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

will be even greater in the future. We are
having flood of gold. not only from the
United States, but from all other gold
regions. l get this information from the
director of the mint, and il is based upon
his reports which come in regularly from
all parts of the world. The directo of the
mint has confidential relations with the
big smelling establishments and reduction
works of the United States, by which they
send him statements as to the amounts of
gold and silver which they receive. They
report whence the metals come and where
they go. He gets also reports from
the officers of the mint in different parts
of the United States, and his mail brings
him reports monthly from the gold regions
of Africa, Australia, Russia, South Ameri-
ca and elsewhere. The reports given by
the smelling establishments are of gold
actually melted up and sent into circula-
ton They are not the rosy estimates of
prcspectors or mine owners, but are made
up of figures as reliable 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 ris-
ing or falling. Sitting in his Office at the
Treasury Department he can watch this
golden river and it's branches as it flows
throughout the world and can estimate its
size and the directions toward which it is
going.
1t was by appointment with Director
Preston that / called at the Treasury De-
partment recently. 1 found him in
his private office in the mint bureau with
several large sheets of figures lying before
him. After q word or so Of greeting he
said.
Il think that the gold product for 1897
will amount to more than S230, 100000.
There is big increase going on in nearly
every gold region of the world and the
Ugh
ever In 1892 the gold product of the
world amounted to S1Jo,W0,O0O. In 1895 it
had reached the s200.o0O,0O0 point, and this
year it will rise at least 100000 more.
More Gold From Everywhere.
'In what part of the world is the big
gest increase. Mr.. Preston?" 1 asked.
I'VE find that more gold is being mined
everywhere replied the director of the
mint. South Africa will turn out more
than ever this year. My reports from Aus
tralasla indicate that there will be a great
increase there. and the United States will
have one of the biggest outputs of its his
tory
what part of the United States do you
refer tor
To zImost every gold region of the
country said Director Preston. I'VE shall
produce at least s60.OO0,OO0 worth Of gold
during the coming year, and it is ques-
ton with ne as to whether this will not
be the biggest gold yield of our history.
1t was estimated that we produced s65, o0o,-
600 in 1853. That was when the early gold
regions of California were at their best,
but the means of estimating the amounts
taken out Were not as good then as they
are now. ard think that sixty-five mill
ions was probably an 'over-estimate. Our
increase in 1876 has been about Sc 600 600
over that of 1895, and we viii have consid-
erably more of an increase during the
coming year
Does California still yield a large
amount of goli?" / asked.
Yes" replied the director of the mint.
1T produces more than any other state in
the Union. 1t Is steadily increasing Its
product. and it will turn out something
like sl5.000e90 worth of gold this year.
The people there have reduced mining to
science They can. l am told, get the
precious metals out cheaper than the
miners of any other part of the world.
They do even better than the operators of
the famous Treadwell mine Of Alaska.
Much of their gold costs them less than
fifty cents ton- Large sums are invested
in mining operations, and the work is done