The San Francisco call., 1904-06-18
GOVERNMENT GIVES CALIFORNIA
FIRST POSITION FOR DIVERSITY
Officially Reports There Is Greater Variety Of
Minerals in This State Than Can Elsewhere Be
Found and Values Entte 1t to Seventh Place

The State Of California, so reports
the Department of Commerce and La
Dor in a bulletin just issued relating to
mines and quarries of the United
States, although ranking seventh in the
value of products in 1908, held the first
place in diversihcation Of minerals.
This fact has been known to persons
familiar with the mines and minerals
of this State, but the official pronounce
ment of 1t by a branch of the Federal
Government Has advantages that can
not be overlooked.
The Department of Commerce and
Labor has caused the facts to be gath
cred from the mining census that was
conducted in connection with the
United States Geological Survey. The
census methods were modified to agree
with those Of the geological survey.
1 The totals for the two offices agree.
Therefore the publication now submit
ted by the Department of Commerce
and Labor is reliable. This is an i'm
portant consideration, being a guaran-
made.
That the State Of California is cred
| tied with being the richest of any in
the sisterhood of States in the matter
Of diversity of minerals will not be
overlooked by investors in all parts Of
the world, to whom the publication in
question will be valuable and trust
worthy handbook of information.
The statistics and general statements
that are made relate to all mines and
quarries and petroleum and natural
gas wells that were in operation during
any portion of the calendar year ending
December 81, 1902 The inclusion of the
refined products for gold, silver and
other metals that are summarized in a
comprehensive tabulation brings up the
value of products for 1902 to 1884, ,O4O, 1853.
an excess of $S7, PA, 452 over the $796, ,S26,-
All reported as the value Of the direct
products of the mines, quarries and pc
troleum and natural gas wells. The
returns for 1903 that have been given
out are necessarily incomplete. being
based somewhat on estimates. This for
the present makes the bulletin in hand
the latest handbook that will be avail
able to careful Investigators
RANKING THE STATES.
In connection with mines, quarries
and oil and gas wells the rank of the
States is set down as follows on the
basis Of the complete returns of 1902:
Pennsylvania leads in the number OF
wage earners employed and in the
value of products, Ohio is second in
value of products and third in number
of wage earners. Illinois is second in
wage earners and sixth in value of
products, Michigan is third in value of
products and fourth in number of wage
earners, West Virginia is fourth in
value of products and fifth in wage
| earners.
| California is seventh in the value OF
| products. OF the fifty-two different
classifications of minerals mined in the
| United States in 1902 California is cred
tied by the Government with twenty
six. Since that census, 1t may be re-
marked, some discoveries have been
made in this State. The State Mineralo-
! gist of California, in fact, in his last
annual report claimed that more than
] fifty different minerals are mined in
| this State.
Some interesting facts may be CLEAN
ed from a bewildering array of sta
tistical tables relating to the growth
of the bOrax industry in California
The first commercial production of
borax in the United States was in
1S46. when twelve short tons were
mined in California. BOrax production
in the United States is credited by the
Government mainly to the colemanite
deposits in this State, although there
was some production. not very formid-
able in amount. from the marsh de-
posits of California, Nevada and Ore
gon.
The census returns never have dealt
| separately with borax until the cen
sus to which allusion is made in this
| article. Since the beginning of the
borax mining industry in California
the output has varied from nothing in
1869 1870 and 1871 to 1912 short tons
in 1902 The value of borax produced
in California is treated separately by
the Department of Commerce and La
bor The figures for 1889 are S145, 473.
representing the value of the output;
for 1902 they are $2,53S.614.
COST OF BORAX MINING.
Operators of other sorts of mines
may be interested in seeing the off,
e oe