The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-02-03
Comparison of Cost.
Mining for Gold and Silver.
Facts On the Subject As Opposed
To Theories.

During his stay in Chicago this
Winter, Assessor Prudential met
many ardent bi-metalists and the ex-
change of ideas resulted in request
that he write his views on the COM
parative cost of production of gold
and silver, based ON his knowledge
of this section. He submitted an
article which was published in the
Dispatch of the f1tE. cit. The
Dispatch is one of the very few pa
pers in Chicago whose columns are
open, without pay to discussion
of the silver side of the money ques-
ton. The article is of more than
passing interest hereabouts as it is
based on figures representing actual
workings in Lincoln county. and
other mining sections of the State
are similarly situated.
1t seems to be the universal and
accepted opinion of the goldbug that
the cost of mining one dollar in sill
yer is less than it is for one dollar in
gold and he bases his assertion on
the estimated production of the gold
and silver throughout the world and
the estimated cost of the reduction,
nottaking into consideration thefact
that millions have been expended in
the search for both metals from
which no returns have ever been
realized of which there are no stat
istics that can be relied upon; and
for this reason reckoning on this
basis is not just nor true one.
Let us look at it in business way
for mining is one of profit and loss,
the same as any other venture in
which the public engages, both be-
ing chance ill which the risk is great
er with mining than it is with any
other kind of enterprise, and the
profit and loss fuctuate to a higher
degree.
Now, the first thing to consider is
what the costof mining one dollar in
silver and what is the cost of mining
one dollar in gold? To get at this
1 will take one county in the State of
Nevada-Lincoln county-a county
that is 300 miles long and 200 miles
wide, and which it dependent on the
output of it's silver and gold mines
BY virtue of my Office, L have the
the right 70 examine the books Of
every mining company operating in
the county, and it is a part of my of
fetal duties to do SO, and from that
examination make an assessment on
net proceeds of the mine. Covering
period of eight years 250,0 tons
of gold and silver ore have been tre-
ated giving gross yield of $780,
600.
Gold ore of the value of $3.50 per-
ton will just clear itself, while it takes
silver ore of the value of $3.50 per
ton to make expenses; and the ques-
ton just here will be asked: "Why
does it take higher value in silver
ore to pay than it does in gold ?"
The cost of extracting one ton of
ore from the mine, whether it con-
tains silver or gold, is about equal
but the process necessary to extract
silver out of the ore is much more diff
ticulHand much more expensive than
it is to extract the gold, and the ratio
is about $3.50 per ton in gold are
to $3.50 in silver ore, or it costs
three times as much to extract one
dollar in silver as it does one dollar
in gold, and if we use 100 as basis
we have 75-cent silver dollar and q
25-cent gold dollar.
l have used the words eve have
75-cent silver dollar and 25-cent
gold dollar" l do not wish to be
understood by that that for every
silver dollar mined there is profit
of 25 cents, nor either profit OF u
cents on every gold dollar mined
but to show the relative cost of put
ting tho two metals in marketable
shape. 1t is claimed that the silver
miner wants 50-cent dollar, or il
other words, want 81 for every 81
cents mined.
1t is just as absurd to claim tina
the gold men want a 25-cents golC
dollar, or 81 for every rs cents mine,
although the claim would be fla
more just on the part of the silverit
than it would be for the goldite t
claim as he does now, that the silve
men want 81 for so cents.
Should the ore run higher or low
er in either gold OF silver it does nc
diminish or increase the cost of eS
tracing that one dollar, but is
profit or loss, as the case may be
Take two mines each producing te
tons of silver ore day, one of th
value of $3.50 per ton and the othe
$50 per ton;at the end of the mont
the one producing $3.50 ore per to
will find its ledger balance while tn
mine wit h the $50 ore will show
credit balance of $300.50
The cost of working and extrac