The Colorado statesman., 1913-09-13
METALS IN COLORADO
PRODUCTION IN 1912 $5,ooo,ooo
GREATER THAN IN 1911.
Large Increase Shown In Zinc, Lead
and Silver Output, But Decrease
in Copper and Gold.


per, lead, and zinc recovered from
placers. from gold-silver bullion, and
from ore sold or treated in 1912, was
$780, ,966, as compared with $32,41S,-
21S in 1911, an increase in value for
1912 of S4,902,74S, or 10 per cent, ac-
cording to Charles w. Henderson, OF
the United States Geological Survey.
These figures are compiled and tabu-
lated strictly as a mine report and
with reference to the locality Of each
individual mine, and not with refer
ence to the locality of the shipping
point OF the product.
The production of gold in Colorado
in 1912 showed a decrease in value OF
S413,413; of silver, an increase of $751;
902 ounces; of copper, a decrease OF
917,1S5 pounds; of lead. an increase OF
5,562,97S pounds; and of zinc (figured
as spelter and zinc in zinc oxide) an
increase of 37,615.356 pounds. With
increased market prices for silver.
copper, and zinc, there were increases
in value of $169,644 for copper, s1,165,-
434 for silver, $250,334 for lead, and
$S,7SO,749 for zinc.
Cripple Creek Principal Gold Pro-
ducer.
The output of Cripple Creek in
1912 showed an increase of S445,709
in gold, the production being S11,00S,-
1862, or SO per cent of the total gold
yield of the state. The shipments OF
Il IL CrsrN
to the custom milling plants showed
small decrease, but the shipments of
the higher-grade ores to smelters
showed a small increase and also an
increase in it's average content of gold,
as well as a heavy increase in low
grade dump and mine ores sent to
cyanide and cyanide-concentration
mills in the district. and also an in
crease in amounts recovered from old
tailings. shines, and "clean up" OF
closed mills. In 1912 cyanidation COM
pletely superseded chlorination in the
treatment of Cripple Creek ore. The
San Juan region, in Dolores, La Plata,
Ouray, San Juan and San Miguel coun-
ties, showed a decrease of 100000 in
output of gold, Ouray county showing
the largest decrease. There was also
decrease in output from La Plata
county, but an increase from San Juan
county. Other counties showing an
increased output of gold were Chaffee.
Gilpin, Eagle, Park, and Summit. The
placer output of gold was $423.SS5, an
increase of $104.126 over the output
of 1911.
LeadviIle Leads In Output of Silver.
Leadville Lake county continued to
be the chief silver-producing district
of Colorado, it's output being 3,000,397
ounces, which represent 81 per cent
of the state yield The chief silver
producing counties in Colorado in 1912
were Lake, San Miguel, San Juan, Min
eral, Ouray, Pitkin. Clear Creek, and
Gilpin, in the order named; these coun-
ties combined furnished SO per cent
of the total state production. Notable
increases in output OF silver were
shown in San Juan, Mineral, and San
Miguel counties, and notable de-
creases in La Plata and Clear Creek.
Decrease in Copper, Increase in Lead.
Copper production in Colorado de-
creased from s,024.4SS pounds in 1911
to 7,107,303 pounds in 1912. Lake,
San Juan, San Miguel, Dolores,
Clear Creek. and Ouray counties.
in the order named, We're the
largest producers, Lake county
alone furnishing % per cent,
San Jaun, Is; Gilpin, IA and the
seven counties combined, 90 per cent
The production of lead in Colorado
increased from 69,679,2S9 pounds in
1911 to 75,242,267 pounds in 1912.
Lake county ranked first, and was fol-
lowed by San Juan. Pitkin, San Mi
guel, Mineral, Summit. and Clear
Creek counties. in the order named.
Zinc Output 100000 Lbs. Greater.
The zinc output of Colorado Cn
terms of spelter and zinc in zinc
oxide) was 132,222,S12 pounds in 1912
as compared with 94.607, ,456 pounds in
1911, an increase for 1912 of $685.
356 pounds in quantity and of s3,730,-
749 in value. Lake county, with an in
crease for the year of 34,335,337
pounds, furnished 05,945,7S3 pounds
or so per cent of the state yield. The
output of zinc carbonate ore from
Leadville was 142,7S2 tons of 29.2 per
cent zinc, against S9,905 tons OF RI
per cent zinc in 1911.
Increased production of zinc was al.
so made in Chaffee, Clear Creek
Dolores, Eagle, Fremont, Ouray. Pit
kin, Saguache, San Juan, and Sum-
nit counties, and appreciable de-
creases were made in Mineral, Park.
and San Miguel counties. Zinc pro-
duction in concentrates amounted to
46053,954 pounds, and in crude ore to
S6,16s,s5S pounds.
The zinc sulphide ore shipped in
creased from 1886 tons of 233 per
cent zinc in 1911, to 104,14S tons of
23S per cent zinc in 1912