The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-06
A NEW GOLD ERA.
Results of Quartz Mining in Califor-
Said to be Still in Its Infancy-The Placer
Mines Held Only Overflow, the Real
Treasure Locked Up in Quartz.

San Francisco ArgonautI
The golden lining to the silver clouds
that. hung over this country year ago IS
just becoming apparent When this gov
eminent ceased it's purchases OF silver,
and the mints of India were closed to
the white metal, the financial outlook
was dark indeed. But out OF evil, good
often comes, and, whatever other effect
these measures may have had, they have
resulted benefcially in causing great
~ increased activity in gold mining.
Never before in the history of this State
have the prospects been SO hattering
The spectacular effect that accompanied
earlier mining excitements is wanting,
but there is in it's place an element of
greater stability and permanence. The
romantic era, when the population, red
shirted and roughly clad, wandered
among the gulches and foot hills of the
Sierras, with pick and pan, searching
for the precious particles among the
gravel of the river beds, has passed into
history. The more intensely dramatic
era, when the fever of speculation
coursed through the veins, when every
fuctuation in the prices of stocks was
watched with eager interestby millionaire
and pauper, by the clerk in the counting
house and the serving maid in kitchen
or nursery, when fortunes were made
and lost in day, and when every body
was rich, whether his wealth was evil
denced by comfortable bank account
or by scrap of worthless paper-this
S6C0nd M w nj oil
passed to return no more.
The mining of today, while it lacks
the element of wild excitement, is on a
more solid basis and has more SUBJ
stantial prosperity. Mining methods are
more scientific than they were, wasteful
and extravaganza processes have been
laid aside, new and improved machinery
has been brought into use, and private
companies, operating quietly and sober
ly, are reaping harvest undreamed of
even in the days when the delirium of
speculation was among us. The placer
mines have been diligently worked over.
There are still golden grains and mug
cient quantities generally to pay corpora
tions for working them, although indi-
vidual miners can still make grub"
But the placer mines at best held only
the overflow of. the richer original de-
posits. The wealth in the hillsides
poured oyer and the surplus was carried
with the rain into the rivers. From
north to south, throughout the whole
stretch of the Sierra range. are lodges
laden with their golden treasure as yet
untouched. Quartz mining is still in
it's infancy despite the vast stores OF
wealth that have already been wrested
from the earth; drift mining will yet
add untold millions to the wealth of
this State. The output of gold this year
for ppfh Of
Not in this State alone. but through
out the world, this same renewed activi-
ty is seen. Colorado, Frustrated last year
by the repeal of the Sherman law,
stands today as one of the great wealth
producing States of the world. This year
California will be closely pushed for
first position among the gold bearing
gold bearing product of Colorado was
less than IS, 600. 600 81, 743. o0o-while
California produced more than twice
that amount. The next year Colorado
increased it's output 65 per cent, while
the increase in California was only
per cent. This year the difference be-
tween the two will be still further de-
creased In Montana twice as many
properties are being worked this year as
last; the output of South Africa, which
few years ago practically contributed
nothing to the worlds supply, is esti-
mated for this year at S4S, 900, 900.
When California, Australia and Russia
first began in the early Sos, their i'm
mense output of gold. prices were serious
ily affected. Prior to 1850 the annual
product had never exceeded $3S, 900, 900, or
slightly more than will be produced in
the two States of California and Color
ado this year. During the next five years
the annual average was S137, 600, 900, the
highest point reached being in 1850.
hon ho anti ,uf xxroc, e.
that date there wasIa decliue in produc-
tion. In 1878. twenty years later, the
output was 500, 200, 900; in 1883 it was
1874, 900, 600 Last year however, the
effect of the5increased demand for gold
was felt, and the output reached and
passed the figures of 1858. The most
careful estimates place this years pro-
duction at ST., 100000. For the four years
since 1890 the annual average exceeds