THE ECONOMIC EVOLUTION OF ALASKA 



591 



This table illustrates the general trend 

 of Alaskan products, and the consequent 

 development of special industries associ- 

 ated therewith. 



In the total values of $328,000,000 furs 

 have contributed 21 per cent ; fish, 34 per 

 cent, and minerals 45 per cent. 



As indicative of the importance of the 

 fisheries, it is pointed out that it was not 

 until 1899 that their values became sub- 

 ordinate to those of the minerals. 



COPPER 



The great copper resources of Alaska 

 have been barely touched, the output to 

 date scarcely exceeding $2,500,000. Up 

 to 1908 there had been mined about 105 

 short tons of copper, of which 60 per cent 

 came from Prince of Wales Island and 

 the balance from Prince William Sound. 

 About 1,000,000 short tons are said to be 

 now in sight, and with promising pros- 

 pects elsewhere it is certain that the cop- 

 per yield of Alaska will enormously in- 

 crease in the near future. The con- 

 tiguity of copper and coal in the water- 

 shed of the lower Copper River offers 

 unusual advantages for economical pro- 

 duction. 



COAL 



The known coal-bearing areas exceed 

 100 square miles, but it is estimated that 

 there are over 1,000 square miles in the 

 Territory. Large areas near Controller 

 Bay and in the Matanuska Valley are cov- 

 ered by high-grade anthracite and semi- 

 anthracite coals, which must ultimately be 

 of very great value to the entire Pacific 

 Coast region. The entire coal tonnage of 

 Alaska is estimated at fifteen thousand 

 millions of short tons ; of this sixteen 

 hundred millions are anthracite and five 

 hundred millions of short tons semi- 

 anthracite. 



While questions of title and transporta- 



tion are at present unfavorable to early 

 exploitation, there is no doubt that there 

 will be a material coal output at an early 

 day. 



MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS 



Among other products of lesser com- 

 mercial importance, under existing con- 

 ditions, may be mentioned petroleum, 

 tin, lead, silver, gypsum, marble, iron, 

 antimony, quicksilver, graphite, and min- 

 eral waters. Timber is exceedingly valu- 

 able for local purposes, but its exploita- 

 tion for export is not at all probable ; 

 indeed, its shipment out of the Territory 

 is forbidden by law. 



While the widely distributed lignitic 

 and high-grade coals make peat of no 

 present value, yet it will some day be a 

 valuable asset, it being generally present 

 in great quantities. On the Alaska Pe- 

 ninsula it has been found a valuable fuel 

 in places, owing to its being saturated 

 with petroleum residue. 



The four known petroleum fields have 

 to the present been of local value only. 

 The abundance and consequent low price 

 of Californian petroleum makes competi- 

 tion for foreign markets impracticable 

 for Alaskan producers. 



On Prince of Wales Island there are 

 large bodies of magnetite iron, estimated 

 as aggregating about three millions of 

 tons. 



Silver, lead, and zinc are generally 

 incidental to gold mining. As separate 

 ore bodies they have not yet been com- 

 mercially successful, though galena de- 

 posits are considered valuable today. 



Marble is now quarried in large and 

 steadily increasing quantities. 



It must not be thought that the furs, 

 fish, and minerals of Alaska are its only 

 resources or products. There have been 

 built and installed by Alaskan hands and 

 from Alaskan materials eleven incorpo- 

 rated cities, which are modern in their 

 equipment and permanent in their con- 

 struction. The taxable values, which are 

 thought by many to be about one-half the 

 true values, aggregated in 1907 $10,000,- 

 000, and the value of property in the un- 

 incorporated settlements reaches at least 

 five millions more. The 350 miles of 



