Gilpin observer., 1907-11-07
NEWS FROM THE Mines AND MILLS
Transvaai and Australasia.

Transvaai and Australasia.
The August gold output of the
Transvaal amounted to 555,027 fine
ounces. valued at 22,357 ,6G2, of which
the Rand contributed 534,598 fine
ounces. valued at a2,270,s26. This is
new monthly record for the Trans
vaal, and. in fact, for any gold dis
trict in the world. 1t exceeds the rec
ord output, of December, 1906, by
1850 fine ounces. The total number
of stamps at work was 8,665, an in
crease of eighty-five over the preced-
ing month. Forty-seven of the sixty
seven mines on the months producing
list show an increase.
The August output brings the pro.
duction for the first eight months of
this year to 4,206,041 ounces, of a
value of 917,S66,129, which compares
with 3,657,357 ounces, of a value OF
Els, 5,535, ,465 for the corresponding Pc
riod of 1906.
1t is expected that this years gold
production of the Transvaal will
amount to approximately 6,290,000
fine ounces, worth s126,000,0 900; this is
figuring the average monthly output
for the last four months of the year
at nearly $4,000 fine ounces, which
appears conservative enough on the
basis of the production for July and
August, which was respectively 532,-
I'll and 534 ,59S fine ounces. The pro-
duction for last year was 5,7S6,617
fine ounces, of a value of $115, ,735, 900.
The gold production of the United
States in 1906 was 4,565.333 fine
ounces, valued at S94,373,S00, and this
years total is estimated at consider
ably more than S100,000,0O0. 1t is,
therefore. certain that the Transvaal
will again rank first among the gold
producing countries of the world for
the year 1907.
The Transvaal output of this year
will be twice as large as that of 1903,
showing the remarkable progress of
gold-winning operations in the coun-
try. 1t is the general belief, however
that 1907 will be the Transvaals ban
ner twelve-months' period, and that
succeeding years will record a large,
but decreasing, output
The gold production of Australasia
is steadily declining. the latest avail
able statistics showing a decrease of
10000 ounces for the first six months
of this year. as compared with the
like period of 1906. This decrease is
largely due to impoverishment of the
veins in the deeper levels of the
mines of Kalgoorlie and other dis
tricts in Western Australia and to the
fact that no new districts of impor
tance have been discovered during the
last few years. The older districts
such as Ballarat, Bendigo, Maldon,
Charters Towers. Gympie and Hill
grove (the first three in Victoria and
the latter three in Queensland), all
give evidence of dying out. The de
crease of output in these three states
for the six months under considera-
ton has been as follows: Western
Australia, $4,000 ounces: Victoria, 55.-
900 ounces. and Queensland, $4,000
ounces. New Zealand shows de-
crease of about 10000 ounces, al
though the famous Waihi mine is
yielding over 100000 monthly and
has reserves sufficient to insure of
many years productiveness. The
dredging operations in Otago and on
the West Coast are not proving as
successful as hitherto. OF all the
Australian states. New South Wales
alone made an increased production
for the first half of the year, this be-
ing accounted for largely by the gold
by-product from the smelling of base
metals. There appears no immediate
prospect for long staying the decline
in any OF the important gold fields of
the country.
The gold yield of Australasia for
1906 was 4.i97,7G5 fine ounces, valued
at SS9.955,300. as compared with A.
G34 COB fine ounces. of value of s92,-
G92.0G0 in 1905. II is estimated that
the 1907 output will fall below $780,
100000.