Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-09-05
METAL PRODUCTION,


WAsHNGToN, Sept. Sin report t.
'he director OF the mint bureau the assay
'r in charge Of the Denver mint SAYS il
relation to the produb'tion Of tie precious
metals in Colorado duling the past year
Fac value OF the product OF the pre-
Ious metals in Colorado during the caIen
lar year 1888, based upon reports rp
t"ived from persons IN Char.e ui mines
vas $23, ,D31 O57 90. of which $3, 7SS ,O9S.
Is vas gold and $24, 274 ,949.44 WAS sill
yer.
While the director OF the mint gives il
his report on tie precious metals oi 1885,
| he tiIures above presented, he takes i.
sue with their correctness and submit,
| he following as the estimate OF the mint
blreau:
"Goh produced in Colorado during the
year 1858, $3,7jS,00O, which is approx
imately the same as the returns from the
Denver mint. But the estimate OF the
production of silver is very nu-h below
that made by the assayer. Tine depart
ment estimate is $l9,OOJ,0l0, or over s.,
10000 less than the returns from Colo
RADIO. The total production therefore il
placed at $22 ,7o8,0O0.
In explanation OF this variation the d-
rector Of the mint says:
1t will be noticed that the SUN total
II the direct estimate is, rs usual, conSid-
nraby greater in silver than the product
# the country, US estimated by this
bureau.
The tendency to exaggerate indirect
statements of production in particular
mining localities appears to be promoted
ny the fact that foreign gold and silver
products have fOr several years contribut-
rd to the actual output in several states
through the operations OF reduction works
and retineries.
"Of the silver product of tile Tinted
States more than nine-tpnths goes to- pri-
vate retinelies, mainly for the reason that
much OF it is associated with valuable
proportions OF base metals dead and
copper, which at private reduction
works are saved and accounted Tor,
''""l III lost in processes OF refining ut the
mints.
Iue bureau is in possession OF state
ments contributed by each OF the large
private retineries in the United States,
showing not only the total product OF
-DNl iIl'l SllNtI, D'tU alSO uelIhUtlOl DN
state and territory"
These comments have been given in
order tn show upon what basis the de-
partment puts its reasons for making Il
much lower estimate Of the silver prOduc-
ton OF Colorado than is returned by the
.lssayer of the mint at Denver. 1t should
lie added that the assayer also estimates
the value Of the lead produced in the
state to be S7,00G,G92, and the copper,
i2J3,2j5
Values of lead and copper produced
are given at A cents and 1910 cents a
pound.
The special report from New Mexico,
made to the department, is rs follows:
The product Of New Mexico for the year
1888 was us follows:
"Gold, 26,l lo2 fine ounces; coming
value, SG02 ,637; silver, 1,O.,3,075 fine
ounces; coming value, 81 l,4l4,OJ0; total,
i2,OlG,t37.
Gan OF the reduction works to which
res were shipped from the territory fur
nished complete returns. These returns,
taken along with Tie amounts reported
by mines not shipping ore, approximate
loosely the above estimate"
The director of the mint also takes issue
with the report, and, instead, furnishes
he following reduced estimate OF New
Mexico: "Gold, 20, ,l22 fine ounces value,
602 900; silver, 023, ,l23 fine ounces val
lie, 81 ,2OO, 900; total value, 81 ,SJ2 ,00O.'