The San Francisco call., 1910-01-30
CALIFORNIA
Placer Gold Product

Figures issued by. the statistical de-
psrtnent OF the geological survey upon
ne distribution of the gold product OF
1908 show that the placer gold made 2S
per cent Of the whole production, and
That gold from siliceous ore amounted
10 65 per cent Copper ores yielded only
b per cent, lead ores / per cent and
mixed ores per cent, a total for the
base metal ores of only per cent, in
spite Of an exceedingly heavy tonnage
of these ores. This shows that II is
futile to look for a heavily increa sed
production Of gold from an increase in
the activity Of base metal mining
Compared with the yield of 1907. the
placer gold increased by about 1858, 600.
the gold from siliceous ores increa sed
by the considerable amount of $500,
o0o, the gold from lead ores decreased
heavily 10 less than half of the guam
tity obtained in 1907, and the gold from
mixed ores remained at about the same
figures.
The placer gold amounted TO s25.617,-
5lS in 1908, against S24, SIS, ,2SO in 1907.
The greatest production in recent years
was reached in 1906, when nearly
late years, Alaska led with about
Si5-eoO,eO0, small decrease from the
production of 1907. California yielded
SS,23I1S7, and here we find the prin-
cipSl sourcs of the increase of The total
In each OF the other states the placer
production was on much smaller
scale. Oregon and Idaho reduced their
output materially. in large part on ac-
count Of unfavorable seasons on the
other hand. dredging operations in
Montana and Colorado greatly in
creased the placer yield Of these states.
Gold dredging has developed into a
most important industry in California.
The yield from this branch of mining
IN that state in recent years has been
as follows:
1904. s2.Is7.O3S: 1905. ss,27s.143: 1906,
$5.OSS,35s; 1907, $500, 437; 1908. s6.536,-
1S9. SiXty-nine dredgeboats were oper-
ating IN California IN 1908. The total
yield from all dredging operations out
side OF California was only SS15.5s4 in
gold, divided between Alaska. Colorado.
Georgia. Idaho. Montana and Oregon.
The corresponding output for 1907 was
S5lI.659. Details can not be given
without disclosing the production of
single operators. Nineteen dredge-
boats were in operation. as follows:
Alaska 4, Colorado 4, Georgia 1, Idaho
:. Montana 4, Oregon ]. No gold was
reported from dredging along Snake
river.
Drift mining in frozen ground has
yielded most of the gold from the lower
Tauana in Alaska, and a large part of
the gold from the Seward peninsula IS
also obtained by this method OF mining.
IN California drift mining still remains
an important branch, but the yield Is
declining, and was only about SSso,545
in 1908.
The remaining placer gold is won by
the hydraulic method or by surface
sluieinE work, which is practiced. in al
of the placer states A very small
amount OF placer gold is derived from
dry washing in New Mexico and Ari-
zoua
The production Of gold from dry and
siIiceous ores IN 1903 amounted 70 s59.-
57g,704, against s54274,S76 in 1907. The
states which yielded over $4,000 600
from this source rank as follows: Col
orado Nevada, California, South Da-
l1ots and Alaska. Compared with the
preceding year. California, Alaska.
idaho. South Dakota and Utah showed
considera bic gains. while less amount
Of gold was discovered from this source
in Nevada. Montana, New Mexico and
n-1r~rT7 rlrrx-f11a Mercury