Mineral Produc
tion Of Alaska
In 1939
The minerals produced from
Alaska mines in 1939 had an es
timated value of $24,888,000, ac
cording to a preliminary state
ment of the Geological Survey,
United States Department of the
Interior. This amount brings the
total value of the mineral output
of Alaska to more than $800,000
000.
Although the year 1939 set few
new records of production, the re
suits as a whole are good and
encourage a belief in the contin
uing high rate of output of min
erals from the Territory.
As compared with 1938, there
seems to have been a decrease
in 1939 of approximately $3,700,
000 in the value of the total pro
duction of minerals. The record
for 1938, however was exceeding
ly high, having been surpassed
in only three years during the en
tire period that mining has been
in progress in Alaska. Further
more none of the great copper
mines which in 1938 produced
copper to the value of nearly
$3,000,000 were in production.
The value of gold produced by
Alaska mines in 1939 exceeded
in value that for any other year
in Alaska history with the sin
gle exception of 1938.
The continued large output of
platinum metals from Alaska min
es is a source of special national
significance as it goes far toward
making the United States inde
pendent of foreign supplies.
In addition to gold and plat
inum, the most significant pro
ducts of Alaska mines in 1939
were coal, silver, lead, limerock,
tin, antimony and a small
amount of copper.
The estimated value of the min
eral production of Alaska, as stat
ed reflects the generally excel
lent condition of the industry in
1939. It seems however to mark
no unusual spurt of activity, but
only to reflect a normal stage
that is not likely to decline great
ly in the near future, but that
may well be exceeded as some
of the operations already in pro
gress come into production.
Prices for most of the mineral
commodities from Alaska mines
averaged somewhat higher in
1939 than in 1938. The increase
in prices in the world market for
such metals as tin, lead, and anti
mony, brought about by wars in
foreign lands, did not occur until
late in the year, and for a large
part of 1939 the prices were even
lower than in 1938. Consequently
the average prices for 1939 were
not much above those that pre
vailed in the preceding year. The
price of silver, which qualified
under the Government’s special
arrangement for purchase, was
raised on July 1 from 64.64 cents
to 71.11 an ounce, and on the as
sumption that all of the silver
from Alaska mines was eligible
for such purchase its price has
been computed at the mean of
these two figures, or 67.87 cents.
Silver which did not so qualify
sold at an average price of about
40 cents an ounce.
On the whole, labor conditions
throughout the Territory were
satisfactory, and no noteworthy
interruptions of production oc
curred. During the summer there
was some anxiety lest transporta
ton with the States might be in
terruped when the old shipping
agreements terminated in Sep
tember, but fortunately new con
tracts were negotiated successful
ly. Uncertainty as to the effect
of the new laws relating to wag
es and hours seems to have been
largely set at rest, as their op
eration was found to be not so
difficult as had been feared.
i • _
There seems to be a distinct
and rather widespread revival '
of interest in Alaska develop
ment, and this is shown in the ]
mining industry not only by the i
actual undertaking of a number a
of new enterprises but also by i
the formulation of plans that <
look to future devlopment. The
growing use of mechanical
equipment at many of even the
smaller properties is having a
noticeable effect in increasing the
amount of material handled and
at the same time decreasing
the cost. This economy is of
special importance, as it extends
the lifeof many of the properties
and adds to their potential reserv
es through making it possible to
mine successfully material of low
er grade. The prompt payment
when due of such loans as had
been made by the Reconstruc
tion Finance Corporation to aid
in the development of Alaska pro
jects has encouraged that organiz
ation to extend is help to other
worthy properties in the Terri
tory and during the year a cred
it of more than a million dollars
was given for one of the placer
perations in the Tolovana dis
trict. Although it is probably
true that the days of bonanza
mining in Alaska by individuals
is past, the recent large-scale de
velopments in the Goodnews,
Fairbanks, Circle, Tolovana, and
Marshall districts, as well as in
many of the other camps, are ir-!
refutable proof that opportunit
ies still may be found for compet
ently planned and efficiently ad
ministered mining projects at
many places in the Territory.
Gold
The gold produced from Alaska
mines in 1939 is estimated to have
been worth $22,900,000. This value
is greater than for any other year
in the history of Alaska mining,
with the single exception of 1938,
which was only about $270,000
greater. In fact, the stated differ
ence between the production of
the two years is so small that it
may possibly disappear or even be
reversed when complete records
for 1939 become available. In this
comparison however it should be
remembered that in all years
[preceding 1934 the established
price of gold was $20.67 an ounce
whereas during and after that
year it has been $35. On the bas
is of quantity, therefore, the
amount of gold produced in 1939
1938 but also in each of the 13
has been exceeded not only in
years 1905 to 1917, inclusive. The
total value of the gold produced
in Alaska from the beginning of
productive mining in 1880 to the
present is estimated at $535,557,
; ooo.
Gold in Alaska comes from two
distinctly different types of de
posits—placers and lodes. In the
placers the gold is recovered
from gravel or other unconsol-!
idated deposits; in the lodes it
occurs in the solid rock or vein
matter. In 1939 the proportion of
gold produced from deposits of
these two types is estimated to
have been about 68 to 32, oir $15,
556,000 from placers and $7,344,
000 from lodes. Though the com
bined total amount of gold from
these sources was about the same
in 1939 as in 1938, the proportion
differs, the gold produced from
lodes in 1939 being worth about
$929,000 less than in 1938 and
that from placer about $659,000
more.
Lodes.—In 1939, as in the past,
the greater part of the lode gold
from Alaska mines came from
properties in Southeastern Alas
ka, notably those near Juneau
and on Chichagof Island, but less
er amounts came from a number
of smaller producers widely scat
tered throughout the region. Pre
liminary estimates indicate that
in 1939 somewhat more than 70
percen of the lode gold came
percent of the lode gold came
from this region, but its total val
ue seem to have been about 13
percent less than in 1938.
The second district in the
valuee of its lode-gold pro
duction was the Willow Creek
district at the head of Cook In
let. In the Yukon territory the
principal lode-gold district is that
near Fairbanks, where the com
bined production from a number
of small mines ahd prospects
puts that district in third place.
Flacers.—The increase in out- -
put of placer gold in 1939 was
due to the increased activity in
mining, as a result of which a
number of new projects began op
srations and many of the older
properties showed increased out
puts. Although the output for
1939 sets a high record of achieve
ment it is not regarded as so un
duly high that it cannot foe main
tained or bettered in the near fu
ure. In fact, throughout the Terri
tory, new placer-mining enter
prises were under way which
had not yet become fully pro
ductive, and none of the larger
deposits of the older operations
showed signs of being worked]
out. The Yukon region, including
16 principal productive mining
districts and scores of small
camps throughout its extent, con
tinued to lead in the output of
placer gold, the value of which is
estimated at more than $10,640,
000. Second in the list was Se
ward Peninsula, with 9 principal
districts, which had an estimated
output of placer gold worth
more than $3,565,000.
Of the gold won from placers,
by far the largest amount was
recovered by dredges, of which
there were 44 in operation in var
ious parts of Alaska. This num
ber does not include one dredge
in the Goodnews district of the
Kuskokwim region was was en
gaged primarily in mining plac
er platinum metals. The gold
dredges appear to have mined
about 69 percent of the total gold
recovered through placer opera
tions in 1939. Of these dredges 22
were Un Sewardl Peninsula!, in
the Nome, Bluff, Council, Fair
haven, Koyuk, Kougarok, Port
Clarence and Solomon districts;
19 were in the Yukon region, and
3 in the Kuskokwim region.
Silver
•No Alaska ores are mined sole
ly for their silver content, but
considerable silver is recovered
each year as a byproduct from
jOres and materials that are prin
| cipally valuable for some other
j metal. It is estimated that in 1939
about 227,300 ounces valued at
$154,300 was produced from this
source. In the past the copper
ores were the principal ones that
have yielded silver, but as the
larger copper mines discontinued
operation in 1938, practically no
significant amounts of silver
were obtained from ores of this
sort in 1939. Nearly two-thirds
of the silver produced from Al
aska mines in 1939 came from
ores whose principal value lies in
their gold content, and about one
third of the silver was associated
with the gold recovered in the
course of placer mining.
Platinum Metals
The production of platinum
metals from Alaska deposits in
1939 showed some falling off
| from the extraordinarily high
mark set in 1938, the total being
estimated as approximately 25,
300 fine ounces, valued at about
$936,000. In spite of the decrease
its production in 1939 places Al
aska among the half dozen larg
est platinum producing coun
tries of the world. By far the
greater part of this production
comes from mines in the Good
news distirct near the mouth of
the Kuskokwim River, in south
western Alaska. The deposits
there are mined by dredge and
draglines in practically the same
manner as are the more com
mon gold placers. In computing
the value of the production for
1939 the average price for the
composite material has been ten
tatively assumed to be $37 an
ounce. This is a litle higher than
the price of pure platinum as
determined for 11 months by the
Engineering and Mining Journal
$36.45, because the Geological
Survey figure includes such div
erse platinum materials as pallad
ium, which usually sells for less
than $25 an otince, and rhodium,
which usually sells for more than
$100 an ounce.
Coal
The output of coal from Alas
ka mines in 1939 is estimated to
have been 147,000 tons, valued at
$588,000. This output has been
exceeded in quantity during only
one year since coal mining has
been carried on in the Territory
the year 1939 in which it was
only about 12,000 greater. By far
the larger part of the coal now
being produced from Alaska
mines comes from the Healy Riv
er field which lies on the north
ern slope if the Alaska Range,
_
r*1 ' 1 " I ■ »| J 3 3 .mill ' — I
ALASKA’S SHIPS CAN KEEP RUNNING and give Alaska’s people
good transportation, regular mail service the year around. That’s because
75% of Alaska’s steamship revenue is paid by the Canned Salmon
Industry for shipments of salmon, building materials, cannery supplies
and transportation of crews. It’s another way in which the Salmon
Industry helps to promote prosperity here.
■ * —* *
in Central Alaska. This coal is
mined and sold by the Healy Riv
er Coal Corporation. The coal is
a high-grade lignite that is used
mainly for generating power in
the Farbanks district. The rest
of the coal produced from Alaska
mines in 1939 come from deposits
in the Matanuska field, near the
head of Cook Inlet. This coal is
of bituminous rank and is the
principal source of supply for the
fuel used on te Alaska Railroad.
Other Minerals
A number of other minerals
products came from Alaska min
es in 1939 which together added
several hundred thousand dollars
to the mineral output of the Terri
tory in that year. Among these
lead, tin, limerook, antimony, and
copper were commercially the
most valuable.
Deposits of other mineral com
modities, such as chromium, moly
bdeum, nickel, quicksilver, tung
sten, barite, graphite, gypsum and
sulphur which are known to occur
in Alaska and some lof which at
times in past years have swelled
the total output of the Territory
lay dormant or attracted little ex
ploitation at current prices, but
they form reserves that may be!
of potential value to the Nation.1
The statistics for 1939, contain
ed in this release are preliminary
estimates and are subject of re
vision because information re
ceived before the end of the year
is necessarily based on incom
plete records. The final figures
will appear in the Geological Sur
vey’s annual report on the min
cral resources of Alaska, now in
preparation.
For Oualitv Service
and
Prompt Delivery
Call
Modern Cleaners
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
No. 613
In the Probate Court in and For
..The Cape Nome Precinct, Terri-..
. tory of Alaska.
In the matter of the estate of
HANS MIROW, Deceased.
Notice is hereby given that by
order of the Probate Court in
and for the Cape Nome Precinct,
Alaska, the undersigned has been
appointed Executrix of the es
tate of HANS MIROW, deceased.
All persons having claims again
st said estate shall present them
with proper vouchers attached,
within six months from the date
of this notice to the undersigned
at Nome, Alaska, or to her
through her attorney, Leroy M.
Sullivan, at his office in the City
Hall in Nome, Alaska.
Dated at Nome, Alaska. Jan
uary 8, 1940.
Madeleine Mirow
Executrix
Publish Jan. 8 15 22 29, 1940.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
No. 615
In the Probate Court in and for
The Cape Nome Precinct, Terri
tory of Alaska
In the matter of the estate of
JAMES HAUGHEY, Deceased.
Notice is hereby given that by
order of 'the Probate Court in
and for the Cape Nome Precinct,
Territory of tht Alaska, the un
der signed has been appointed
Executor of the estate of JAMES
HAUGHEY, deceased. All persons
having claims against said estate
shall present them with proper
vouchers attached, within six
months from the date of this no
tice to the undersigned at Nome,
Alaska.
Dated at Nome, Alaska, Jan
uary 15, 1940.
Aimer Rydeen,
Executor
Publish Jan 15,22,29, Feb 5,1940
NOTTQE TO CREDITORS
In the Probate Court for the
Noatak-Kobuk Precinct, Terri
tory of Alaska, Second Division
In the matter of the estate of
FRANK STOKER, Deceased.
Notice is hereby given that the
undersigned Geo. H. Wagner has
been appointed by the above en
titled court, administrator of the
estate of Frank Stoker, deceas
ed. All persons having claims
against the estate of said deceas
ed are hereby required to pre
sent the same, duly verified, to
the undersigned administrator of
the said estate, at Kotzebue, Al
aska, within six months from the
date of this notice.
Dated at Kotzebue, Alaska,
this 15th day of January, 1940.
Geo. H. Wagner,
Administrator of the estate
of Frank Stoker, deceased.
Publish Jan 15,22,29 Feb 5,1940
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BAKERY GOODS
ALWAYS FRESH
FOOD ALWAYS GOOD
Lyous & Orton
Attorneys At Law
Rooms 918-921 Alaska Building
Seattle, Washington
rhos. R. Lyons Ira D. Orton
CHAS. CAVEY
Has Opened A Liquor Store
Carrying an Assortment
of Fine Liquors, Win
es, and Beers.
FRONT ST. NOMS.
L. O. O. M.
No. 1413
Meets first and third Mondays
of each month
Odd Fellows Hall, 8'p. m.
Pioneer Water Co.
Fresh, Sparkling Spring Water
ALWAYS AT YOUR SERVICE
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Phone Black 44 or Main 13