The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-18

Mineral Resources for 1902" just Issued
from the eovsransnt printing ofios. com
piled by David 4. Day, Of the United States
geological survey. IL = very interes ing vol
ume. IL Is brought down 10 she close Of
1sg2 and much OF the descriptive matter
covers half OF the year 1898. he work is
the result OF a census conducted BY tho
principal experts on each subject. Natur-
ally Montana occupies considerable svaee
IN the volame. and where 10 has been posi-
BILE 90 verify the statistics given they have
been found TO be correct. In the output Of
gold and silver for 1899. Colorado heads the
list with a total of S36, $50. 800, OF which
g. 800, 600 was gold and 1881 030, 303 silver.
Montana is second with g.. sol. 3s6 gold and
go. i32 323 silver. a total Of 80 S23, lU9'
California leads in gold production. with
$1,000 600; south Dakota comes second
with 50. 700 600. In a table showing the
gold and silver produstion Of the various
states f.om 1881 60 1892, quite a serious
blunder has been made. in that she output
of Montana for 1872 is credited 10
Michigan. very Interesting table is
enc showing the rank Of the precious
metal states for a series of years. In leo6
California led in gold. Colorado In silver
and Colorado in the total OF both. Colo
Fado was second in gold and Montana sec
ond in silver and ia the total OF gold aud
silver. In 1857 California still led in gold
production. Montana was second and Colo
RADIO vas thii q. In silver Montana led and
vas also the frat in the total output Of she
tWo metals while Colorado was second. In
1855 Caiifo. mia ranks FIRST In gold produc-
tion, Colorado in silver and In the total OF
both, while Montana was second in gold.
silver and she total. The situation was the
same in 1883. but in 1890 Colorado led in
silver produced. in the total OF gold aud
silver, was second 30 California IN gold pro-
duotlon, while Montana WIS second in s!l-
yer production as we'll as In ~ total. The
situation vas the same in 1891 and IN lo32.
In a general review OF the gold aud silver
production OF Montana, under the head Of
Progress OF the Precious Me;al Industry
in the United States since 1850" by 3 +.
Emmons. the wiiter says;
The mountainous portions Of the state
have many broad valleys that are charsc-
terizod BY unusually large nceumulations
OF detr.tal material. many Of which have
been proved to lie highly auriferous. Their
extent and richness have given TO Montana
a rank next 20 CalifOi MIA in the production
OF placer GOll. ana MADE ~ Qu lug TIE ur3A
two decades OF It's existence eminently a
gold producing state. Da ing the decade
from 1850 to 1872 this condition radically
changed. Its silver prod faction enormously
increased. while the gold product, though
huctuating from year TO year. showed a
considerable decrease from the production
Of earlier Years In 1850 the gold Gerivsd
from placsrs constituted nea " twO-thirds
Of the total gold produot Of the state; In
1884 this proportion WAS reduced 20 q little
over tWo-hfths. AZ the gold produot, on
the whole, has increased, and as placer
mining has besu mueR retarded By the waat
Of water, IL is evident there has been
= still greater increase In tie proportion Of
gold derived from deep mines. con-
siderable portion Of this geld Is known 10
have been derived from ores carrying both !
gold and silver. The silver product Of she [
state, rs shown by statistics, has increased !
steadily up to the end Of 1872. consider
able falling OF in the silver production OF
the state Il 10 be looked for. bu3 the gold out
put, on the ether hand. Is liable 20 increase.
Under favorable conditions placer mining |
will be resumed. A considerable portion |
Of the state 10 not Jet explored FOR ore de- !
pOsits aad gold bearing ores will be more !
sought than formerly, while OF already !
opened deposits. work on those that carry !
considerable values Ia gold 80 well IN /
silver will naturally be continued rather |
than on those whose values are IN silver |
alone"
The following table shows the production |
Of gold and SILVER In Montana since 1850: