The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-03-16
Alaska's Most Valued Man.
(Anchorage Times.)

Who is the man to whom Alaska looks to develol her greatest potential latent wealth--the man mos essential to expansion of the industry most capabl of expansion in this Territory today.
 Beyond question it is the prospector. The fish ing industry is developed to the degree that or every hand it is necessary to practice conservation to protect fish by every precautlon rom the danger of exhaustion by everlasting Mining, on the other hand, despite it has yielded approXimatey bllliof dollars in wealth in Alaska, gives the greates promise of increased yield through exploitation o | the dormant mineral resources And how is mining to be expanded Beyond question it will be througr the discovery of paystreaks and new mineral lodes. Who will make these discoveries? The prospectoT.
 It is well to keep this fact clearly in mind and to do everything possible to encourage the pros- pector.
 Through the energy daring and sacrifice of the early prospectors of Alaska the gold yield of this Territory to date-counting from 1os0-when the first available rocrds of gold production were made Ito the present has reached the splendid total of $428, ,659 00O calculated on the old value of gold namely $2067 per ounce. Assuming that the gold Alaska has mined to date is still held by the nation or is somewhere in existence, it's present value is over $750.000000 Add to that the value of other minerals produced in the Territory since the Amer ican occupation approximately $25oOO00O0, and we dollars
 Every dollar of the billion dollars in wealth was given to the world through efforts of the pros pector Mines which the prospector has located are still yielding and will continue to yield millions fol many years. But the old mines-even if they con tinue to yield for centurieS-cannot be expected to multiply their yield Old mines are steadily ap- preaching the day of their depletion.
 Alaska needs more prospectors to turn up new mines. Doubtless other mines will be located and the gold output of Alaska will expand. But it will not expand until there is new army of men sent into the virgin portions of the Territory to search out the hidden treasure.
 The Territory depends upon the prospector to work this miracle of progress. Many men of brawn and intelligence needed They available in America but they must be encouraged The time when they fewer than 5000 pros pectors in the Copper River Valley alone. And in other parts of Alaska thousands of IF those days they sought little else than placer gold
 Today the hard rock properties have become valuable. But the hard rock scarcely scratched. Tens of thousands of square miles Of inland Alaska scarcely have been trod by the foot of the looking for lode properties
 The Government should awaken to a realization of the value of the man who is capable and who can-with proper aids-go into the hills The way of encouraging prospecting multiple If those in high position and in authority will bend then efforts to the idea they can devise means of launching 6 army of capable, vigorous pros pectors in the field.
 Alaska sorey needs prospectors and must hays them if her mineral resources are to be developed to the maximum Practically every industry in this Territory, every enterprise depends upon mining aside from fishing and trapping Even farming and transportation and trade look to their business to survive and expand through the efforts of the prospcctor and the miner-and most essential to all right is the prospector. He is Alaskas most valued man-andsmay every influence be brought to bear in encouraging him and helping him to succeed