The San Francisco call., 1898-06-12
AGIanCe atthe Enormous Mineral Product of
 the Country. The New Mills and Mines That the State Displays in the
 Midst of War.

The Call has within a few days pub lshed the official statement of the min- eral products of California for 1897. Now comes the similar statement for the United States for the year, showing a gradual but a considerable and mighty general advance as compared with 1896 and all previous years.
 The United States mint is the author ity on the production of the precious met aIs, and a department of the United States Geological Survey promulgates statements of mineral production, but probably the highest authority regarding the entire field of mineral production in United States territory is currently the Mineral Industry, published in d large volume annually by the Engineering and Mining Journal of New York. The jour nal mentioned gave out preliminary es- timate of the product in January. Now from advance sheets of the Mineral h. dustry, which will be published in few weeks, come the first reliable statistics for the past year.
 The total mineral product of the United States in 1897 was S746 ,230, ,9S2. In 1896 it was S73I ,S5S, ,1bl. The increase for the year is thus considerable one. These figures include only raw products, and Is limited to ores and to metals reduced from ores. 1t does not include the enormous values of manufactured mineral products. The total also excludes imports of ores and metals, chiefly from Canada and Mexico, refined in the United States, the value of which is placed at S47 ,lZ7 ,l74
 Tn the list of mineral products of the United States seventy-seven are claSsed as non-metallic and twelve as metals. California, by the way, produces thirty three of these commercial substances-a far greater variety than is afforded by any other State.
 If is interesting to note that the pro- auction of aluminium was 4,000OO0 pounds, valIed at Sl 400, ,000 while in 1896 the prod net was ,300, 900, valued at S52O,U0O The increase was due to cheaper prices, in creasing uses and increased export trade. This is the stride this new metal made Tn the year ., ...a,
 The copper product, under the tremen;, Tro1o z79 SO6 lS3 pounds in 1896 to 5l0, lSO, IlS oinds California provided over lO,OoO, 6O0 hounds of this Increase. s-o o,o ,o.
 The gold product sls ls s:s se9 9ee in n 1886 The ;ncrease is almost wholly que to llS SrenT pnS- LiCI LlIn,l,a11al eSs nroduction of Cripple creek Colorado. a,,c+ion of pig iron
 Ine et5 t eSa long tons, valued at $s2 ,6fI ,oIz " HaS Sco9mInared with S,623,12l tons' Vaiueu at The lead production, as wen
 z,nc shows large increase. California Tbe I,iatinuul all comes from CaltLotI tiie and is only 200 ounces; ne sboTus a likewise wholly fl dF9@ 2G o7s tasks. valued at sdai mo This is about $2OoQ less tlah 'iie SState Mining Bureaus estimate. re ATT ooo
 Trna silver product o.la tba .d,. n1 o,,nces valued at $33, 5,slo ana tnS @ Iecyre9se would have been greater p put ,rol roi tse stirnulation of lead and copper p,,o- pi d,Iction dne in which silver is an accom- panyiDg product. os,he1tuuo proper, soiid and Uouid. is credited WholIy to 4La, Sa, fSnrnia hut the credit Is much less tila,l ', !t .to' s4aata figures The increaseu DOT aA "A 1rednef Ire of a, ,422OOO is mainly credited io California ,., s.a+istical and gen. orai information concerning the Ii Ihinei ar a Traducts of the country embraced uIiuei i.r ssiphtv-nine heads and. very cohseI vatiSst h,,t i,ls vsIued at STAG, ,230. .9S2. This total put ISa ,tIv measures the enormous Vaiue ,,, ~ t tbe nation of its mineral industry. In HIS HIS totai represents the raw proGuct geneI- oiiI, at its value at the mine. 1ne neuEes ys small compared with those or the lil- dnstries based upon the mineral proouc- ton.
 The appropriation of s25o.oOO for the i'm nrovennent of the Sacramento and Feath- CT rivers. just passed among other items in an appropriation bill by Congress, IS merely a reappropriation of that old s2oo'- O0D which has lain so long in the treasury waiting for the Federal engineers 10 get ready to build restraining dams. The en- Otneers composing the California Depris