Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-03-14
kUILANB HERALD.
SATURDAY, NARoH Q, 1851.
Yhs Mineral ResouTeos sf she
United states


One OF the great leading interests OF
our country is mining. 10 the variety,
sy,en, and abundance Of It's minerals, e.
p,eially fossil Goals, iron, copper, petro-
leuu, silve. and gold, the United States
IA ,he foremost in the world, and with
wise legislation, a. no distant day VIII
far surpass all others. In gold mining
II already takes the lead, the amount
prodnced in 1866 as shown from care
fully prepared statistics, reaching nearly
one hundred millions OF dollars, while
tina, OF Australia, the next most pro-
duc,iye. was only seventy million Of
dollars. The value Of coal mined In
1850, according TO the census returns, is
sl9se5,765 OF iron about T,0OO,OOOi
copper 100000, While the value OF its
petroleum was less then 81 100000, In
1868 the amount and value Of these pro-
ducts far exceeded these figures, making
in The aggregate fully s2l1 100000.
II should be remembered, that mining
in the United States Is but in its inisncy'
Our vast silver and gold territory,
Astounding with precious metals, en-
braciHg nearly one-Gourth OF our entire
national domain, at this time was only
ACQUIRED In 1S48. The success which
has thus far attended mining in this new
field, has come principally from Califor-
mia, Ofthe one hundred millions, seventy
millions alone, or two.thirds came from
that State. She has thus taken the lead,
no, because her deposits are richer, but
because she was easiest of access Of any
portion of the great Pacific gold region.
It is well known that immense auriter-
Gus districts, some Of them in extent
and richness far exceeding any known in
California, exist in the States Of Oregon,
Nevada, the territories of Washington,
Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado, New
Mexico, and Arizona, in which 1t can
hardly be said that mining has yet been
begun.
When the hidden treasures OF these
States and Territories are as fully de-
yeloped as those of California, the
United States will produce billion OF
fhe precious metals annually, and when
all reach their full developemeut,iro five
TO ten thousand millions. Such figures
may to us seem fabulous, but TO this
generation they will appear q great re-
allty. From the facts known OF our
Pacific and Trans-Paci1c States and Ter
ritories, the prediction may be safely
made that in fifty years their product
will exceed five millions per annum.
In the older States, especially Penn
sylyania, iron mining has been carried
on eo-temporaneous with the existence OF
the government itself, but for the most
part neither upon an extensive or sue
cessful scale, for the reason that much OF
Abe time of the legislation at Washington
has been against the American iron
masters and in favor Of those Of Eng
land.
Petroleum as new mineral, almost
unknown twelve years ago, and not
dreamed of as a source Of industry and
commerce, its developements have been
sudden, marvellous and unprecedented,
increasing in the amount and value of
its products in less than six years from
few hundred thousand dollars to over
thirty millions, and little as we know OF
Its subterranean existence, so far as the
whole country is concerned, yet enough
10 known to place it certainly among the
great sources of the national wealth and
prosperity.
Prom this brief summary Of facts and
figures In relation to the material re-
sources, our national debt, though 1t
may impose burdens for season, is not
certainly very alarming.