The San Francisco call., 1905-01-28
MINING OF COAST
IS REVIEWED.
EXPERTS TELL OF ITS GROWTH
Progress IS Marked From Alaska
to the Mexican Boundary.

Considering the vast amount of capi-
tai invested in the mining industry in
the United States, and the great value
of the annual output of all the varied
mines Of this country, general view of
the industry as a whole cannot fail to
be interesting at this early stage Of
1905. Without giving up great amount
of room to statistics, which have al
ready been summarized by the United
States Geological Survey material
facts and specially those relating to the
Pacific Coast States and Territories are
germane.
Speaking first of the progress Of the
leading metals, those that figure large
ly in the markets of the world, 1t may
be said that no unusual developments
in iron mining took place in any part
Of the United States in 1904. There was
an increase in the gold production and
there ought to be an annual increase,
due to the fact that there are vast
mountain areas that remain practically
unexplored by the prospector; rich
desert regions, as demonstrated by the
discoveries of two years in Nevada,
where vast stores of the shining metal
unquestionably await discovery; the
newer processes promise as much as
discoveries by making it possible to get
profit from very how grade ores. Add
to this that dredger mining, which is
applicable to enormous areas where yet
that branch of industry has not been
introduced to date, and it will be seen
that hardly any prediction concerning
the progress of gold mining in this
country can be overwrought
Copper remains a center of interest.
Great advances have been made in
Arizona in twelve months. The de-
velopment of copper properties in this
State, those in Shasta County natur-
ally attracting the lions share of at
tention, together with the promise that
Is reported to be held out in the opera
tions Of the plant that the Mountain
Copper Company is constructing in
Contra Costa County, where copper
matte may be refined instead of send
ing to the East-add live interest when
the situation is passed in review.
The silver mining industry has not
advanced materially in any part of the
United States in a year. The coal
mining industry of California has been
considered of less pressing Importance
since the very large production Of fuel
oil in this State made it possible to get
steam and other power at low cost. Oil
has largely irterfered, also with the
Importation of coal for steam making.
Still it Is known that there are very
large coal deposits in California. There
is also a good showing of iron ores in
certain California districts, but the
cost of coke has stood in the way of
smelling California iron, and may ma
terially interfere for some time to
come.
While dredger mining has so far ad-
vanced in California as to be a lead
ing topic of conversation when practi-
cal miners meet, the application of
electricity in quartz mining plants is
very important as a factor in the gen.
eral advance. In an annual review of
the mining industry Of this State in
connection with reviews of other parts
of the country, the Mining World,
which is published at Chicago, gives up
much space to an article by State Min
eralogist Aubury. Therein, defending
the fame of California as a gold pro-
ducing State, Aubury calls attention to
the fact that this State has to the end
of 1903 the sum of 1896, 81, PIP in gold
to be credited to it's mines and that the
annual yearly output for ffty-five
years has averaged more than $25, ,0O0,-
600. The statistics are so we'll under
stood at home that there is no need to
give much time to their consideration.
Aubury says on one topic:
VAST GOLDEN TERRITORY.
As to dfstrih,1tiou NJ tho oold denost+s o.4s.