The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1932-07-01
Mineral Production
Decreases In Value

Mines in Alaska produced min
erals worth $12, 27S,O00 in 1881. as
against S13,812,00O in 1880, ac-
cording to an announcement made
by the Interior Department today
through the Geological Survey The
total value of the mineral output of
the Territory since 1880 is $641,-
$4,000.
Gold Increase
There was a substantial increase
in the value of the output of gold,
but a decrease in the value of other
mineral commodities. The decrease
is interpreted as being due not only
to the very low prices that prevailed
for the metals such as copper, sill
yer, and lead but also to the deter
rent effect of those low prices in
discouraging the undertaking of
new enterprises and dissuading op-
orators from making even as large
an output as they ordinarily would
from the mines already operating.
Obviously Alaska has not escaped
the worldwide stagnation of bust
ness and the accompanying depres
sion of the last two years. Instead.
therefore, of regarding the fore
going record as one to cause alarm
for the future of the Alaska mining
industry, it seems that when all
things are considered the record of
a decrease of only IL per cent COM
pares favorably with the records
from similar enterprises in the
States. Each year brings more and
more general development through
out the Territory, and these i'm
provements in general conditions
are stimulating prospectors and
others to undertake the develop
ment of deposits that had previous
ly been too difficult to exploit.
Such improvements are exerting a
continuing and growing force, so
that each year Alaska is becoming
less and less an unknown frontier,
and the hazards of mining under
pioneer conditions are being cor
respondingly reduced.
Lodes Widely Distributed
The output of gold was distribut-
ed between lodes and placers ap
proximately in the proportion of
40 to 51-$4,665,00O from lodes
Tho
producing gold lodes are widely
distributed through various parts
of the Territory, but more than 80
per cent of the output came from
lodes in southeastern Alaska, where
accessibility 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.
The output of placer gold was
approximately the same as in 1890.
Hundreds of camps contributed to
the output, but those in the Yukon
basin contributed the greatest
amount, and those IN Seward PENN
sula came next. More than II per
cent of the total placer production
of the Territory was mined by
dredges, of which % were active
during 1878 in the camps of
the Yukon valley, IA in Seward Pc
ninsula, and l in the Kuskokwim
Valley. Together these dredges pro-
duced gold to the value of $3,749,
600. They are estimated to have
handled about 10,214,000 cubic
yards of gravel, and the gold re-
covered was worth about 36.7 cents
a cubic yard. No new dredges were
built during the year, but five old
dredges that had been idle for some
time were reconstructed and again
active in 1881. Four dredges that
were active in 1880 were idle dur
ing the year.
Copper Decrease
The output of copper in 1881 was
22,614,000 pounds, or nearly 10,-
100000 pounds less than in 1880,
and its value was nearly $2,367,0O0
less than in 1880. Practically the
whole of the Alaska copper comes
from two mines operated by the
Continued on Page A.