Gilpin observer., 1905-11-23
The Production of Gold and Silver in
1904.

|
] Never before in the history of the
United States Geological Survey has
It's annual report on the production of
gold and silver been so complete and
comprehensive as is the report for
1904, which has just been published.
The number of mine owners who re-
fuse to report their production is now
extremely small, and there is, in fact, a
very large and growing number of COM
panies that no longer make secret
of their production of gold and silver.
Mr.. Waldemar Lindgren, geologist,
who is well-known in the most impor-
tant gold and silver camps of the coun-
| try, has had charge of the work of
collecting the gold and silver statis-
| tlcS. He has been assisted by Mr..
Charles G. Yale in Alaska California.
Nevada, Oregon and Washington; by
Mr.. Victor c. Heikes in Arizona, Idaho
and Utah; by Mr.. w. S. Ward in Colo
RADIO; by Mr.. A. n. Winchell in Mon
tana, and by Mr.. e. P. Porter in South
Dakota and Wyoming. and by Mr.. f.
A. Jones in New Mexico.
The production of gold in the
| United States during 1904 amounted
| to 3,910,729 fine ounces, valued at
| $S0,S35,64S. This represents an in
crease of $7243,94S over the produc-
| tion of 1908. After a period of very
rapid advance in the gold production
from 1892 to 1900, during which an in
crease from s33,000,0O to ST9,171 900
| took place, there followed two years
of nearly stationary output and one
year, 1903. of very decided decrease.
1t is therefore vs-y gratifying to find
that the production has risen again
a
largest previous output in 1902,
amounting to $S0,000,000.
The production of silver in 1904
amounted to 55,999,S64 fine ounces,
valued at $50 2,O35,37S. This represents
an increase of 699 ,S64 ounces over
the production of 1903. and an increase
in value of $2,713,37S. There is, there
fore, total increase of S9,957,326 in
the value of gold and silver produced
in 1904 over that of 1903. The record
output of silver in 1892, amounting to
63,5OO,OOO fine ounces, has not been
reached in late years. nor has the COM
mercial value attained the figures of
that year, which amounted to $S2101,-
900. The price of silver in 1904. ac-
cording to the director of the mint, va
ried from 90 to 81 cents per fine ounce,
representing a decided increase over
the prices in 1903, which varied from
4S to 80 cents, and only exceptionally
rose to 81 cents in October, 1903
The principal sources of the great in
crease in the gold production of over
$4,000 900. compared with that of 1903,
are easily traceable. Colorado added
nearly $2,000,000 in her production of
1903, most of this amount coming from
the mines of Cripple Creek Nevada's
DIltDIlt increased ahnnt fhp
amount. chiefly by reason of the phe-
nomenal yields of the Goldfeld mines
The greatest progress is reported in
California, whose production exceeds
that of 1908 by $4,000. 900, the increase
being caused partly by a strong devel-
opment of the quartz mining industry
and to a less degree by the activity of
the dredgers. Alaska and Arizona
show increased yields, amounting re-
spectively. to s476,S93 and $74S. los. A
number of states show smaller increase.
while Utah, Montana and Washington
has less gold to their credit in 1904
than in 1908.
The increase of value in the produc-
tion of silver of S2.7l3.3TS is somewhat
evenly distributed among the various
states and territories, but is to some
extent due to the better price of silver
obtained. Colorado leads with an
increase of s970,32O. California Idaho
Montana, Nevada and Utah also added
considerable value TO their silver pro
duction.
The moderate increase in the pro-
duction of Alaska is chiefly due to an
increase In the production of the
quartz mines. Nome slightly reduced
its output. which is estimated at Si,-
064 ,604. The newly discovered placers
on the lower Tanana yielded about
100000. The quartz mines on The
coast are as a rule in hourishing
condition and yielded S3.050.977. The
yield of silver is comparatively unim-
portant.
Arizonas increase is derived chiefly
from siliceous ores mined at YavaDai,
Mohave and Yuma counties. while the
reopened Tombstone mines in Co
chise county have contributed their
quota.
The gold-producing area of Califor
MIA is extremely large, and includes
"a counties out of 81. Seven counties
produced each over 81 900. 900, and TWO
produced over s2.0O0.000. The in
crease from quartz mining amounts to
81 400. .494, and from dredging to SILL
2S9. The production of silver in Cali
ioi ma Niiit never NNiN S''h'' oho"o
an increase of about 100000 ounces
over that of 1903.
About $l,500O0O of Colorados in
crease in gold, which amounted to
s1,923,222, was derived from Cripple
Creek, which has production OF
$14 ,504,350 for 1904 The remainder
comes from the large mines in San
Miguel county, while in the Gilpin dis
trict including Gilpin, Clear Creek
and Boulder counties. the production
is about stationary. Silver mining re.
mains in a healthy condition. though
most districts reported slight de.
crease as compared with 1903. A con
sIdnrn hlD incrnngn wig ehnMn how.