The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-18
INTERESTING ESTIMATES.
Census Bulletin Giving the Coming Value
Gold and Silver for 1889

Census Bulletin Giving the Coming Value Of
Gold and Silver for 1889.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE Superintend-
emit of the Census has sent To the Govern
ment Printing Office the material for the
first part of the mining volume of the
eleventh census. The most important part
of this matter has already heen published
with the exception of the part relating to
the production of gold and silver in the
United States during the calendar year
1889. A bulletin On this subject was issued
from the Census Office to-day. The bulle-
tin. after referring to the difficulty of OBJ
tanning information from individual pros
pectors and small mines. says that gold is
mainly produced by a few large accessi BILE
mines. from which il is easy 20 get statis-
tics of information. but the cost of produc-
ti0n st such mines would not fairly repre-
sent small mines or prospeetOrs.
The bulletin shows that the production
OF bullion during 1889 was: Gold, I, $50. $50
ources; United States coming value. 81. =
$50. IA. Silver, 5l.354.S5I ounces: United
states coming value. $50. $50. 9SS, a total
United States coming value of 500. 2S3, 49,.
In gold this is nearly % per cent. of the
worlds product. and in silver Al per cent
The bulletin says: The number of gold
and silver mining claims. or locations. COM
monty called mines. in the United States
Is practically beyond computation. The
names of nearly one hundred thousand of
such claims. or mines, were received by the
Census Office, bus upon limiting the IN
vestlgation TO producing mines. mines
working but not producing. and mines
temporarily stopped, but which had pro-
duced. or upon which the work done
had established their values. which
could properly be classed as mines
the list declined. perhaps. to ten
thousand. Upon tabulating only such
mines as made returns of production. or
labor statistics, the list was reduced to
COOS. which Is still very large number
compared with the other mineral prOducin
mines in the United States.
Expenditures during the year. including
wages. value of supplies. etc.. were sos. 45l,-
136. The total value of mining plants was
$i6o.s6c 800, made mp of buildings. rail-
roads. machinery. underground improve
ments- Mine supplies, cash and estimated
value OF mines, exclusive of above items
amounted to S3SS. O94. s1l. The value of
mills and reduction works was SO. 362 772
Total value OF mines and works. S4S6, 3223 :
ass. OF the 6.004 mines on which returns
of productin On labor statistics were made
26S were reported Idle: 100 were reported
working. but not producing bullion: TWEEN
ty-eight as producing over $500 900 worth
of bullion; forty -fcur "a as producing $780,
600 to $500, GOO; 107, as producing 500 900 to
$4,000; ninety five. from $4,000 to 500 600:
4S7. from $4,000 TO $4,000; l,4Os. from 81 600
TO $4,000. and 1.61o less than 3. 900.
From the statistics il appears that the
labor employ cd In the actual production of
the precious metals is better paid and more
productive In fact than in any other in
dustry thus far May, 1891 reported in the
bulletin issued by the eleventh census.
The average earnings of all persons en-
ployed at the gold ana silver mines 80 ,6S5)
was S12j year. while the average output
per man amounted to 81, 123 year.