The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1893-08-19
GOLD VS.. SILVER PRODUCTION.
The Present Depreciation Of silver . Bless
ing In Disguise.

lowing interesting article to the North
west Magazine:
at is generally believed in the East
that all mining men in the West are in
favor of free and unlimited silver coin
age. 1t is true that for many years the
large producers of silver have kept
themselves and their product promi-
nently before Congress and the people
hence the above prevailing idea. 1t is
equally true that the purely gold pro-
ducers have had little or nothing to say,
and have therefore been entirely ignored
in the discussions that have demonstra-
ted that the country at large is densely
ignorant III matters pertaining to min
ing. Probably the discovery and devel-
opment of Leadville was a misfortune
to miners and prospectors generally, in
spite OF the vast silver wealth produced
there. The sudden and enormous for
tunes made there set miners wild, and
from that time to this the prospector
has devoted his labor to the one hope of
striking 'lead-silver proposition Sill,
yer at 81 an ounce and the easily pro-
duced and easily reduced ores of Lead
vile made the largest and best gold
producing mines seem absolutely insig-
nitcant. Big and quick results are al
ways the dreams of prospectors, and the
Leadville result was to practically end
anything more than incidental searches
for gold. This effect has been nam
tanned, If not intensified, by the develop
ment of such mines as the Granite
Mountain in Montana, the Mollie Glib
son i'll Colorado, and the general demand
for lead silver ores by smelters. The
result of this neglect of the gold bearing
districts Is apparent today in the piled
up tons Of unused silver in the treasury
vaults of the United states. 1t has
come to plain and simple overproduc-
ton of silver, because mining men, as a
class, and capital in conjunction there
with have devoted themselves to the
development of silver mines and practi-
cally ignored the usually less profitable
but always much more numerous gold
bearing fields.
If the average miner and prospector
will carefully consider the exact situa.
ton he can come only to the conclusion
that the present condition of the silver
market is really blessing i'll disguise.
There is not one well-informed prospec-
tor in Idaho Montana, southern Oregon
or California, but knows absolutely that
the tonnage Of gold bearing float, or the
number of gold bearing leads, will ex-
coed those of galena and other silver
ores at leas. 10 to l; and Il PARTICULAR
o5servant prospector knows that the
ratio in most districts would be more
than 100 to |.
Tile so-called silver men and own.
ers of smelterS, after admitting this
fact, will reply But with every ton of
lead silver ore produced and treated
there is fair proportion of gold saved
and marketed, and this gold represents
a really large proportion Of the entire
gold production of the United States
That assertion is correct, simply because
nearly all silver ores contain more or
less gold-a small portion of the total
values; but it is no argument against
the fact that the gold production would
be increased in proportion to the sub
stitution of the present work and ex
peniitures upon silver ores for that
class of mines and ores that are mainly
gold bearing.
Idaho illustrates exceptionally well
the effects of the long prevailing silver
fever. 1t Is not so long since one of the /
great stampedes of recent years was to
the gold fields of the Cnur d'.ilenes. /
The country generally was gold bearing.
but as it did not exist in such condition .
as to make it easy for inexperienced
nen without capital to take it out By
the ton daily, the field was pronounced
a fraud. l'rOspcctors that went in and
waited until the following summer soon
discovered that portions of the district
we're rich in lead silver ores, and that
he leads containing them were Of IN
Usual size and easy to develop. The re-
u!t was the abandonment of any effort
o open up the gold deposits, and the
urther result Of developing such great {
cad silver producers as tie Bunker lIIll
nd sullivan, the Tiger, the Hunter, the !
/ rlsco, Gem and others that have made
lie Cunr d'Alcnes famous.
Does any mining man doubt that If I
Fad and silver had at that time been
Own to present prices the gold proper |
los OF that region would have been 80 {
yer8hadO~ed and neglected! Does :
ny Intelligent miner doubt that the
mount Of labor and money expended a
developing the silver mines Of that t
istrict, if applied to the gold proper :
IS, would have made the district a =,
oh gold producer. e
II Is not claimed that these gold i
would pay the investor 80 !
'rgely as the silver mines with silver II
81 per ounce; but it is claimed that 4
iaho las literally hundreds of thous-
1ds OF gold deposits which intelligent =
directed labor and capital would de Il
slop into gold producers that would 3
ny reasonable interest on the money
vested. All through central, eastern
I'd southern Idaho the country is filed
'th gold bearing quartz and gravels
ne iron and copper ores probably car !