El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-19

ounces and in 1875 it was over S.
! 600, 900 ounces. About that time be-
gan the great rise in production, which
in 1886 reached 100 900, 900 ounces. In
the figures for 1912 viii be about 49,
000,e ounces.
Nearly all Of this vast quantity of
silver comes from America. 1t is as
if rivers Of the white metal flowed
from the mighty range Of mountains
which forms the backbone Of the con-
tinent-the Rockies in North America
and their continuation southwark, rep
resented by the Andes in South Ameri-
ca. Those towering hills are full of
silver, promising for the future a
yield literally inexhaustible, for doubt
less they contain many a hidden de-
pOsit as rich as any discovered up to
the present time.
Mexico Produces More Than U. S.
This years production of silver in
the United States win be about $32,-
600, 600 worth. Canada viii produce
s20,00O,000 and Mexico S3S, 900, 900
worth. Thus it will be seen that
America north Of the istnmus of Pan
anna yields the great bulk of the
worlds output Of the metal Indeed,
only a small quantity, relatively
speaking, is obtained from any other
source, Australasia, with $1,000, 00O
The Andes OF Peru and Bolivia will
yield $4,000 0G. Germany. Spain, and
japan are silver producers, but in
comparatively small way.
1t will be noticed that Mexico pro-
duces considerably more silver than
we do, and Canada nearly twO-thirds
as much. Until recently the British
possessions on this continent did not
yield any very great amount Of the
metal, but the cpening of the wonder
ful deposits Of the Cobalt district, in
1904 has brought Ontario to the
front. Monte Christo's treasure was
nothing compared to the wealth Of
the Cobalt mines, which in the last
worth Of silyer-ths present yield be-
ing something like $1S,00O,000 per an
mum. The ore averages $500 to the
ton, and tWO-th of what is taken
out is clear profit, over and above ex-
penses.
More than 100000 ounces Of sill
Yer are shipped out of this country
every year. The bulk Of this vast
quantity goes to New York city, in
the shape of bars, much of it being
forwarded thence to London, though
a considerable fraction of the whole
goes direct to India, China and else
where in the far east. A large part
Of what goes TO London eventually
consumer of the precious substance,
for coinage, boarding, and the manu-
facture of ornaments.
How Silver Is Coined.
The ores, as they come from the
mines, are sold by the mine owners to
refiners, who pay cash not only for
the silver, but also for the gold, cop
per, OF lead which they contain. From
the refining plants the white metal is
turned out in the form Of bars, weigh
ing ordinarily from 1000 to 1900
ounces, each of which is stamped with
figures indicating it weight and fine
ness. These bars, which are shaped
somewhat like huge bricks, are prac-
tically safe against thieves, owing to
their great weight, and so are han
died with slight precaUtion, being fire.
quently piled in stacks on the floors
Of the dealers offices in New York,
with no protection save perhaps a
wire fence. When slowed on board
ship, they are not even put into the
specie room, but are deposited in the
hold like any other merchandise.
The figures stamped on the bars are
absolutely reliable, and with no other
guarantee of their value they are
bought and sold If one of them
should by any chance prove not to be
as represented, the credit of the re-
finer would suffer serious damage. He
forwards his bars by express to the
healer in New York; or he may send
them directly to the ship. On the ar
rival of the vessel at Liverpool the
bricks are sent by rail to London, con-
signed to brokers in that city, and in
iue time they are disposed of for ship
men to various parts of the world. I
some of them may go to Egypt Bonn I