The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1931-12-26

of base gol dore, lies in schist, and
although the results Of the Geo.
logical Surveys sampling have not
been received, it appears probable
that there are reserves of 25,i00
to $4,000 tons of ore carrying more
than 500 in gold to the ton. This
ore will have to be concentrated
and with the mill operating at full
capacity about tons of concen-
trate a day should be recovered
This concentrate must then be
shipped to a snelter for reduction.
The surrounding district has been
little prospected and deserves at
tention in the hope that other
similar ore bodies will be found.
Kantishna District
The lode prospects of the Kan
tishna district have been examined
in detail by F.. c. Wells, in so far
as the workings are now accessible.
On many of the properties the
adits and open cuts are caved and
could therefore not be studied. The
district included in this investiga-
ton is about 12 miles long and was
mapped geographically on scale
of l to $4,000. Some % claims have
been patented, and many other un-
patented claims are held.
The country rock is composed Of
schist cut by few small bodies of
intrusive rock. The general trend
of the foliatiCn of the schiSt is
N. TO- E., and the veins trend in
much the same direction, though
they cut across the foliation. The
principal minerals of economic i'm
portance are free gold, auriferous
pyrite and arsenopyrite, silver
bearing galena, sphalerite, terra
hedrite, and stibnite. The only
commercial ore SO far extracted
consisted of about 1900 tons that
was valuable chiefly for its silver
content, though yielding also con-
siderable amounts of gold and lead
The workings from which this ore
was taken are now inaccessible.
In addition 10 the lodes whose
ore runs high in silver, there are
many veins carrying gold and
other sulphides in which the sill
yer content is relatively slight.
Mr.. Wells states that the area
shows excellent indications of min
eralization, and that there is a
high probability that other veins
not yet mined contain ore as val
liable as that SO far recovered. He
also believes that other deposits
containing similar ore may be dis
covered. The type of mineraliza-
ton and character of the ore indi-
cate that the ore extends to con-
siderably Greater depths than any
so far reached in mining. Whether
or not there has been appreciable
enrichment of the surface portions
of the veins has not yet been de-
termined, but laboratory studies to
answer this question will be made.
With the completion of the auto
mobile road from Mount Mckinley
National Park to the KantiShna
district, the cost of operating mines
there will be considerably reduced,
and the district is considered to
hold promise for both mine oper-
ator and the prospector.
Mount Eielson District
The Mount Eielson area, former
ly known as Copper Mountain in
Mount Mckinley National Park,
has been studied in detail by ]. c.
Reed, and topographic map of
the mineralized area has been
made. Although about 20 claims
are now held in the vicinity Of
Mount Eielson, development work
has been limited to a large num-
Der of small pits and trenches and
three small adits, the longest 80
feet long.
Hitherto the lack of transporta-
ton has been a serious drawback
to prospecting, but the new park
highway, at present under con-
struction, will pass within mile of
Mount Eielson, which is about 70
miles from the railroad.
The principal rocks OF the re-
gion include thick series OF thin
bedded limestones and calcareous
shales, all intimately contorted and
folded. These sediments are cut
by a mass of granite rock that
forms the major part of Mount
Eielson, the main intrusive having
sent a multitude of bikes and stills
into the associated sediments. The