Gilpin observer., 1899-01-12

tended to be correct compilation as to
the number of inhabitants, their birth
place and vocation, the United States
census in the last few decades has be-
come the most complex thing of Its kind
in existence. In commenting upon the
next census the San Francisco Scientific
and Mining Press says that SO extended
and involved are the myriad statistics
now gathered that each cesus costs sew
eral milliou dollars, and the facts so Sc
cured are not published in their en-
tirety until it is about time to take the
next one. Thus it is only recently that
the mass of figures obtained in 1890 has
been fully given out. Everything con
ceivable has been figured on and with
excepting mining, distinctively. The
number of Indians in the state of New
York under IA years of age who have at
tended school three hours each school
day; the average individual amount of
money brought by immigrants from
South America to New Orleans in Janu-
ry,1592, and the difference between the
earnings of the French Canadian opera
tives in Massachusetts cotton factories
and the negroes in South Carolina rice
fields has been figured out in minute de-
tail and published in substantial shape
but nothing about mining specifically.
On June 10, 1898, senate bill 4545 passed
the United Stats senate. 1t provided
for the twelfth census in 1900. 1t didn't
pass the house, so will come up before
the present short session, or bnfore the
Fifty sixth congress, which convenes
March 4, 1899. Section "a of that bill
enumerates what shall be considered,
what statistics shall be secured in that
census which costs so much public
money, and which ordinarily will be
written public purview about 1906. In
that section, and, in fact, in the whole
bill, there is not word that would lead
anyone to suppose that there was such a
thing in the United States as a mine.
The country's greatest basic industry,
the one thing upon which primitively
the whole country depends, is utterly ig-
nored. The only industry of the only
prosperous section OF the United States
is not Of sufficient Importance to have
separate and distinct place in the
twelfth census of the United States,
though were it not for that industry the
countrys western boundary would be
the Mississippi river, and the census
would be a comparatively small affair.
Where were the senators from the great
mining states when this bill passed the
United States senate? OF what use is a
census that does not enumerate things
of value, and what in this country ex-
ceeds in value or Importance the mining
industry? In the congress of the United
States now in session at Washington, d.
c., sits 80 senators and 357 representa-
tives. OF these 447 men, % senators and
43 representatives we're elected from
metal mining commonwealth. 1t is
within bounds to suggest to these Go
gentlemen, singly and collectively, that
any one of them could be of some ser
vice to the nation, and possibly to him
self, were he to interview the chairman
of the committee of the twelfth census,
or, if in the house, take fitting action to
see that this bill authorizing expendi-
ture therefor is clause making specific
appropriate of an amount sufficient to
insuYe publication therein of official sta
tstics of the mineral industry of this
country. Distinct from all other indus
<tries, mining in 1897 produced in this
country values aggregating S623, 1912 ,3i7.
Possibly detailed statistics thereof
would be as beneficial and interesting to
sus as are elaborately illustrated vol
umes on the difference between the
chronological structure OF the lady bug
found on the leavef of the Vermont cab
bages and the moths that infest the
buckwheat fields OF northeastern Maine.
ACTIVE DIvIDEND-PAYISG MINES.
OF the active dividend payers, now
carried on the list, Colorado has 36 and
Utah 16, says the Denver Republican.
But Utah is far in advance OF this state
in the amount OF dividends paid, having
distributed S3l ,335,6l0, while Colorado
mines have distributed in dividends but
S1S,67l 60S, the two states making the
respectable showing OF s50,O07,21S Utah
has seven mines that have passed the
million mark five of which have paid
more than two million dollars, one, the
Ontario, having paid s13577,500. The
Utah mines are much older than those
in Colorado, most OF the latter having
commenced to pay dividends within the
last five years, while. the big dividend
payers OF Utah have been paying profits
Cor many years. Colorado has but five
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