Show KA MINING H HI I I B. PROGRESSING I Inee nee nce of Old Gold Days l S Misleading Theories I ji Ye S. S light i n million million dollars worth of ot In was wa from Alaska mines era which brings the output back to fig fig- I the prewar magnitude ACline Aeto Ae- Ae AOI I to estimates estimate made by Alfred H. H line Ine Un United ted ks Alaskan geologist t olo survey ury the value of ot the ef fr of Alaska In 1022 was WU gold cold I silver sliver to v O PP i a. a 4 coal oal the tile total value In- In that thai of ct lead Iad platinum petroleum b hinC I anu ind gyp g um was come com com- iti Ith si i th tho value of the theu e u Ln n HI ath rather ather r widespread ld d pessimism m conO con- con U bi the pre r ent and future p prosperity p O W Wk k mining Industry dJ reIS Is not haiti baru h n Dazzled by the quick for for- Sia a. a Je during the pro prosperous days day of anu mining tho the public has failed tailed to tok k kille he steady advance of other and more nent hinds of ot mining which were not ilot during the war but which f ten ten greatly accelerate during the 0 years year Even Ala Alaskans kans many nany of ot re of the days of ot bonanza bonan a ill j aro are by no flO means hopeful of the ure Those who have seen miners with with- grow suddenly wealthy from dug ou out with their own hands Iio C lo have havo beheld prosperous foring g up almost t overnight are often atle t with mining projects that can c ed only by large Investments and after f preparation Some sly erroneously asae as- as ae rs 1 that hit hat the revival of ot mining In Alaska allured only by the discovery of a a. a ii deposit such as as a large harge oil all J ota rich I Placer field II and no doubt fJ ft a discovery could revive quickly ormer er prosperity of the territory Ik dOS inca have produced nearly half halt a atlo worth of minerals and 07 i etC of t this amount haa has come from m Jl her rt ot of gold silver I and d copper p The 1 reserves ev of these e metals alone lon Ia ee ed Ce dr slot regard to future t d discoveries le or orin in era IB such as oil and coal are aret I t to a assure sure a pro prosperous future TEST JEST OIL FIELDS o IP tte te Ie of nil all despair or doubt the Alaska industry Is not retro- retro I In n fact tact though the value of Its Is small compared with that U the Indu industry try Is now on a a. more mor It ba basis ls than ever before Mr JO os during his annual visit to Alaska in 3 the following Important de- de eo e- e o m Preparations for drilling were II advanced to a assure ure the begIn begIn- r I I f un underground testing In 1023 of at atit it II 05 of the Alaska petroleum fields Installation of large placer mining continued and the work on onD D Ti so well advanced as to assure their ration In itt 1323 1923 the activity In gold arold lode already noted for tor 1921 1021 was teas t in 1922 1122 the copper production about t 20 per cent larger than In 1021 1921 eor was a revival In the prospecting o e copp copPer r deposits lt Alaska's mining needs neels ital for tor its further development and In the year ear there were encouraging large mining com companies panics were Mr tint their attention to Alaska as a a. field for Investment one who Is s Interested es d in t the pros pros- Alaska a which in t the past has ni o largely j built upon the returns from C ruIn will naturally a ask k the ques- ques 3 the gold placer reserves are arent I. I nt It to 10 support again a a. large Indu Industry try hi n II estimate of reserves should not of off ri If take f account of possible new discos discos' I e and It roust must Include only those areas us gravels that have been more Jem JU prospected pro Fine colors of gold are be ba found In mo most t Alaska streams i t Ito sly only a a. few tew of these streams contain r able Ible placers A rough estimate which idLe ludy only the auriferous gravels whose 4 Is large enough to be e profit profit- 1 exploited lUll by methods now u used ed shows lot ro l Is still about worth l r gold fold O in t the g ground in Alaska This at mite ImAto i Is based a on very Incomplete d data ili value should therefore not be over- over It t at least e Indicates Ic the tho magni- magni f ii h t s n ani It ef t f D oti that the the vAi Alaska i placers rs iro are b by no i iii IU approaching exhaustion I U lii Ji n ACTIVE output of ot lode gold In Alaska had a value of about t t Olt encouraging fact tact about the Alas- Alas lode ode mining Industry Is that the loss 1088 of ot ott t l from the closing of some large ar e Ju- Ju mines has already been made up r ris rt by the output of smaller prUnes mines In d lt These facts are re cited b be- be be beat i f at many bell believe that tho closing of ofT T of f the Juneau mmes mines means the end in an toy considerable quartz mining la In Alaska in Alaska I 1922 1822 development and pro prospecting fittra iid rock gold deposits were active evry ry Alaska lode district acce accessible front from or tidewater tot Most of the copper mined In 1022 1922 was wall tilted lined from the tho three large mines of ot the t group In the Chitina hl V valley and haen rn nv th Beatson Bonanza n o mine on Prince sound The low price of copper has I It t as yet the reopening of small years yean tho the Alaska metal mining mining lu 19 lr try was hen handicapped by being forced heavily for Its fuel because the u use e ecal cal coal was not permitted The coal coOl n ng nil dons done during the year has supplied post olt urgent need for cheaper fuel along railroad and has hai shown the great value of at the coal for local use The question when Alaska high grade coal can be mined for tor export has not yet yot been settled |