck to the property 1t is operating on Cleary Creek, north of Fairbanks and 400 miles distant from Valdez at a saving of $4 per box over the new charges on that class of freight on the Alaska Rail- road.
 "Perishable commodities likewis'e shipped by truck over Richardson Highway from Valdez to Fairbanks, reach their destination two days sooner than if shipped by the rail- road.
 Increase Rates Mistake
 Tt is generally conceded that the raise in rates at this time was A mistake. Unquestionably it will tend to retard rather than en- courage and assist development of the interior"
 Fairbanks, commented MT. Hesse, is not alone a mining region. It has musk oxen, a buffalo herd that is thriving and increasing, and IA species of mosquitoes, two large and 12 small varieties, any and all of which give one a bad disposition.
 70. G. Eggleston, manager of the Fairbanks Exploration company's operations at Fairbanks, probably stands out as Alaska's foremost big game hunter MT. Hesse said. He is waging war of exterminatlon on the mosquito, and has enlisted in this campaign the services Of Dr. George S. Tulloch, Harvard scientist, and at one time consult ing entomologist of the State of Massachusetts Dr. Tulloch has laboratory 12 miles from Fair banks and is studying this pestifer- OuS insect"
 Rabbits and gu.lca pigs com monly are regarded as prolific re- producers, but they fall into con- parative sterility when rang I'd alongside the mosquito. ''Dr. Tul- loch tells us" declared MT. HesSe, that there are from two to four generations of mosquitos in a sea- son, and on basis of two genera tions, one pair can produce 94,0o0,- 900 offspring. The female of the species is more vicious than the male for the male never bites, and is, therefore, seldom seen by hu- mans.
 He also is authority for the statement that the dragonfly and the swallow are the most deadly enemies of the mosquitoes. More power to both of them!"
 Alaska, acording to MT. Hesse' has experienced an unusually back ward summer this year. "A polar bear and two cubs were seen near Cape Nome as late as July 4, and from all reports they were exceed ingly comfortable" he said.