HIGHLY TECHNICAL
AVERSE TRANSPORTATION AND
LOW METAL PRICES ARE
HANDICAPS
In a highly technical advance
bulletin on the Totonduk-Nation
region, or what is known as the
Porcupine-Yukon area, a triangul
ar shaped area of about 600 square
miles, J. B. Murtie, Jr., of the Geo
logical Survey, says: “It is contig
uous to important mineral districts
and may itself have possibilities of
mineral production.”
Reporting on the Mount Eielson
district, visited last summer in the
general mineral survey of the rail
road zone, John C. Reed, M. E.,
U. S. Geological Survey, says the
district lies about 30 miles east of
Mount McKinley. Material given
off by the granodiorite permeated
the inclosing seriments and select
ively replaced them with minerals
of the epidote (metamorphosed
rocks) and to some extent with
sphalerite (zinc sulfid), galena,
chalcopyrite and pyrite.
The ore-bearing zone can be
traced for about four miles along
the north side of the granodiorite
mass. Its width on the surface is
not uniform, but its depth is about
2,000 feet. Sphalerite is the most
abundant sulphide and is several
times as abundant as galena. Chal
copyrite is present in minor quan
tities. The small amount of silver
in the ore is irregularly distributed.
Very little development has been
done in the district, s.s much of the
potentially valuable ground lies be
neath a cover of post-mineral de
posits, and the most urgent need
is for systematic prospecting.
The present natural exposures
and prospect pits indicate a re
serve of many hundreds of thous
ands of tons of zinc and lead-bear
ing material, which, from the in
dications of the few assays, should
carry at least 10 per cent of total
sulphides. Silver would, no doubt,
be recovered, but is generally low
and spotted. The silver content
does not seem to bear any very
definite relation to the lead con
tent. It is possible that the copper
would also be recovered, but it
would be a subordinate product
The mining conditions at Mount
Eielson are good, especially for a
large-scale operation. Most of the
ore zone could be developed to a
depth of several hundred feet by
a tunnel.
The rock and ore are massive
and would require little timbering.
The individual ore bodies are large
enough to lend themselves to some
caving method of mining. There
is no timber in the district. Suf
ficient coal could be mined a few
miles to the north. Unless a road
was built, it would have to be trans
ported over frozen ground. It is
possible that Grant Creek could be
developed on a small scale for
power.
The ore would be concentrated
in a mill at Mount Eielson. Its
mineralogy is simple, and galena,
sphalerite and chalcopyrite could
be separated. The concentrates
could be trucked, during the sum
mer, to McKinley Park station.
Perhaps a cheaper way would be to
haul them by tractor in winter.
Even with these favorable con
ditions and abundance of mineral,
a warning note is sounded in the
following significant words:
"The cost of this part of the
journey (by truck or tractor) would
be nearly negligible compared to
the cost of shipment to Seward by
j the Alaska Railroad, according to
the present quoted rate of $L63
per ICO pounds (or $32.60 per ton)
i of lead concentrates for a 50,000
pound minimum shipment from;
McKinley Park station to Seward, j
and $1.22 for a corresponding ship- j
ment of zinc concentrates.
"It seems doubtful that a suc
cessful mining enterprise could be
carried on at Mount Eielson under
the existing metal prices and the
adverse transportation.”
Superintendent Peterson, of An
| chorage. has recently received word
i from the secretary of the North
west Association of Secondary and
Higher Schools that the Anchorage
High School has been fully accred
ited with the association.
Fancy Winesap Apples, $2-00 per
box... Brown & Hawkins.
FEEDING FOXES
If you are interested in a feed
that will produce quantity and
quality at a small cost, write Bert
Elstad, Petersburg, Alaska.
Seattle Purity Ice Cream; most
delicious. ALASKA SHOP.
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addresses, descriptions, §1.00.
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salespeople and sales managers,
either sex, to direct magazine cir
culation campaign. Can also
place local or traveling circula
tion agents to work immediately.
Subscription agencies write for
our list. Give references and past
record of performances. Special
offers free. No investment nec
essary. We furnish everything.
Spanish American Circulation
Co., Box 343, San Juan, Porto
Rico.
FOB SALE—First class 20-foot boat
built special for outboard engine
with 8 hp. Johnson; tools, extra
parts; all as good as new... Sacri
fice. Inquire Gateway.
FOR SALE—Well bred Chesapeake
puppies. Enquire The Gateway.
OF PIONEER LIFE
In the absence of a public school
at Kasilof, Mrs. Archie McLean, a
settler there, has established a lit
i tie volunteer school at her home
for the neighbors’ children, with
i all rules and discipline that go to
j make up the regular organization.
Handicapped by lack of funds
I with which to purchase school sup
plies, Mrs. McLean appealed to W.
K. Keller, territorial school com
I missioner, for the much-needed
! text books. Mr. Keller lost no
time in getting them to Kasilof,
making up a consignment from a
surplus at Fairbanks. A more
complete assortment was later sent
from Juneau, which included a
generous lot of “busy work” for
j little tots.
Milk VILLAGE IN
TOUGH WITH WORLD
Radio has conquered the Aleu
tian Islands, ushering in a new era
for the far-flung Alaska Peninsula
in terms of progress and content
ment. |
Before the advent of radio broad
casting, communication with the j
villagers of these far away islands
was limited solely to monthly mail
delivery by steamer from Seward.
Daily news journals reach the is
lands once a month.
Uncle Sam has several telegraph
stations situated at strategical
points on the islands. The convey
ance of information over these
lines is limited to official and com
mercial business, being built es-,
pecially for maintaining quick and
sure means of communication.
Now the islanders have been
drawn into closer communion by
radio broadcasting. Instead of lis
tening to howling winds and crash
of surf, Aleutian inhabitants re
cline in their comfortable abodes
and hear the latest Broadway song
hits, daily news events and other
forms of radio entertainment from
KFQD, Anchorage. It is said that
radio broadcasting from New York,
Hollywood, Salt Lake City, Fort
Worth and countless other sta
tions scattered over the world is
received with perfect clearness.
The record of radio achievement
on this western frontier of the
North Amrican continent would be
incomplete without mention of the
inauguration of a daily newspaper
at Umnak village on Umnak Island.
It is published five days a week by
E. P. Stowell, a young University of
Washington graduate and school
teacher in the division of Indian
Affairs. World news received daily
by radio is recorded in shorthand
and mimeographed for distribution
on the island. It is read daily to
pupils in the local school and
posted in the village store where
eager groups gather to disseminate
the latest tidings.
During the winter terrific gales
often make steamer landings im
possible. Hence mail delivery is
often delayed for several months.
Commenting on the local situa
tion, one islander recently said: “It
has been over two months since
the mail boat has left us any mail
and we are beginning to feel the
isolation. Only the radio keeps us
in touch with important happen
ings in the Outside world.”
FURTHEST NORTH MILL
ME ARCTIC CIRCLE
The farthest north operating
sawmill on the North American
continent is located in Alaska,
above the Arctic circle. The mill
is owned and operated by Archie
Ferguson, veteran Kobuk mining
man. It is situated at Salawik, a
vlilage of 275 inhabitants on the
eastern shore of Selawik lake, in
northwestern Alaska, near Kotze
I bue sound.
i The remote condition of the dis
i trict adds to mining a costly item
in transportation expense which is
not met in other areas favorably
situated in proximity to rail and
watetr transportation. Thus the
operation of the sawmill affords
the inhabitants there access to
the local timber supply.
Earl Means of Cordova reports
that the Strand-Jensen Fisheries
are going to experiment in oyster
culture in that vicinity and that
they also were going to provide the
Cordova market with fresh oysters
from their Puget Sound beds.
Dr. W. Chase of Cordova recent
ly announced he was retiring
from the medical profession for
i the time being at least and would
be devoting his entire time to a
project which would be of great
value in the development of Cor
dova. Dr. H. W. Kikkelsen has
i taken over his practice.
Complete line of U. S. Geodetic
Survey charts, tide tables and date
books for 1932. Alaska Shop.
The Forester, a launch under
construction by J. D. Martinao &
Company, Tacoma, was launched
last week in a shipyards there.
The vessel, a 56-foot craft, is ex
pected to be completed within two
weeks. It will be brought north
immediately and make its head
quarters at Juneau.
Four men narrowly escaped with
their lives when a snowslide swept
down upon the mess house, the
bunk house and the drying house
of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining
Company’s Camp No. 1, in Gold
Creek Basin, and totally destroyed
all three buildings.
Mineral production in the Unit
ed States amounts to $5,500,000,000
annually.
I
| If these racketeering protective
associations resort to bombs in
wrecking business houses who have
the guts to refuse to pay tribute,
why don’t the citizens, in the ab
sence of police protection, form
vigilante groups and bomb the var
ious racketeering headquarters and
homes of the crooks?
Among the recent actions of the
House was to place a tariff of $2
on coal and coke. This at the be
hest of the Pocahontas mines. This,
at least, should please the Utah
Senators whose coal may now se
cure a monopoly over the Canadian
product in Alaskan markets.
Roller skates should be put on all
government buildings and projects
in Alaska to facilitate quick re
moval from town to town.
The Minnesota Bankers’ Asso
ciation believes that the local news
papers are the most logical, effect
ive and economical medium at
hand with which to advertise
banks, and to build confidence in
both the banks and the communi
ties served by the banks.
The new “lame duck” law may
enable the lame ducks to get their
Federal appointive jobs sooner.
SO HE STARTED A FARM
Mike Cotter owned a horse. He
went prospecting and established
a headquarters about 40 miles from
the Gakona trail, and between
Chistochina and Gakona. Some of
the horse’s grain spilled on the
ground, some of the potato peel
ings began to sprout, also the
grain. Thus, Mike discovered that
these things would grow. He plant
ed a crop, got a bull and some cows,
and started a dairy ranch. The
Nabesna is not far distant. Mike
is sitting pretty. So says the Chit
ina Weekly Herald.
Kodaks and Kodak Supplies—de
veloping, printing, enlarging and
picture framing. Alaska Shop.
Every Month in the
Year
May 17
June 21
July 19
August 23
September 20
October 18
November 22
December 20
Advances will be made
as usual when request
ed. Transferred by tel
egraph if desired.
Special sales held on
request of shippers.
Seattle FurExch ange
65 MARION STREET VIADUCT
SEATTLE. U S A
Call it a
R*
eason
The thing I like most about Chesterfields
. . . is the neat way they’re made. It may
sound fussy . . . probably does . . . but I
just can’t bear to get little crumbs of to
bacco in my mouth.
“I never really enjoyed smoking until
I discovered Chesterfields. Perhaps you
have noticed how nicely they’re filled.
Every one of them is rolled just right.
“And do you know . . . the more I
smoke Chesterfields, the better I like the
taste. It’s not raw . . . and it’s not over
sweet. It’s just sweet enough so that you
never tire of it. I find Chesterfields are
really milder, too!”
© 1932, Xxcgett & Myers Tobacco Co.
Chesterfield Radio Program
Mon. & Thur. Tues. & Fri. Wed. & Sat.
6:30 pkm. FT. 6: 30ip.m. P.T. 6 p.m. P.T.
BOSWELL ALEX RUTH
SISTERS GRAY ETTING
SHILKRET'S ORCHESTRA every nigh! but Sunday
CujaAztte tfuiZj MILDER . . .
Tibe, Ci^aAettc that" TASTES BETTER