THE KUSKO TIMES
A. X. Grant, Publisher, Sole
Owner and Editor.
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Entered ns seconn-ciass matter An- I
gust 29th, 1923. at the pcrstoffice at
Tokotna, Alaska, under the Act ot j
March 3, 1879.
_. I
Takotna, Alaska. July 2. 1932.
Minerals of
Territory
A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN
THE VALUE OF GOLD OUT
PUT OVER 1930.
WASHINGTON. June 21.—Mines
in Alaska produced minerals worth,
$12,278,000 in 1931, as against $13,- '
812,000 in 1930, according to an an- j
nouncement made by the Interior De- • 1
partment today through the Geolog- <
ical Survey. The total value of the ]
mineral output of the Territory sinctf i
1880 is $641,591,000. j
The following table shows in sum- i
mary form the mineral output of ■
Alaska for 1931 and for comparison i *
the production of the same minerals •'
in 1930: jJ
Value of Mineral Output of Alaska in :
1931 and 1930.
Gold .. $9,507,000
Copper. 1,877,000
Silver .
Coal .
Tin, metallic.
Lead .
*Mi seel lane o us
mineral pro
ducts .
102,000
556.000
2,000
126.000
$8,476,000
4,244,600
157.000
631.000
9,300
136,500
108,000
157,300
Totals .$12,278,000 $13,812,000
(•Including petroleum, platinum met
als, limestone, etc.)
There was a substantial increase in
the value of the output of gold, but
a. decrease in the value of the other
mineral commodities. The decrease
is interpreted as being due not only
to the very low prices that prevailed
for the metals such as copper, silver,
and lead, but also to the deterrent
effect of those low prices in discour
aging the undertaking of new enter
prises and dissuading operators from
making even as large an output as
they ordinarily woud from the mines
already operating. Obviously Alaska
has not escaped the world-wide stag
nation of business and the accom
panying depression of the last two
years. Instead, therefore, of regard*
ing the foregoing record as one to
cause alarm for the future of the
Alaska mining industry, it seems that
when all thingss are considered the
record of a decrease of only about 11
aer cent compares favorably with the
records from similar enterprises in
he States. Each year brings more
ind more general development
throughout the Territory, and these
improvements in general conditions
ire stimulating prospectors and
>thrs to undertake the development
jf deposits that had previously been
;oo difficult to exploit. Such improve
ments are exerting a continuing and
'rowing force, so that each year
Alaska is becoming less and less an
jnknown frontier, and the hazards of
mining under pioneer conditions are
>eing correspondingly reduced.
The output of gold was distributed
between lodes and placers approxi
mately in the propotion of 49 to 51—
M.665,00l) from lodes and $4,842,000
from placers. The producing gold
odes are widely distributed through
various parts of the Territory, but
more than 82 per cent of the output
•ame from lodes in Southeastern
Alaska, where accessibility to deep-:
.vater routes of communication and
ither favorable conditions have per
mitted the successful mining of im
mense tonnages of low-grade gold
ire.
The output of placer gold was ap
proximately the same as in 1930.
Hundreds of camps contributed to the
)utput, but those in the Yukon basin
,'ontributed ihe greatest amount, and
hose in Seward Peninsula came next,
llore than "7 per cent of the total
•lacer production of the Territory
vas mined by d ridges, of which 28
vere active during 11*31—13 in the
amps in the Yukon valley, 14 in Sew
tre aPeninsula, and 1 in the Kusko
;wim valley. Together these dredges
100. Tiie yare estimated to have han
>roduced gold to the value of $3,749,
lled about 10,214,000 cubic yards of
travel, ana me goia recovered was
rorth About 36.7 centts a cubic yard.
<Io new dredges were built during
he year, but five ild dredges that had
►een idle for some time were recon
itructed and again active in 1931.
*'our dredges that were active in
.930 were idle during the year.
The output of copper in 1931 was
12,614,000 pounds, or nearly 10,000,
'00 pounds less than in 1930, and its
aiue was nearly $2,367,000 less than
n 1930. Practically the whole of the
Llaska copper conies from two mines
perated by the Kennecott Copper
Corporation, both of which are in the
Copper River region. The ore from
he properties in the Copper River
egion is largely high-grade copper
ulphide and carbonate. All the Alas
a copper ore is shipped to the States
or smelting. The great decline in
he amount of copper is attributable
0 the fact that one of the former
roducing mines on Latouche Island
losed down late in the preceding year
nd at the operating mines mining
uced scale.
ras conducted on a very much re
None of the Alaska ores are mined
olely for their silver content, but
onsiderable silver is recovered as a
linor constituent from the ores of
old and copper. In 1931 silver to
ie value of $56,200 was recovered
rom the copper .ores, $37,600 from
he gold lode ores, and $8,200 from
ie placer gold; the total was 352,000
unces, having a value of $102,000
his marks a very great falling oc
1 value from 1930, which is attrib
tahle to the lower selling price of
ilver and to the greatly decreased
FIRE INSURANCE
You should carry a liberal amount of fire insurance
for the sake of your credit and your peace of mind,
Needless to say this insurance should be of the very
hif best quality.
Thar* tha Kind WjrUtaa Bf ••
Alaska Insurance Agency
FAIRBANKS. ALASKA
Inqulro of Kmdbo IDan.
output of copper ores, from which m
large part of the Alaska silver is de
rived. In reality, however, the de
crease in quantity was only about 14
per cent, whereas the price of silver
per ounce fell nearly 25 per cent.
The lead produced from Alaska
ores in 11>31 amounted to 3^321,000
pounds, which at the average selling
price of lead for the year was worth
$126,000. This was the largest out
put of lead in Alaska since this metal
was first produced in the Territory
and exceeded the output of 1930 by
over 500,000 pounds, though because
•f the small price paid for lead the
total value was below that .of maqy
years. Most of the lead was recov
ered as a by-product in connection,
with the minin gof gold ores in
Southeastern Alaska.
Coal to the value of $556,000 .was
produced in 1931 from Alaska mines,
principally in the Matanuska and
Realy River fields. This marked a
decrease both in quantity and value,
but th eoutput of the year, 105,900
tons, has been exceeded in only three
years in the entire period that coal
mining has been in progress in Alas
ka. No Alaska coal is exported, but
30,772 tons was imported from the
States, chiefly from Washington, and
17,796 tons from foreign countries,
chiefly British Columbia, so that the
total consumption of coal in Alaska
in 1931 amounted to approximately
154,500 tons.
Among the products that entered
less largely into the Alaska mineral
industry in 1931 may be mentioned
tin, petroleum, platinum metals,
quicksilver, and limestone for cement.
Compared with 1930 the output of tin
in 1931 showed a great -falling off
both in quantity and in value. The
total value of th eother products was
$108,000, or somewhat less than that
of the similar group of products in
1930.
The foregoing notes are taken from
a comprehensive report of-the United
States Geological Survey, entitled
“Mineral Industry of Alaska in 1931,”
which was prepared by Philip -S.
Smith and wiil form one of the series
of similar reports that the Geological
Survey has issued to describe the
progress of Alaska mining each year
since 1904.
INDUSTRIAL SELDOVIA.
(Soldovia Times.)
There may be a Jot of .depression
scattered about—vobs of it Outside,
we are told; but as fat1 as Seldovia is
concerned it appears farther off than
“just around the comec." The .old in
dustrial wheel is .throwing off sparks
right now, nd not merely the usual
aonua fireworks, either. But that and
plus!
In times like these, with businesses
going smash, with, factory shutdowns,
Seldovia hols what it had and adds
thereto.
The independents are overhauling
boats, getting ready for an early sea
son elsewhere, since we cannot have
it here.
Both the Cook Inlet Packing Com
pany and the A. Y. B. cannery are
working out preparatory plans for
the season.
The Murphy mill, renewing and ad
vancing equipment that will allow a
cut of better dressed lumber, fo
lowed at once by a sizable shiplap
order.
At least one power boat, and other
smaller craft, in course of building,
with promise of bigger and better
boats to came.
The new Princess Pat, Seldovia
owned and operated, ready to take
the water.
A brand new cannery by a "brand
new company!
Seldovia is not a rids community
Right now, in the beginning of pre
parations, there is not a job for ev
eryone. But who shall say there
never can be? Not while Seldovia
has men that step out of the circle,
and in spite of the ineviloblt “imt,
hark, the mournful sound!—resolves
to do its best!
Call those men blessed, for qf swch
is the salt of the earth!
JUbeesdi Mooaehide-JVIitta and Boots
Furs S^aght^juLBttld Ctothfag
All Kinds^of Nice Fresh. Gsoeeries^and Emits
^ffwvl Goods, of Ali-Kinds ^Bedbaad Beddjgg
l
>.
t
few* fruit Candies ' Sbtgff.Bri kks j
Tobaccos uQ&m i{ftg&re£s
Apples lOnmges
J. W.*Down«fy
Prop.
Sfflnertf,?fraa|Kttoii’9arid f