The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1933-06-30
VALUE ALASKA MINERAL
OUTPUT DECREASED 1882
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output from many of the mines
already producing. In many places
development work was considerably
curtailed, retrenchments instituted
to effect economies, and the under
taking of new enterprises except
gold mining practically ceased.
Gold Price Stable
There was, of course, no change
in the unit price of gold, and this
very stability, when compared with
the decreases in price of most other
commodities, stimulated the output
of this metal, and as a result there
was a very large increase in the
gold production of Alaska In fact,
the output of gold from the Terri
tory in 1882 was greater than It
had been in any other year since
1917. The output of gold was dis
tributed between lodes and placers
approximately in the proportion of
46 to -$4,6S7, 600 from lodes and
$5,522,000 from placers. The pro-
ducing gold lodes are widely dis
tributed through various parts of
the Territory, but nearly three
quarters OF the output come from
lodes in southeastern Alaska, where
accessibility to deep-water routes of
communication and other favorable
conditions have permitted the sue
cessful mining of immense ton
nages of low grade gold ore.
Placer Output Increases
The output of placer gold was
about two thirds of a million dol
lars more than in 1881. Hundreds
of camps contributed to the output,
but those in the Yukon Basin con
tributed the greatest amount, and
those in Seward Peninsula came
next. Nearly rs per cent of the to-
tai placer production of the Ter
ritory was mined by dredges, of
which rs were active during 1872
l in the camps in the Yukon Val
IL in Yukon Valley camps, Is in
the Seward Peninsula, and one
these dredges produced gold to the
value of $4,293,000. They are es-
timated to. have handled about TO-
10000 cubic yards of gravel, and
the gold recovered was worth about
Ais cents a cubic yard, No new
dredges were built during the year,
but one old dredge that had been
idle for some time was again active
in 1882. Four dredges that were ac-
tive in 1881 were idle during the
year.
Copper Suffers
The output of copper in 1882 was
S,738,00O pounds, or nearly H.
100000 pounds less than in 1881,
and its value was about $1,300,000
less than in 1881. Practically the
whole of the Alaska copper comes
from two mines operated by the
Kennecott Copper Corporation, both
in the Copper River region. The ore
from the properties in that region
is largely high-grade copper sui
phide and carbonate. All the Alas
ka copper ore is shipped to the
states for smelling.
Silver By-Product
None of the Alaska ores are min
ed solely for their silver content,
but considerable silver is recovered
as minor constituent from the
ores of gold and copper. In 1882
silver to the value of $4,000 was
recovered from the copper ores,
$32,500 from the gold lode ores, and
10000 from the placer gold-the
total, 234,05O ounces, having
value of $4,000. This marks
great falling off in value from
1881, which is attributed to the
somewhat lower selling price of
silver and to the greatly decreased
output of copper ores, from which
in the past, the larger part of the
silver was derived.
The lead produced from Alaska
ores in 1892 amounted to 2,521,3 800
pounds, which at the average sell
ing price of lead for the year was
worth $75,600. Most of the lead was