The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1874-07-08
GOLD AND SILVER.
Sixteen Hundred millions Dug Out on
the Pacific Coast.
san Francisco Chronicle, June 8.

'' 4 'HN ifN' A'HN '''"' ''
\ quarter of a century has elapsed
since the magic cry of gold gold
from the Pacific coast excited the na
| tions, and still the metallic tide con
tinues to pour forth in a flood which
gathers strength and force as it trolls on.
True, the yield from particular local.
ties seems at times to become exhausted,
but new fields are continually being
discovered, newer and mjghtier placers
of gold, newer and broader seams OF
silver, while new modes of working
again make the old places fruitful. The
| enormous extent of those that still lie
undeveloped can hardly be conceived
by even the most extravaganza imagina,
ton. The volume Of gold and silver
already poured into the Golfers of the
world taken from beneath the a"lluvial
soil Of this coast and torn from the
bowels of its mountains is hardly any
better appreciated. Abroad there ex-
but to come e to GG3'a1lifoar1nGia and STAY a
dozen years to go forth Il millionaire
but MS the total yield since the first
miner struck The first pick in the sol Of
the valley of the Sacramento, as to the
annual yield, whether it is increasing or
decreasing as to what becomes OF it
when mined, where it goes TO and the
part that it afterward plays in gov
eminent and commerce, comparatively
few are aware. Therefore it is that the
Chronicle proposes in a short article to
give a summary of all that is interes'
ing or important on these points to its
readers. And notwithstanding the ex-
banded ideas of California wealth that
exist abroad and at home, it will sur
prise not a few to learn that one third
of all the gold and silver coined and IN
coined in circulation in the world, and
a half of that used in America, EuroDe
and Australia, has been the product of
the Pacific coast from 1913 to 1874.
The precious metal product of the
coast nearly equaled a value of 81, 600
600, 600, the exact figures being 81, 5S3,-
GA, 934, of which 81, 347, 500, SOB was
gold and 1886, 1876, 431 silver. But for
the immense product poured into the
Golfers of commerce, it is difficult to
imagine how the latter could have been
carried on, enormous as its increase has
been, without a general and correspond
ing depreciation in prices, or q vast ex-
pansion of the system of credits and pa
r." Hf""~J' IT, IL IT-:A-I nt-I- -,
particular, it has supplied nearly 5000 :
OOO,0 600 of all the precious met lis used
IN coinage and the arts since the form
datlon of the government. The total
amount coined up to the end of 1873
was nearly $3.50, 900, 00O, of which $3.50
OOO,OOO has been from California gold
and silver. What would have been
done without this, and how commerce
could have been carried on with FOREIGN
nations, are questions that are ~puzzlinp.
1t seems, indeed, that the general pro-
gress of not only the Pacific coast. bnt
Of t e whole nation, would have been
very sensibly retarded. England, since
184S, has loaned eight thousand million
dollars to the nations, and this she has
been enabled to do by means of The
gold and silver product of America and
Australia-mainly the former. At least
five Thousand millions of this SIM,
bringing a yearly interest of two bnr.
dred and fifty millions of dollars has
been derived from the Pacific coast
Nearly all that we have sent east, and
$50, 0OO, 900 more, has gone thither and
has been loaned some half O. dozen
times. England lends gold and silver
obtained from the United States. in ex.
change for goods, to France. Franco
pays 1t back again for merchandise.
Then it is borrowed by Germany, and
by that nation paid back for manufac.
lures, when it is again loared to Russia
and so on. BY this system one dollar
in coin is sometimes made to perform
the work of a dozen, and hence II is
that the capitalists of England, grow
rich on the handling Of the product of
our lodes and placers.,
OF the whole yield California has
produced three-fourths, or 81. O94 9I9
098, nearly all gold. with n small
of silver. 1t is thought that
there exist mammoth silver Iodes in va
parts of the state, abut thew all
pale their Intellectual fires before the
wondrons ores of Nevada. This state
comes next, having produced since 1860
upward of 1921, 1902 40 in gold aud
silver, thr~ee-fourths having come out of
he wonderful mines of the Comsfock.
The greater portion of this has been
although in many mines the gold
Orms Mt least One-third of the prpcious |
yielded in the assay. Utah.
long known as n country rich in
he precious metals. has only lately
,een a producer of them. The terrific
Y has produced $1S,527, 537, principally
liver, and is increasing in production
t a great rate. In fact, its
0 this way are simply inexhaustihle.
iQntaDa first became known in 1862.
for two or three years it's placers
ave great promise, but they have lately
aased to yield much, and quartz min
Is not being pushed with sufficient
igor to make amends for the failure of
ne placers. It has produced altogether
D to the present time S119. 3OS. lat.
he same may be said Of Idaho, which
as produced S57,249, 1877. Colorado,
a mining field, is Just about being
aveloped, and will make for itself. nv
Id by, as great a name rs Nevada or
atifornia. It has produced about $40
Z. 1000. Oregon and Washington have
history very similar 10 that of Idaho.
hev have produced S25, sol, $50. Brit
h Columbia has added about 50 GOO I
% to the riches of the coast, and Ari- ]
ma a small sum; but that territory is t
pable of being made to support A t
rye mining population. It's being /
med at present as a mining territory
a seeming misnomer, rs its Weld il t
small, but it has great and undo. i
capacities. '
For the last seven years the yield of b
precious metals on this coast has c
undressing steadily, last year having o
about II per cent, being )
1857, 1876 against $40, $50, GA in 1872. L
Is was principally due 10 Neva5 a. b
Increase of which last year, was IN. n
'cedentedly great But the yield of L
tho and Montana has been for some
RS decreasing. on accouns Of their
GERS being worked ont aud their Il
lrts lodes not being sufficiently lie. h,
oped. With the modes of working ri
cers, hydraulic diRgings and quartz N
it is presumed that most Of the th