The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-03-31
By HOWARD LYING

ard Peninsula country into national prominence many years ago. The gold rush to her shores was one of the greatest stampedes in history After the passage of AZ years gold continues to be the foremost inter- est of this northwestern section of Alaska,
 It was stated a number of years ago in the famed Brooks Geological Reports that Seward Peninsula was the largest continuously mineralized area in the world. This still holds true Each succeeding mining sea- sen further amplifies the statement, beth through increased gold pro- duction and the constant opening up of new gold bearing areas.
 Tc date the placer gold taken from this section runs upwards of $150. 100000 with every indication that through the advent of modern machinery-drag lines, dredges, dies el pumping units, etc, this relatively large sum is only a drop in the bucket compared to the production of the future.
 Great Revival
 For the period immediately fol- lowing the last World War until the raise in the price of gold in 1883, geld mining in the Nome country was ill the doldrums. Prospecting became a lost art. Outside capital was difficult to secure. The indus try lay dormant. The season of 1884 witnessed the beginning of a great revival. Nome and it's back country once again took firm grip on min- ing development and soon overcame the results of the period of repres- sion, so much so that of late years the Nome sections a Il n u pro- duction has increased to the point where it is threatening the suprem- acy of the Fairbanks and Yukon Valley country.
 The Nome and Seward Peninsula area today has 27 dredges in oper- ation, which is more than one-half of the total number of dredges in the territory There are hun- dreds of small operations scattered throughout the district utilizing various methods in extracting the yellow metal, in addition to large numbers of able prospectors who in increasing numbers infest the hills and streams of this great mining section, and who each year are re- spensible for new areas coming into production.
 Gold Price Important
 One asks f'To what is this growth and increase attributed?" The an- swer is, primarily, the raise in the price of gold While this area is as yet scarcely scratched by syste- matic prospecting, there are many sections which were large produc- CTS in the bonanza days, mostly in the creeks. The benches, the tun- dra and the hillside were not touched.
 A great many of these sections have remained dormant through the years, due in great measure to ex- cessive freight rates, lack of roads, landing s.clds, and consequent high cost of operation. Many of these areas belonged in the claesif'cati"'' of low-grade ground, and at the old price Of gold coulo not ue ~u.-.a at a profit
 New Equipment
 Hand in hand with the increased price of gold, as a contributing fac tor toward the steady development and progress of the Nome country go the modern means of mining placer gold. Higher efficiency of mechanical methods used in testing and providing ground prior to the expenditure of large sums of money required for actual operation has been of inestimable benefit Mod ern electric and diesel pontoon type dredges, dragline equipment, trac- tors, bulldozerS, and allied machin- cry have all played a part in the intensified resumption of mining in the district Portable drills that can be cheaply transported about rough country have given the individual prospector the opportunity of prov ing his ground and obtaining the fairest possible estimate as to it's gold content, before turning his holdings over to company or cor poration for it's exploitation. These drill sheets also enable the indi- vidual miner to acquire the needed machinery with which to success fully operate his ground
 While the results so far have been most gratifying, the fact remains however, that most of the producing areas today are located in known areas where production occurred in earlier years. What is of para mount need today is a systematic and in te sive prospecting drive throughout the whole of the Second Division in order to discover new producing fields Knowing that the general characteristics of the entire