The Nome daily nugget., 1935-02-09
Mineral Production
 Of Alaska In 1884
Nome and Seward Peninsula Output Is Rated Second Highest Production
 In Placer Gold Yield

Copper River region; at Cole Creek and Walker Fork in the Circle and Fortymile districts, in the eastern part of the Yukon region; in the Hot Springs and Tolovana districts. in the central portion of the Yukon region and in the Ruby, Iditarod and Innoko districts; in the western part of the Yukon region. On the whole the story of the years placer mining operations in Alaska may be summed up as recording an encour- aging increase in output and indicat- ing a pronounced revival of mining activities
 Other Minerals
 Several other minerals were pro- duced by Alaska mines in 1884. Of these perhaps the most significant were the platinum metals which showed a great increase in output. This was brought about mainly thru the installation of a power seraper in the Goodnews Bay district, near the mouth of Kuskokwim River, on an extensive property that had been recently acquired by skilled plac- er-mining operator who had had lar ge gold-mining experience in other parts of Alaska. Some platinum met als were also won by reworking the tailings that had resulted from ear- Her lode-mining operations on Kas- aan Peninsula, in the Ketchikan dis trict of southeastern Alaska, and a small amount was recovered in con- nection with placer gold mining in the Koyuk district of Seward Pen insula.
 Considerable quantities of lead were also recovered in the course of smelting the concentrates from the gold lode mines. About. one and three quarters million pounds of lead were derived from this source, mainly from ores of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company of southeast ern Alaska. At the average price for the year, which is estimated as 3.9 cents a pound, this lead was worth about $6s,00O.
 Small amounts of quicksilver and tin ore are also reported to have been produced by Alaska mines dur ing 1884. Revival of activity at one of the quicksilver properties in the central part of the Kuskokwim re- zion was set under way during the year, and considerable exploration and new construction were in pro- gress there. All of the tin SO far re- ported to have been produced by Alaska mines in 1884 was a small quantity that came from placer min- ing operations in the York district of Seward Peninsula.
 Although in the recent past con- siderable quantities of petroleum, marble, and limerock have added each year to the mineral output of the Territory, none of them, so far as the Geological Survey is inform ed. were produced in commercial quantities during 1884. This does not indicate that the known reserves of these minerals have been exhausted but was brought about in the main by the general state of the market, which discouraged production. De- posits of other mineral commodities like antimony, chromium, molybden- um, nickel, tungsten, graphite, gyp- sum. and sulphus, which are known to occur in Alaska and which in the remote past have swelled the total output of the Territory, are also lying dormant or are, attracting little ex- |ploration at current prices, but they form reserves of much potential val He to the Nation.