The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-25

pared with 1902. This was due almost
entirely to the strikes in Colorado.
where there was a decrease in produce
lion amounting to nearly that figure.
mere was also a slight decline in Cal
/ Hornlas output. Colorado. however.
was sun by far the largest producer
OF gold among American states and
territories, with California second,
fAlaska third and South Dakota
| Silver's Importance.
Silver is of much less Importance
as an industry. Less than $SO,OO0,0 600
worth was mined in the United States
Turing 1903. Mexico passed the United
states in the production of this metal
III 1SVz, and she has kept the first place
| ana considerably increased her lead.
| Yearly tour-fifths of the worlds out
! put of the white metal, which amounts
70 about $lO0,000.00O annually, come
from Two countries-Mexico and the
united States. Last year Mexico re-
ported an increase of nearly So
600 fine ounces. which is nearly one
nIth or the total production of the
| United States.
| Whlle gold is found in all parts of
| the world. in many places it occurs in
such small quantities that it is impos-
slble to mine it at a profit Its ex-
traction is great industry in West
ern Australia. the Transvaal, Rhode
sia' New Zealand, West Africa, India
| (Mysore), British Columbia and other
| countries besides the United States.
The Worlds Great Gold Mines.
Out of the thirty largest gold-pro-
| duclng mines in the world, according
10 the Economist. a London journal
OF high repute, only three are Ameri-
can. They are the Homestake mine
IN South Dakota, which is by far the
| largest gold mine in the world, and
the Portland and Camp Bird mines
IN Colorado. Out of these thirty big
best mines, no fewer than seventeen
are in the Transvaal. Six are in West
Australia, and the others are in India,
New Zealand and Queensland.
Although Homestake is the largest
gold mine in the world. it is one of
the poorest relatively, as the ore only
yields about 1915 a ton. However
over 100000 tons are treated every
| year. There are many mines which
earn better profits than Homestake,
but none approaches it in size. The
next largest gold mine in size, though
not in value of output, is Alaska
| Treadwell, on Douglas Island. 1t is
a notable fact all over the world that
the largest gold mines are not nee
essarily or even generally, the most
| profitable.
The Greatest Gold Field.
The most important gold field in
the world is unquestionably the Wit
| watersrand field in the Transvaal
which was discovered as recently as
1885. 1t is generally conceded that
mining is carried on more scientifical-
~ there than in any other part of the
| world. Shafts are sunk to immense
depths before the reef is struck, but
nevertheless many of the mines were
yielding fabulous profits before the
Boer war. They are beginning to re-
port large monthly outputs again, al
though their owners grumble about
scarcity of labor and have brought a
hornets nest about the ears of the
British government by clamoring for
Chinese coolies.
Will Last for so Years.
According TO one expert, cit is not
expected that the field will be worked
out for at least eighty years. and there
| is prospect that operations will be
considerably extended under British
rule, which will probably involve a re-
auction in the working cost, and rem
1 der some areas workable which hith-
erto have not been able to be worked
| profitably.
Gold is known to exist over a larger
4 area than that of the Witwaterstrand
/ proper, and rumors of the discovery
| of the same reefs at places consider
ably distant have lately been current.
| There are also other fields in the
| Transvaal such as the Lydenburg, the
| Murchison, the Klerksdorp, and the
| De kaap. These have hitherto been
only very partially worked. but it is
! expected that sooner or later opera
tons will increase in magnitude, as
| economic conditions improve and be-
come more steady" 1t seems prob
| able, therefore, that South Africa will
soon pass the United States in gold
| production, as Australia has done.
| The Iron Industry.
For the past two or three years, the
| dominant factor in the iron and steel
| industries has been the exceptionally
| large demand for those products in
| the United States. This has naturally
| had the effect of stimulating produce
tion in remarkable degree. 1t has
not only done this, but has practically
withdrawn the American producers of
| pig iron and steel goods from compe-
tition in the markets of the world.
| They have not been able to meet the
native demand. Large importations
! from Great Britain. Germany France,
! Spain and other iron-producing coun-
tries have been necessary, in spite of
the fact that the United States has be-
come by far the largest producer of
| iron and steel in the world.
1t is, of course, a commonplace to
| say that the history of the worlds
material progress in the nineteenth
century is the history of the develop
ment of the iron and steel industries.
| Everybody knows that fact in a gen.
eral way, but few people have taken
the trouble to look into the figures
for themselves and find out how true
| ii Is.
The Worlds Iron supply.
From 1901 to 1920, inclusive, only 35,-
900, 900 tons of iron ore were produced
i'm the world. From 1881 to 1888, in
elusive, about 367O00,000 tons were
mined. According to Mulhall. the
greatest of s:atisticians, over 1,27S, 000,-
! 900 tons of ore were produced during
WRONG IDEA.