Mines Bulletin Gives Second Division
Developments, Notes To Prospectors,
And Word of Caution to Claim Holders
TDM Bulletin, November, 1953 15
SECOND DIVISION
The big event in the Nome Dis
trict is the development of plans
to open the Big Hurrah Mine. All
agencies are reportedly coopera
ting.
The Alaska Road Commission
has rebuilt three miles of road
and has promised to keep it open
through the winter. The Territor
ial Department of Aviation will
bui Id an airfield.
A post office will be established
and a thrice-weekly mail schedule
will be flown by Alaska Airlines.
Radio communications are be
ing set up with the cooperation of
ACS. School facilities are under
construction.
All tin operations are now shut
down for the winter with the ex
ception of the lode mine at Lost
River. The Lost River Mine has a
current payroll of approximately
100 men.
It has been reported that' the
Northern Commercial Company
Caterpillar Department at Nome
has received its largest order in
• many years for “cats” and “cat”
\ parts for next year’s placer opera
j tions in the Second Division.
NOTES FOR PROSPECTORS
\ The interest in iron deposits is
i still high. Representatives of steel
companies will be in the territory
again next year looking for possi
bilities. Anyone knowing of rea
sonably accessible occurrences of
iron would do well to investigate
them to determine whether the
tonnage is likely to be large.
With the development of the
new treatment methods for low
grade iron ores in the Mesabi
Rajige, the possibilities of mining
de^psits like Klukwan and Snett
isha^n in Alaska are increasing.
Large deposits of barite are in
demand for use as drilling mud in
the petroleum industry. For this
use, the barite must be low in cal
cium ; and have a specific gravity
higher than 4.2. As the price of
barite is low, the deposit would
have t6 be near water transporta
tion.
Another industrial mineral that
is in increasing demand s feldspar.
In addition to the glass and cera
mic industries which have long
used feldspars, it is now reported
that the steel industry is begin
ning to use feldspar as a flux in
new smelting processes.
Another new use is in cleansers.
Like barite, feldspar is low priced
and deposits would have to be
large and near water transporta
tion to be of commercial interest.
Flourite, or fluorspar, is yet an
other industrial mineral for which
there is a growing demand. The
price for it is presently quoted at
from $40 to $60 per ton, depending
on grade. It is used largely by the
steel industry as a flux and also
by the hydrofluoric acid industry.
This latter industry is expand
ing rapidly because of the increas
ing use of derivatives by the pet
roleum industry in making insec
>
ticides and refrigerants.
The most common occurrence
of fluorite is in limestones as vein
filling with quartz and calcite.
An informative article on fluor
ite can toe found on Page 52 of the
Sept. 1953 issue of the “Western
Miner.”
The Territorial Department of
Mines can furnish names and ad
dresses of possible purchasers of
these and other minerals to any
one wishing to contact them.
As stated in an earlier TDM
Bulletin, many of the copies of
location certificates and assess
ment work affidavits that are
coming into the Juneau office of
the Territorial Dept, of Mines are
improperly done, or show that im
proper work has been done on the
claim.
This, of course, places the claim
holder’s ground in jeopardy in
case of a contest or in case the
present noted trend in Washing
ton continues toward stricter en
forcement of mineral laws with
regard to holding mining ground.
The thought now is that we
might write to individual claim
holders whose records appear to
be faulty and tell them confiden
tially what they are doing wrong.
Before we start on a program of
this type, we would like to know
what Alaskan claim holders think
of it. Therefore, we would apprec
iate hearing from anyone who has
an opinion on the matter. Please
address your letters to the Com
missioner pf Mines, Territorial
Department of Mines, Box 1391,
Juneau, Alaska.
It has been brought to our at
tention also that many persons
who know we are receiving copies
of their records are assuming that
they must be correct if they hear
nothing further on it. In other
words, they are assuming that si
lent acceptance of their records
amounts to an approval of them
by the Territorial Department of
Mines.
It would appear, then, that if
these claim holders lost claims
later because of some error in
their records, they would hold the
Department of Mines responsible
for not having informed them.
We would like to make it clear
to all concerned that the Territor
ial Department of Mines has no
authority or jurisdiction over this
phase of mining in Alaska, but
feel that the department should
do everything possible to clarify
and protect the miner’s or pros
pector’s interests in his claims.
JET REQUIREMENTS
It takes 8,854 parts and 87 dif-.
ferent kinds of specialists to
create one of the big jet engines
that power America’s latest mili
tary aircraft. These 87 types of
specialists perform several thou
sand different engineering and
precision manufacturing jobs.
Black Muktuk — Na-koo
— Ai The U. S. Merc —
f. - z:—-..- .—---.—r\
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
GE HOT PLATE THOR GLADIRON
GE MAZDA LAMPS GE VACUUM SWEEPER
GE WASHING MACHINE GE AUTOMATIC ROASTER
Northern Light & Power Co.
| • •
Alfred Mazonna of Wales
Reputed to be Biggest,
Strongest Eskimo Alive
Alfred Mazonna, ANICA store
manager at Wales, is reputed to
be the biggest and strongest Eski
mo alive.
He stands 6 feet 1 inch tall, tips
the scales at 24'6 pounds, and
takes a size 50 jacket or shirt. So
you can see why he is known from
one end of Alaska to another as
“Big Alfred.”
John Paden reports that he has
seen Alfred actually lift 280
pounds with one hand and heave
it over his head. Alfred is a full
blooded Eskimo and a splendid
example of his race of fine people.
With all his great bulk and
physical prowess, he has a keen
brain and shows it in his deal
ings with the problems of his na
tive villagers and with ANICA.
Defense Dept. Considers
Closing Commissaries
Near Civilian Stores
WASHINGTON, UP) — The De
fense Department is reportedly
considering closing commissaries
at military installations where
civilian stores can be reached
within 20 minutes.
Rep. Brooks (D-La) conferred
with department officials on the
matter this week and afterward
said he was told the 20-minute
rule was under consideration.
He said he assumed it meant 20
minutes walking time. Brooks said
a 20-minute automobile trip could
involve considerable distance.
Congress earlier this year dir
ected the Defense Department to
see what could be done to elimi
nate government-operated stores
on military posts in this country
and let private concerns handle
the business.
'
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Old Sunny Brook adds
a “cheerful” note
that makes a gather
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KENTUCKY STRAIGHT
BOURBON WHISKEY
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NEW SCHEDULE
DC-3 FLIGHTS
Arrive 11:30 a.m. Daily except Tuesday
Depart 12:00 noon For Anchorage
TUESDAY
Arrive 11:40 a. m. From Anchorage Depart 12:00 noon For Kotzebue
Arrive 2:40 p. m. From Kotzebue Depart 3:10 p. m. For Anchorage
SCHEDULED UNALAKLEET STOPS, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY
Reservations for any other day should be made by 9:00 a.m. on day of travel
BUSH FLIGHTS
Leave Nome at 9:00 a.m.
Monday
Solomon Koyuk
White Mt. Unalakleei Golovin
Golovin Shaktoolik White Mt.
Koyuk Haycock Nome
Tuesday
Teller Teller
Lost River t Nome
Wednesday
Council Whi. Mi. Golovin Wht. Mt. Nome
Deering Candle Kotzebue Nome
Thursday
Teller Tin City Teller
Lost River Wales Nome
Shishmaref
Friday
Solomon Haycock
White Mt. Unalakleet Koyuk
Golovin Shaktoolik Golovin
Elim Mission *Ungalik White Mt.
Koyuk * 1st & 3rd Fri. Nome
Saturday
Teller Lost River Tin City Teller Nome
All freight should be in freight office by 4:00 p.m. preceding day of flight
'SfH I I I ■ II III I I M J