The Elk Mountain pilot., 1882-04-13
OUR MINES or GOLD AND
.SH VER

AuS AOAiO"uS NuIOI tudllOu Will
respect to our mines OF precious met
ais is furnished by special bulletin
of the Census Bureau. California
still holds the first place in the pro-
duction of gold. The vast deposits
of aurlterous gravel continue to yield
largely, though their final exhaustion,
IN view of the enormous hydraulic
operations now going on, must be ex-
pected at no distant day. The State
furnishes 7I.47 per cent. of the total
product of placer mines, and 81. 38
per cent, Of the product of deep mines.
The discoveries in the Bodie district
added greatly to the deep mine pro-
duct. The amount Of silver produced
is comparatively small. The gold
production is s1oS. 80 per square mile.
The decrease OF the yield of the
Cemstock lode has caused consider
able decline in the product OF Nevada.
In 1876 the Comstock yielded $751;
oo2,So6 in gold and S2o,s7o,o7S in
silver, but in the census year the yield
of the entire Comstock district and
outlying veins was only s6,9aa,53o
for both gold and silver. The placer
yield of Nevada is insignificant. No
important gravel deposits having suit
able water supply are known to exist.
The yield in Utah is from COM
paratively few rich claims; and varies
but little from year to year. The
placer yield was only $40, 900. More
than half the ore is lnilled, although
the Territory's mining is generally
regarded as dependent upon smelling
works.
The development Of the Tombstone
district has given marked impulse
to mining to Arizona. The placer
yield is only $50, 900:
Since 1876 the yield in Idaho has
depended largely upon the old placer
mines of Boise basin. The panic Of
1876, in San Francisco, seriously
affected the Owhyee mines, which had
contributed heavily to the annual out
put. The proportion of placer to
deep mine gold in Idaho is as 80 to
40. The census examination was
made too earlyto include the develop
ments IN the Wood river country and
the Yankee fork region. Mr.. King
predicted, when he wrote the census
report, that the output Of Idaho would
be doubled in two years.
Mining is overshadowed in Oregon
by other industries. Nearly all the
deep mine gold In the State is taken
from the quartz veins OF Baker county.
Gold quartz mining is conducted
on small scale in Yankima county,
Washington Territory, and the Upper
Columbia placers furnish more than
one half of the Territory's placer
yield.
Alaska contains many gold bearing
districts, but the yield has been small
In the census year $5,951 in placer
gold was sent to the San Francisco
Mini.
Colorado had suddenly risen to the
first rank as aproducer of the precious
metals, although as a producer of
gold the State was fourth in the CEN
sus year. Including lead and copper,
the product was s22,75o,ooo. The
placer yield in that year was small.
The Black Hills mines furnish Da-
kota's yield. The placer product was
about $4,000.
Two-thirds of the deep nine pro-
duct of Montana is milled. The
gravel deposits are valuable, and it is
estimated that the placer yield is s1,-
16a,9o6.
The mines of New Mexico, in 1880,
were awaiting the extension of rail
roads. Many of these mines were
difficult and even dangerous of access.
The Census Bureaus work there was
affected by the assassination of Col.
Charles Potter, the expert in charge
of the Territory.
There is rich placer ground in New
Mexico, but for want of water but
little gold has been obtained from this
co,,rcN