Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-24

WORKING over Ola nelQS. BuJ II COM
modify prices remain at or near their
present low levels for an additional year
or two a substantial output should be
realized from marginal mines"
Witwatersrand Greatest.
An outstanding fact about the gold
industry, the mining paper adds, is that
one district-the Witwatersrsnd, in the
Transvaal-produces SO per cent Of the
world total output. Compared with the
Transvaal, Canada is still a small pro-
Queer, but the Dominion has been max
ing such strides within the last Is years
that it is now the worlds second largest
gold producer and is increasing its out
put at the rate of 20 per cent or more
annually.
In the United States, long so promi-
nent in gold production. the industry
has been fading into obscurity in recep:
years" says Engineering and Mining
Journal. Cripple Creek, Goldfeld.
Tonopah and other famous camps have
seen their best days. New camps have
Juneau. plus the by-product output
from base-metal mines, accounted for
half the countrys total in 1929 But
with the advent of depression and un-
employment. a subdued boom has re-
suited. Lacking any one district in
which to manifest itself, it has taken
shape in the reopening of old mines
long dormant, and the reworking of
placer diggings that had been thought
exhausted. Despite sharp drop in the
by-product recovery of gold. total pro-
duction in 1880 was higher than 1929
an indication that the gold mines made
a substantial increase. A further drop
in by-product output will occur this
year. In 1929 base metal-mines produced
more than 40l 900 ounces of gold In
1881. they will produce barely 100000
ounces.
Gold production in Australia, which
once disputed with the United States
for premier rank among world gold
producers: is declining: The Mysore
field, in India. seems to be gradually
dying out. Southern Rhodesia is anoth-
British colony which has no present
prospects of improving its position.
Mexico. where gold is chiefly by
product, has had a mild rush at Ell
Tambor, but the amount recovered
there has not been large enough. the
mining paper states, to counterbal-
ance curtailed base-metal output. On
the other hand. British West Africa,
the Belgian Kongo and New Guinea
production has forged steadily ahead
ever since the first gold was produced
under American possession. In Panama
the Panama Corporation is developing
what Is claimed to be potential sue
cessor to the South African field.
The government gold mining area
in the Far East Rand in the Transvaal
is the worlds largest gold producer,
the mining publication says. Its out
put of 1,107046 ounces is exceeded only
by three countries-the Union of South
~ Ioo TIpifnd States QY1d
Canada. The mine covers an area of
1888 claims and is developed through
four large shafts. In 1890 the COM
pany paid dividends of 90 per cent on
its capital of 100000 sterling.
Larger Producers.
There are AZ mines in the world that
produced more than 100000 ounces OF
gold each in 1880, adds the publica-
ton. OF these % are on the Wit
watersrand, if Sub Nigel is included.
Among the remaining IA shines CANADA
claims and the United States 2. The
mine that has, so far as records indi-
cate, produced to date more gold than
any other in the world is the Crown
Mines in the TranSvaal, which, to the
end of 1880, had 20,461 TAO ounces to
its credit.
Alaska Juneau is the lode mine that
handles the largest annual tonnage OF
ore. Probably the highest-grade gold
mine of any size in the world Is the
Ashanti Goldfields property, on the
Gold Coast, where run-of-mine ore as
says better than one ounce OF gold 70
cited as the largest producer, also
was the most profitable in 1880, hav.
ing earned in that year a profit OF
Ella A52 $50