The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-07-16


 less an unknown frontier, and the hazard of mining under pioneer conditions are being corresponding ly reduced.
 The output of gold was distribut- ed between lodeS and placers ap- proximately in the proportion of 43 to 57-$3, ,639, 900 from lodes and S4,837 000 from placers. The produc- ing gold lodes are widely distrib- uted through various parts of the i Territory but more than 93 per cent of the output came from lodes in southeastern Alaska, where ac- possibility to deep-water routes of communication and other favor able conditions have permitted the successful mining of immense ton nages of low-grade gold ore.
 Placer Gold Increase
 The output of placer gold was nearly three-quarters of a million dollars larger than in 1929. Hun dreds of camps contributed to the output, but those in the Yukon Basin contributed the great e st amount and those in Seward Pen insula came next. More than 80 percent of the total placer produc- tion of the Territory was mined by dredges, of which 27 were active during 1930-15 in the camps in the Yukon Valley and 12 in Sew ard Peninsula. Together these dredges produced gold to the val ue of $3,912,600 They are esti- mated to have handled about g., 906,000 cubic yards of gravel, and the gold recovered was worth about 3913 cents a cubic yard. No new dredges were built during the year, but two old dredges that had been idle for some time were recon structed and again active in 1880. Five dredges that were active in 1929 were idle during the year. The output of copper in 1880 was nearly 7,860000 pounds less than in 1929, and it's value was nearly $2,886,000 less than in the earlier year. Practically the whole of the l Alaska copper comes from three mines operated by the Kennecott Copper Corporation, two of which are in the Copper River region and one on Latouche Island in Prince William Sound The ore from the properties in the Copper River re- zion is largely high-grade copper sulphide and carbonate; that from Latouche Island is a low-grade copper-iron sulphide. All the Alas ka copper ore is shipped to the States for smelting. During the year work at the mine on Latouche Island was discoptinued and part of the plant there dismantled
 Silver Not Workable
 i None of the Alaska ores are nm ed solely for their silver content, but considerable silver is recovered as minor constituent from the ores of gold and copper. In 1880 silver to the value of S107, 800 was recovered from the copper ores, S39,300 from the gold ores, and $10,200 from the placer gold; the total was 408,570 ounces, having value of $157,000 This marks a very great falling off in value from 1929, which is attributable to the lower selling price of silver and to, the greatly decreased output of copper ores from which large, part of the Alaska silver is derived.
 The lead produced from Alaska ores in 1880 amounted to 2,730,000 bounds, which at the average sell ! ing price of lead for the year was worth $136,500. This was the largest output of lead in Alaska since this metal was first produced in this Territory, though because of the small price paid for lead the total value was below that of many lyears. Most of the lead was re- lowered as a by-product in connec- tion with the mining of gold ores in southeastern Alaska.
 Coal to the value of $63l 900 was produced in 1930 from Alaska mines principally in the Matanuska and Healy River fields. This was an increase in value of about 100000 and the output of the year, 10000 tons, has been exceeded in only one lyear in the entire period that coal mining has been in progress in Alaska. No Alaska coal is export ed, but 37,l28 tons was imported from the States, chiefly from Washington, and 23,892 tons from foreign countries. chiefly British Columbia, so that the total con- sumption of coal in Alaska in 1930 | -----.----- - |