REPORT ON PROGRESS OF INVESTIGATIONS OF 
MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALASKA IN 1904. 
Bv Alfred H. Brooks and others. 
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT. 
By Alfred H. Brooks 
INTRODUCTION. 
During the last two years the United States Geological Survey has 
met the demand of the mining public for early publication of economic 
results by issuing an annual bulletin entitled a "Contributions to 
Economic Geology." Though these volumes have made no attempt 
to treat exhaustively any of the subjects discussed, and while many of 
the included papers have been but the barest outlines, they have met 
a cordial reception from those interested in developing the mineral 
resources of the country. 
Among the many papers in these bulletins were a number devoted 
to the mineral deposits of Alaska. In view of the rapid extension of 
the Alaskan work of the Geological Survey and its segregation in a 
distinct division, it has seemed desirable to issue a separate publica- 
tion containing the papers summarizing the previous year's work. 
It is proposed to present here papers of the same character as those 
which have in previous years been included in the economic bulletins, 
namely: (1) preliminary reports on investigations in progress or com- 
pleted; (2) an account of the less important results which will not find 
publication elsewhere, and (3) summary statements of the progress of 
mining developments in various parts of the Territory. 
The appropriations for the Alaskan work are specifically made for 
an investigation of mineral resources. In this fact lies the justification 
of the policy consistently followed of doing work that promises to be 
of immediate service to the mining interests, rather than of entering 
upon minute studies which have for their purpose the ultimate deter- 
mination of the laws of occurrence of mineral deposits. Furthermore, 
a Bulls. U. S. Geol. Survey Nos. 213 and 225. 
13 
