Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-10
SOME CORRECTIONS.
Criticism of the United States Mineral
Census.

Criticism of the United States Mineral
Census.
A California miner, writing to the En-.
cheering and Mining Journal, criticises
the statistics of the production of the
precious metals in the United States, as
compiled from the United States census.
He declares they are incorrect. These
statistics the RECORD UNION some time
since published. According to the cor
respondent, Amador county is omitted in
toto. lei Dorado county lies in the very
heart of the mining region, and the pro-
duct has been estimated !; but the esti-
mate is at least &C per cent. in excess of
the placer production. Yuba county is
also estimated, but in this case with
greater accuracy than was reached in other
counties by compilation of the returns of
the young gentlemen who personally
visited them. Tuolumne, one of the prin-
cipal central mining counties, accessible in
days travel from San Francisco, is also
SStiUlaltu. aCtc, dS III uDdy
THE GUESS AT THE TOTAL PRODUCT,
Five hundred and iifty-nine thousand eight
hundred and twenty eight dollars, is more
reliable than the work of the census agents.
But the $500 600 included as from pocket
mines should have been credited to quartz
mining, which would reduce the placer
production to S259. S2S. Plumas, one of
the most important placer counties in the
State, has an annual production not less
than 81 900, 900. The Mint statistics show
returns of 1857, 305, of which more than
$500, 600 is from ground washings. Yet
this county is credited in the Census Re-
port with but SIG, 259 from placers. 1t
has but few vein mines, but these are of
great extent. There are manifest errors in
the figures representing the counties of
Humboldt, Shasta, Siskiyou and Del
Norte. The returns from these counties
were probably wild ofice-guesses. Butte
county receives credit for about two. thirds
OF its actual production.
THE MOST INExcUsABLE ERRORS
Are perpetrated in the alleged returns
from the counties of Placer and Nevada
the leading gold producers of the State.
Both are on the line of railroad travel,
and the most distant point in either is
within twenty four hours journey from the
headquarters of the Mineral Census office
in San Francisco. The returns to the Mint
officials from Placer county ground wash
ings show that nearly 500, 600 were de.
rived from the placers alone. The total
production of the county was nearer
81, 600. 900, as will appear from Wells,
Fargo & Co.'S shipments. But Mineral
Census statistics credit Placer county with
only $3.50, 36S from ground washings, and
$50, 600 from vein mining. The latter is
attributed to the workings of some tailings
near Colfax whereas the fact is that ten
stamp mill was constantly employed at the
Rising Sun mine during the entire year.
The very existence of Auburn, and it's rich
quartz lodges and numerous mills, is totally
ignored.
But THE CLIMAX OF MISREPRESENTATION
Is reached in the returns from Nevada
county. This county, VIGOROUSLY the
richest gold region in the world, is cred
tied by the Mineral Census Report with
only $40, 63l from all classes of ground
washing, and less than $1,000, 600 from
vein mining. The mint returns show pro-
duction of over two and three.fourths mill.
ions from this county for the corresponding
year. The production of two leading ny.
draulic mines for the year 1880 was as fol.
lows: North Bloomfield, S2S7, 1924 Is
Milton, 1877, S26 AZ. Adding the yield of
the Eureka Lake and the South Yuba for
1880 would swell the amount of these four
mines alone to more than one and an eighth
million dollars. Colonel G. II. Mendell,
of the United States Engineers, in an Off
ciai report to the Secretary of War, Febru-
airy 2, 1882, says of region embracing
only small portion of Nevada county,
The production of the San Juan ridge in
the year 1881 was 81, Jos, 0l9.' This refers
to placer mines only. But the census
agents disposed of the entire county with
credit OF SAG from scattering
sources.
THE TOTAL OF THEIR RETURNS
And estimates, thus made up, gives for the
placer production of California S., 039 932,
to which is coolIy added an item of So. 54l,-
$50 for additional production, estimated
from transportation statistics There is
not the slightest intimation as to the por-
tions of the State principally affected by
this huge deficiency /; the larger part of it
belongs to just those counties in which the
production is both largest and most easily
ascertained. Even by the additional three
and half millions, the total production
from California placer and hydraulic mines
is made to be less by one-third than the
annual product established by the sworn
testimony of the engineer experts IN the
Little York and Gold Run debris cases,
and by the reports Of Colonel Mendell. As
| have already remarked, an analysis of |
the statistics shows not only ignorance or
neglect in the agents, but deficiency in |
knowledge on the part Of their superiors.
Mr.. King himself, who probably did little |
or no work in the matter, may be supposed |
at least to have glanced at the pages to be |
issued over his name and he must
BE HELD RESPONSIBLE
For permittingt the publication, if he was
not actually ne author, of the startling |
statement on page ii Of the report, that
the final exhaustion of the vast deposits |
of auriferous gravel in view of the
enormous hydraulic operations now being
prosecuted, is to be looked for at no very
distant day. This sweeping assertion,
affecting the value of 500, 600, 900 Of in
vested capital in California, is directly con-
trary to the facts developed in the invest.
CATION of the debris question, which has
occupied the attention of our Legislatures
and Courts since 1876 It is fortunate that
a gravel mine is not SO quickly exhausted
as census agent. The young gentleman
who got go tired picking up scattering
$40 63l in Nevada county as to overlook
million or two, may have reported in San
Francisco that the county-not himself
was played out.