Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-10

Colorado Is now one of the richest min
ing states of the Union 1t is nearing
California in its yearly output and its pro-
duct Is steadily increasing. The Cripple
Creek miners claim that they are turning
cut a million dollars worth of gold every
month. believe they overestimafe their
output, and doubt whether they are pro-
ducing more than $S50,OOO monthly. This,
however, Is an enormous product from q
new region. The big mines there seem to
hold their own, and new ones are being
discovered"
rs Stratton still the owner of the indie
pendence mine?'
He is, believe. working hard to keep his
income down to 100000 a month"
How about the Leadville mines?'
The mines there are holding their own.
the richest mines of the world. 1t keeps
on producing vast amounts Of gold
every year. Just now great deal of
gold is being gotten from the Breckenridge
district, which is about fifty miles from
LeadvilIe.'
Other Good Gold Regions.
How about the Utah mines?"
''They are very rich. There is a great
deal of low-grade ore in them, which is be-
ing gotten oct by the cyanide process.
There has also been decided increase in
the gold product Of Nevada. You had best
keep your eyes on that state. 1t will come
to the front In the near future. 1t pro-
duced last year nearly two million dollars
worth of gold and a number of new mines
are now being opened. Both Montana and
Arizona will increase their product this
year. We are getting a great deal of gold
from Washington and Oregon, and, in fact,
the gold is coming in from everywhere"
What is the cause of this increase?"
'One reason is the low price Of silver.
Though believe there is money in mining
silver at the present prices. If not why do
they work the mines? One of the chief
reasons for the increase in the product
Of gold is the new processes of reduction.
cold can be gotten out of the rock cheaper
than ever before. The old dumps are be-
ing worked over, old mines are being re-
opened and there is an army of prospectors
moving about and discovering new ones.
1t is a strs nge thing, but men walk right
over good gold fields again and again when
prospecting and it is sometimes years be-
fore rich find is discovered. This was
the case with the Cripple Creek district.
The zen who went to Pixies PEAK years
ago walked over the Cripple Greek fields
and fortunes lay there undisturbed with
in few miles of Denver for generation"
= How about the Australian mines?'
I'VE get vast amount of gold every
year from Australasia" replied the di-
rector of the mint. Some of the best man
aged mines of the world are in New Zea-
land. The gold is reduced there to some
extent by the cyanide process. There are
gold mines in Tasmania, and gold is now
found in many different parts of Aus
tralia, which were for years considered
worthless. Some of the best mines are now
in western Australia. They very diff
cult to reach, and what is known as the
Coolgardie district is almost in the desert.
Prospecting in this part of the world re-
quires camels to carry the provisions and
tools, and the camel there takes the place
which the donkey has in the Rockies The
great trouble is the lack of water which
in some quarters is almost as costly as
whisky"
The African Gold Fields.
How about the African mines. Mr.. Pres
ton, what are they doing this year?''
There is great increase going on in
the output of South Africa. We get re-
turns from there every month, and the
amount of the gold product is steadily ris-
ing If the experts are to be believed there
will be no falling off in the African supply
for years to come
Speaking of experts Mr.. Preston, where
do the best mining engineers come from?"
1.-THE Americans head the world today as
mining experts and mining engineers" re-
piled Mr.. Preston. You will find a large
number of our mining engineers in South
Africa. 1t was an American who first an
nounced what is now believed to be the
correct theory as to the South African gold
formation. This mans name Curtis.
He was the son Of George Ticknor Curtis.
the Nterateur. Mr.. Curtis held that the
gold reefs of the Transvaal were in the
shape of an immense basin, which had
nature. He said that he thought that gold
would be found to exist down to great
depth. This has since been ascertained to
be the fact Some of our best nforma-
ton concerning the gold fields of South
Africa comes from Mr.. Hamilton Smith,
the mining expert of the Rothschilds. Ham,
ilton Smith is Kentucky man, who has
acquired high standing as a mining en-
gineer. He estimates that we shall see the
day when the Rand district will surpass
the whole Cnitel States in its gold output,
and that at no diNtant time it will turn out
sGO,OOO,O0O worth of gold and upwards a
year. Mr.. Smith was sent by the Roths-
childs to Africa to report upon the
gold there: He figures that the amount
lars. He has also been sent to report upon
the gold at Cripple Creek and other parts
of the United States.
How about the English. Do they own
many of our gold mines?'
Yes" replied the director of the mint.
"There is a great deal of English capital
invested in American gold regions. They
have mines. in nearly all parts of the west,
and are on the lookout for more.'
Advice for Young Men.
would you advise young man to go
into mining, Mr.. Preston?' I asked
Mining is like everything else" replied
the director of the mint. TT requires
capital and experience to succeed in it,
The business grows more and more legiti-
mate every year, and no man should think
of putting money into the earth unless he
knows that there is some probability Of
getting 1t out. If a young man has but lit
tie capital, he should not invest before he
has learned something of mining. He
should study the business and seek the adj
vice Of experts and be sure that the ex-
perts are honest. None of the large COM
panies ever put money into mines without
sending out their experts. Take the Lon
don Exploration Company, for instance
They paid not long ago 81, 100000 for the
'Tom-boy.' They had 1t tested for four
months before they consented to the pur-
chase. Such companies have a number of
experts, and they never invest unless the
reports upon the property are very favora-
BILE. When they buy they usually pay ac-
cording to the amount of gold in sight, ex-
pecting to make their money out of that
which is yet to he discovered"
Where would you advise a young man
to start IL he wanted to go into mining?'
Il would not like TO say" replied Direc-
tor Preston. "Al of the gold states of the
west have good properties and good pros
poets. Arizona and California are as good
gold fields as any. I would only say that
the man who does not understand the
business. or who is not prepared to stay
in the gold regions long enough to learn 1t,
had better keep his money and remain at
home" FRANK G. CARPENTER,
Preacher is Found to he an Earl.