The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-27
Transyaal Closely Pushing Into
Front Ranks i'm PrOduc-
tiOn of Gold.
LAST YEARS OUTPUT
0NE-THIRD OF SUPPLY
Five Great Mines Earning Great
Profits From Low
Grade Ores.

Great as may be the development OF
the newer gold fields especially those OF
Nevada and Alaska and sure as is the
increase I'm the production of the yellow
metal throughout the United States II
is evident that the Transvaal Will again
take the lead. Last year the TranSVaal
contributed nearly one third OF the world s
gold supply. that is. 5,7S6, e17 ene ozss.
valued at Slls,i5S. 1@l, second place be-
ing held by the United States with ap-
proximately A,6a9,313 ozs., sos, l0l. 400, says
the Mining World.
For the first four months of 1907.
the Transvaal produced ., los. 6a8 o2s, gold.
valued at s4S,545. 4Os-the record-which
shows an increase of 3S7. i2i ozs., sS.0os.-
05J, or about % per cent as compared
with tn. corresponding period Of 1906.
Supposing the Increase for The whole year
to be 20 per cent. the Transyaal would
show production Of about $4,000. 600
for 1907. This when compared with SI2.-
961 sol for 1899. the year before the Boer
troubles demoralized the gold mining in
dustry. indicates an Increase in the out
put roughly OF SIO,0oo,o00. or say, ?b per
cent. Within the next two or three years,
the Transyaal should, under normal con-
dItions. produce $500, 600. 900 in gold but
il Is not so certain that the same ratio
of annual increase will continue there
in mining and mcJallurgS which may be-
come more complex as the years advance.
How long the Transvaal will claim first
place as a gold producing country shall
depend largely on the results TO be OBJ
tained from the new mines In the United
States. and the economic treatment of
low-grade ores, From present indications
gold mining in this country will continue
active for years 10 come, and when the
remote deposits In Nevada. California and
Alaska have been fully developed there
Is likely TO he an output in excess Of any
yet attained.
The question is sometimes asked. DO
in the Transyaal? The answer must
necessarily be a haphazard one. for con-
ditions are different in both countries
and there is opportunity for criticism In
selecting what might be called the great
gold mines among which the comparison
Of costs of working would be, obviously.
the most correct, In a recent compila-
tton OF the great gold mines OF the world
a contemporary has chosen. arbitrarily
sixteen, among which are only two In the
United States. and neither of these is the
famous Alaska Treadwell which has paid
dividends OF $s.7s5.oOO or l7i.7 per cent
on its capitalization.
There are FIVE so-called great gold mines
in the TT nsvaal, which are earning from
averages from $500 to Sli.l0 per ton
The TWO American mines selected are
credited wis6 profits OF 20 per p cent % on o., ore
Homestake of South Dakota, with sl6.-
0s03S0 in dividends to It's credit; and II
per cent on ore averaging $39 SO per ton
which has paid dividends OF $3,i27.T0i
10 date. The Esperanza mine in Mexico
which Is claSsed as the sixth. great gold
property in the world. is earning approXi-
mately 30 per cent in profits on ore aver
aging S33.OS per ton: It's dividends amount
- So. 233, 400 on capitalization Of S2,275,-
900.
There are a number of other gold mines
in the United States. the Transvaal. Aus
trala, India and elsewhere which are
paying handsomely. and before they be-
come exhausted they will have returned
considerably more than their authorized
capitalization. The chief factor In the
development of permanent dividend pay
ing gold mines has been the intelligent
advancement shown In the treatment of
low grade and complex ores, Greater
care is also being taken 10 recover the
precious metal from the so-caled waste
products OF the mills Consequently, the
prospects are that the gold supply of the
world will continue TO grow Indefinitely.