The Nome nugget., 1939-03-17
Nome and Seward Pen. End Highest in Gold Production

Alaska mines in 1888 had an esti- mated value of $27, ,036,0 ,00O ac- cording to a preliminary state ment of the United States De- partment of the Interior, prepar- ed by Philip S. Smith, of the AL askan branch of the Geological Survey. This amount brings the total value of the mineral out put of Alaska since 1880 to more than 100000.
 Outstanding achievements in the Territory, described in the statement are:
 The estimated amount of gold produced from Alaska mines in 1888 exceeds in value that for any other year in Alaskan his- tory with the single exception of 1906.
 Increasing use of mechanical equipment was noteworthy even at the smaller plants. In addition to A gold dredges, there were draglines, bulldozers, and engin- es for all sorts of work in opera ton in practically every placer district in the Territory.
 The enormous increase in the output of platinum metals from Alaska deposits in 1888, due larg ely to operations in the Good news district, forms one of the notable mining events of the year, placing the Territory third or fourth in the list of five or six countries that together pro duce almost the entire world sup ply of platinum metals.
 The estimated output of coal from Alaska mines in 1888 has been exceeded during only one year since coal mining has been carried on in the Territory, the year 1886, and then by less than 1000 toms In view of the pre- liminary character of the records for 1888, it is by no means cer- tain that complete returns will mot prove that if difference is even less, or actually reversed.
 The preliminary statement fol lows:
 General Conditions
 The estimated value of the mineral production of Alaska in 193 reflects the healthy condition of the mining industry in that year. Large as is that total 1t by no means marks a peak of pro- duction that cannot be maintain ed or even bettered in the ensu- ing years. In fact, many diverse factors, some favorable and some unfavorable for large production interacted in such manner that on the whole their combined eff feet was by no means unusually good. For instance, the prices that prevailed for most of the mineral commodities in 1888 were the same or less than in 1887. True, the unit price of gold, which accounted for about 80 per cent of the mineral produc- ticn, and of coal and limerock, which together contributed less than 3 per cent to the total. were the same in the two years. Esti- mates as to the unit prices of all the other mineral commodities were much less in 1888 Thus sil- yer that qualified for purchases by the Government under it's regulations was 64.64 cents an ounce against 77.57 cents in 1887; copper was about 9.9 cents a pound against 1916 cents; lead was AIS cents a pound against 6.01 cents; tin was 42.1 cents a pound against 54.337 cents; anti mony was 12.43 cents a pound against 15.35 cents; and platinum was $36.20 an ounce against $48.90 Indeed, had the output of the mineral commodities in 1888 brought the unit prices that pre- vailed in 1887 their total value would have been one and a half million dollars more than the fig ures stated above for the value of the mineral production in 1888.
 The climatic conditions that eff fest certain types of mining, such as time of freeze-up or breakup, abundance or dearth of water, n n