Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-07-02

placers,
THE PRODUCT OF EACH SECTION OF TIL
SLOPE.
OF the whole yield California has pro
duced three-fourths, or s., O84, 919, O98
nearly, all gold with small sprinkline
of silver. It is thought that there exists
mammoth silver lodes in various parts
OF the state, but they all pale their eff
fectual fires before the wondrous ores oil
Nevada. This state comes next. having
produced since 1860 upwards of 1921,
4O2, 412 in gold andsilver, threc-fourths
having come ont of the wonderful
mines of Comstock. The greater por.
ton of this has been silver, although in
many mines the gold forms at least one.
third of the precious metal yielded in
the assay. Utah, though long known
as country rich in the precious metals,
has only lately been producer of them.
The territory has produced $18, 527, 527,
principally silver, and is increasing in
production at a great rate. In fact, its
resources in this way are simply mex.
haustible. Montana first became known
in 1862, and for two or three years its
placers gave great promise, but they
have lately ceased to yield much, the
quartz mining is not being pushed with
sufficient vigor to make amends for the
failures of the :placers. Ithas produced
aE together mp to the present time $119,
BOZ, 1N. The same may be said of Idaho,
which has produced 49,, 2249, LOG. Colo:
RADIO, as a mining field, is Just about
being developed, and will make for it.
self, by and by, as great name as Ne.
vada or California. It has produced
about $50, 600, 900. Oregon and Wash
ington have a history very similar to
that of Idaho, they have produced 1926,
sol $50. British Columbia has added
about So, 600, 900 to the riches of the
coast, and Arizona small sum but
the territory is capable ofbeing made to
support large mining population.
Its being named at present US a mining
territory is Il seeming misnomer, as its
yield is very small, but it has great and
undcveloped mining capacities.
For the last seven years the yield of
tho precious metals on this coast has
been increasing steadily, last year hav-
ing increased about IA per cent, being
$50, 287, 436, against $50, COG, Oh in 1872.
This was principally due to Nevada, the
increase OF which was unprccedentedly
great. But the yield Of Idaho and Mon
tana has been forsome years decreasing,
Oh account of theirplacers being worked
out and their quartz lodes not being
sufficiently developed.
HOW THE PRECIOUS METALS ARE PREPARED
FOR SHIPMENT.
When gold and silver belongs to any
OF the great mining companies it is usu-
ally made up in bars and forwarded
by express. Most of these companies
have particular banks, either here or in
New York, to which they sell all they
have. But there are many small COM
panies and many companies of white
and Chinese miners who sell their dust
to the storekeepers with whom they
deal, or to small country banks or bro
kers, who make q business of il, and who
sell it to the big banks. Nearly all the
banks haveagentsfo for purchasing in this
way. The Bank of California claims to
receive two-thirds of the bullion COM
ing to the market. A comparatively
small proportion of dust and nuggets is
now received, rs most of the country
banks convert their receipts into bars.
Gold was formerly sent along in itsorig-
inal state by nearly all these banks,
but it is seldom done now, rs there is
an assay Office in nearly all the mining
towns, where it is melted into bars
The average silver bars weigh from 2, 400
to 5000 ounces, and the gold bars ore
worth from s50Oto5,00O. A few months
ago the Anglo California Bank received
one of the latter value. The bars range
in tineness from 500 to 900. the aver
age being about $50. A great proper
ton of fine bars come from Victoria.
British Columbia. Silver comes in
bars of all sizes. 3 The Bank of Cali
fornia has had one bar of 1901 ounces,
or l24 pounds, semitic it. The gold and
silver from the banks are sent to the
refinery to be refined. Formerly
good deal Of gold and silver used to &C.
cumulate at the banks, bnt now it is
shipped quickly by the railroads.
What remains over night in the banks
is, being i'll the shape OF bars, placed
Oh trucks and run into the vault, till
it is sent away next day. Silver is ship
ped principally to China, Japan, and
England. It is interesting to detail
HOW THEY ARE SHIPPED.
At the country banks it is received
in all conceivable sllapcs-in plain bars
packed in buckskin bags, in
tin boxes, and even in old tin cans.
Silver coin for export is always put in
square dovetailcd boxes. Silvcrbullion
comes in plain bars. Whom sent from
The bank it is put in large bag from
which it is taken when brought to the
railroad cars and placed on the floor of
the car. In this way it is brought to
tllc city. Most of the gold and silver
is coined here and shipped away by the
firm Of Wells, Fargo & Co., which has
agents ut every principal point on the
railroads, whose duty it is toreccivcand
check it. On this car are Il number of
men armed with small arsclla shot-g,,ns
md navy rcvolvers. They accompany
the treasure. When shipped East it is
put up in little boxes of pine wood with
screwed lids, each containing $50, 600.
Wells, Fargo & Co., have about 600 Of
ices on the coast, and employ 1850
men. The Offices extend from here to
tho Missouri river, n,ld they have rrg,.-
lar agents at Liverpool, Hamburg, Brc-
men, &c. They have an gents iii the
Trains. It takes fifteen men to run u
treasure car through fromhere to Og-
len, and there are from two to six and
eight on all save some OF smaller lines.
while on days when there is any consid-
'rahlc amount Of treasure, they have
in armed guard. In sending to Mexico
IL Treasured room is engaged on the
III notwithstanding is packed
III boxes Or bugs. They are n1it in a