The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-09-08
TIE pELuaE OF GOLD.

During the ninety years from 1710
to 1900, the placers of Brazil produced
by slave labor $750,000,O00 in gold,
writes Alex Del Mar in the Engineer
ing Magazine. During the 30 years,
.1S4s to 1875, the placers of California
produced, mostly by hand labor, $780,
100000 in gold. During the q years,
1851 to 1878, the placers of Australia
produced, mostly by hand labor,
5000, 900, 900 in gold. During the IS
years, 1880 to 1904, inclusive, Russia
produced, largely from the plaeers of
Siberia, $1,300,0O0, 900 in gold; the
present production : being about 25,-
100000 a year, and the gold ships
hardly at work yet. During the past
10 years, 1895 to 1904, the placers of
Alaska produced, chiefly by hand la
Dor s140,000,000 in gold. Placer min
ing came to a stop in Egypt and Spain
when there product fell to a level OF
hand labor; it stopped in Brazil partly
for the same reason and partly because
the gravel being small and fine, the
placer fields are nearly fat, and the
mines are "out of grade" It stopped
in California because the tailings
choked up the rivers sDd the law
courts interdicted the hydraulic pro-
cess. In Australia it had almost
passed the level of hand labor when
the gold dredge was invented. In
Alaska, though stopped in winter time
for lack of running water, it is still
going on during the summer time,
when the streams are released from
frost. In none of these countries was
placer mining arrested because there
was no more gold in the gravel, but for
other reasons stated, all of which are
now remedied by the gold dredge. This
invention supersedes hand labor by
machinery; it requires no grade or
declivity down with which to sluice its
gravel; it will choke no river; it needs
only enough water to float itself in
and to wash the gold with; and all of
this water it can, and does, use over
and over again. Like most other in
ventions, the gold dredge is a develop
ment. The gold dredge was used on
the Magdalena river 20 years ago; the
device was further developed several
years later in New Zealand; it was
brought almost to perfection in Cali
%fornia; at the present time, a dozen
machine shops, scattered all over the
United States, are rivalling one an
other in turning out a more and more
perfect dredge. The home demand
for these machines is so urgent that
but few have as yet been shipped
abroad; yet several of them have al
ready gone to South America and sew
eral more to Europe. The present rate
of out turn is about one machine a
week; in the course of a few years
it will be one per diem; IN 10 years it
will probably be 10 machines per diem.
When this takes place and perhaps be-
fore it, the worlds production of gold
even should the quartz mines yield no
more than at present, will be $1,000
900 a day.
When, during the sixteenth century,
the mines of America threw upon the
world a vast and unlocked for supply
of the precious metals, the result was
to impart a sudden and tremendous
stimulus to production, invention and
discovery. The Halcyon Ages dawned,
and Europe rose at a bound from
penury Ignorance and retrogression, to
comfort, enlightenment and progress.
That such may be the bright future be-
fore as of today, nothing seems want
ing but to let the Ngold ships pur-
sue their eventful voyages in peace.