Graham guardian., 1895-04-20
MORE GOLD THAN EVER.
An Increase In Production In Almost
Every Gold Region.

Every Gold Region.
The worlds gold product for the last
year will surpass any year in its his
tory. The production of last year ex-
ceeded that OF all previous years, and
was reported by the mint bureau at
S155, ,522, ,O00
The production for 1894 seems likely
not to be less than s1T5, 200, 600, or q
gain of nearly s2O, 1000, 900 over the fig
ures of 1898. The principal gains have
been in the United States, the ryitwa-
tersrandt region of South Africa, in
Australia and Russia.
1t was evident last summer, says n
Washington authority, that mining ac-
tivity in Colorado and other western
states would carry the product of this
country for the year from s35, 1855, coo in
1898 to s42,000,000. 1t now looks as
though the total would reach s45, 900.
Director Preston has checked and
pruned the estimates from the great
mining states, but even with large re-
ductions they indicate an increase of
s4,75O, 900 in Colorado, 50 900, 900 in Cal
ifornia, S1,000,000 in Montana, and
100000 in Idaho. Large gains are also
reported in Oregon and Washington,
for which exact figures have not been
obtained
The increase in the production of the
Witwatersrandt region has been stead
lily maintained for five years. The pro-
duction of 1890 was 494, 500 ounces, at
about $3.50 an ounce; the production
of 1891 was 729,23S ounces; of 1892,
1,21O, ,S68 ounces; of 1898, 1,47S, AIS ounces,
and the estimated production for 1894
is 2,200, 900 ounces. The complete fig
ures have been received up to the close
of November, and every month shows
an enormous increase over the corre-
spending month of 1898, with an ad-
vance during the present year from
'ir1-,,Sts 40 ,,Ts.a ounces in January to IT'S, ,309
ounces in Novem5 m5er-4sssssss ,,r.,,s 81 this
product about s26, 200 in 1898, and
will be about s3s, ,000, 900 in 1894. Other
portions of America are expected to
show slight gains, but they produced in
the aggregate only about s3,OOO,0 900
worth.
Australia, which shows a production
in 1898 of $35,6ss, 900, is credited with
an increase of SO, 900, 900 in 1894.
The Russian empire was credited in
the last mint report with the same pro-
duction in 1898 as in 1892, which was
S24, 800, 200. Official figures since re-
ceived show an increase in 1898 of
about 81, SOC, 900, and it is thought that
this will rise to 81, 200, 900 for the pres
ent year.
These gains alone will swell the
worlds production by $4,000, 900, and
would make an aggregate of more
than s1S1, 100000 if no losses were in
dicated in other countries. 1t is ex-
pected that such loss may occur in
China, where the product in 1898 was
IS, 426, 900, on account of the war with
japan. Even large loss there would
leave the worlds production above
s175, 5,000, 900, and would exceed the most
sanguine estimates made by Director
Preston in his last report on the pro-
duction of the precious metals.
Mr.. Preston is endeavoring to keep
his estimates within conservative
bounds, for he does not wish to make
a larger claim than the facts will
finally warrant; but it would seem
that his estimate for this year of $780,
600, 900 was certain to be largely ex-
ceeded. ri