Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-11


liable as any you will find in the treasury
department. 1t is through such reports
that the director of the mint knows from
month TO month just how the stream of
the worlds gold is rising or falling. Sitting
in his Office at the treasury department he
caa watch this golden river and its
branches as it flows throughout the world
and can estimate its size and the directions
toward which 1t is going.
A Chat With the Director of the Mint.
II was by appointment with Director
Preston that / called az the treasury de-
partment this afternoon. | found him in
his private office in the mint bureau with
several large sheets of figures lying before
him. After a word or SO of greeting he
said:
I think that the gold product for 1897
will amount to more than Sz3O,oO0.O0O. There
Is a big increase going on in nearly every
gold region of the world. and the amounts
in sight are now greater than ever. In 1892
the gold product of the world amounted to
~SlS0e0.OO. In 1885 it had reached the $780,
0o.O00 point. and this year it will rise at
least 100000 more
More Gold From Everywhere.
In what part OF the world is the bgg-
gest increase. Mr.. Preston" / asked.
We find that more gold is being mined
everywhere replied the director of the
mint South Africa will turn out more
than ever this year. Ny reports from Aus
tralasia indicate that there win be a great
Increase there. and the United States will
have one Of the biggest outputs of its his
What part of the United States do you
To almost every gold region of the coun-
try. said Director Preston. We shall
produce at least S6O,000,000 worth of gold
during the coming year. and it is a ques-
ton with me as to whether this will not
he the biggest gold yield of our history.
II was estimated that we produced SIS, Co.,
ono in 1853. That was when the early gold
regions Of California were at their best,
but the means of estimating the amounts
WaEnn nHH# nora mnH 81 EaAA WhAA m. 49,
are now, and I think the sixty-fve mill
ions was probably an over-estimate. Our
increase in 1896 has been about 5000: 900 over
that Of 1875. and We will have considerably
more of an Increase during the coming
year
Does California still yield a large
Yes replied the director of the mint.
"It produces more than any other state in
product. and it viii turn out something
like Sl5,000.000 worth of gold this year. The
people there have reduced mining to a
srience. They can. I am told. get the
precious metals out cheaper than the MIN
ers Of any other part of the world. They
famous T~readwell mine of Alaska. Much
OF their gold costs them less than 80
cents a ton. Large sums are invested in
mining operations and the work is done
on such a big scale that the cost is cut
down 10 the minimum"
Prom what part Of California do We
now get the most gold?"
The most of II comes from the Mother
lode" replied the director of the mint.
This has always been the chief mining
region of California. 1t runs from north
TO south through the state in the mount
p number of different regions along this
lode which are being worked at a great
profit and in all sorts Of ways. Hydraulic
laws were against this. because the debris
made by washing down the mountains was
carried by the rivers over the wheat fields.
destroying them. Then a commission was
organized by which the waste was so taken
care OF that the wheat fields were saved
There are several hundred hydraulic mines
now being worked"
The New Mining Processes.
How about the new processes Of min
ing? DO the Californians use them TO any
Yes" replied MI. Preston. There are
cyanide mills ana COLONIZATION works all
over California. Many Of the old DUMPS
are being worked over. and old mines are
being reopened. A number of the best OF
the gold mines. were abandoned years ago
on account Of losing the vein at a certain
depth. II was then thought that gold did
not extend very deeD into the earth. and
when the miners had gone down so or eNA
feet and lost the vein. it was believed that
the end Of the gold had come and that the
vein bad petered out. II is found. however.
that by going down a little further the
vein may often be rediscovered and some
times that it will be richer than ever. This
vas the case with the famous GWiun mine.
This mine was very rich. It had yielded
played out. 4 new company took hold OF
y not long ago. They sunk the shaft a
few feet further and another big fortune
was opened to view. This is also the case
with the Kennedy mine and others.
Curious Places for Gold.
Another theory that has been explod-
Cd" continued Mr.. Preston. 'fs that gold
can only be found In one or two kinds OF
rocks. They now md gold in everything.
J. occurs in sandstone. shale, slate and
clay. II Is often found In gravel, and you
80 Enrm the EHaHBmnanFg wanrnHHV~ z~rT.
lished about the vast amount of the VEL
low metal which is in solution in the wa
tiers OF the sea. There Is a man in Aus
tralia who has been experimenting upon
this for the last hve years. ] believe he
estimates that there is about a grain of
sold in a ton Of water. or between one and
two hundred tons Of gold in a cubic mile.
one OF his estimates IS thai II all the gold