The Wilmington morning star., 1945-09-25
With BAN LlF1En
U. S. GOLD MINING
T0HIT new LEyEI

Government order has given g.
green light to an industry wbi..
in the prewar year of 1910 prodn s'
ed more than six millio, W..
ounces OF the precious msts,, v,s
value above 21o million do,,.@
Las. year the yield was less th..
a million ounces - lowest .; '
the gold rush days of 184s - v relts
about IS million dollars. "0''A
Gold mining was suspended !.
1912, in order to turn manno, ~
and equipment to the minip o"e :,
essential war metals Tho ss p"
down also saved explosives Ms.,
in blasting and conserved mac I'ea
cry for handling ore. Only exesn.
tons were mines PRODUCING oe1.
along with war-needed metals s Sua
as copper, zinc, and lead; ana
small operations employing feu low
men. ~"
1t is estimated that a year 4,
more may be required to plao.
some mining properties in workins
order. During the mining bolid.s
crews have tended pumps and ken,
timbering in repair.
Most of the gold mined in IN.
United States comes from western
sources, says the National Geogran,
hic Society. The traditional leader,
have been California, South Da.
kota. Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Ar.
IONA, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and
Washington. Utah rose to the ton
gold output incidental to its ron.
per production. Only few state,
east of the Mississippi mined
enough gold to be listed in III,
official statistics.
| Alaska and the Philippine X.
lands, high ranking producers ara
usually included in the figures for
the United States. Their addition
to the states total normally rates
the nation as a contributor of about
one-seventh or one-eighth of the an.
nual world yield. Possibly 40 per
cent of the country's gold usually
comes from strictly gold mines;
the rest is by-product.
Prewar gold mining operations in
the United States were distributed
among some LOO mines. In l94l
IS companies produced SO per cent
Of the total. About six in every
ten mines were working ore de.
posts; the others were placer op.
erations-recovery from gravels
by dredges, or by power shovels
feeding sluicing plants. All these
operations employed more than
twenty thousand wage earners,
though the number of actual min.
ers was much smaller.
Bulk of the gold went to the
Government at S35 an ounce for
storage at Fort Knox, Kentucky to
swell the country's monetary re-
serves which stood at more than
% billion dollars at the optbreai
of war. From 1887 through 1888 the
value had been $20.67 an ounce
Gold released for industrial use IN
1941 was valued at about 60 NIL
lion dollars, less than a third OF the
value of the years total yield.
Despite the greater importance
Of gold as money, it is highly USE
full in many arts and trades us
industrial value is found IN lis
pleasing color, its anti-tarnlsn anu
anti-corrosion qualities, and me
ease with which it can be drawn
| into fine wire and hammered mlo
thin sheets - an ounce of gold VIII
make $50 square feet Of leaf. Goa
can be welded at ordinary tempefa'
lures by pressure alone, it IS
| good conductor of electricity anu
unites firmly with ceramic war; war;
The metals characteristic sll1'el
appears in gold braid and enor '..
cry for uniforms and v t..aaents
r is plated on band instruments
it is much favored by Jewele ti,1'
and dentists use up fortunes IN I'LL.
ings, crowns, and bridges. Maker.
of scientific instruments turn " -.
for hair springs and contacts W.
specialized electrical oeV'..;
Some laboratory dishes and CRUZ ;t,
bles are made of gold alloyea WIN :.
other metals. 1t also serves ., III
tubes for radium therapy' IN 'a "a,
Gets for x-rays, and in salts ~
some skin diseases. ,.,,ss
AS gold leaf it shines from ooi ND
and crosses, CLEANS on picture sIa
mirror frames. and brightens 1o-
bindings and playing caro- eos tn
Store Windows are marked .1 IN,
gold-leaf lettering, and paWAs siop,
sttract borrowers with tAelr ,, slSn'
If the three golden balls. Bull a., Il.
bathrooms, and railway cars oi 45e ,5
to the supply in order 10 llav VIA
names and decorations in 5 golti bs,
Much gold in the form OF lea' 4 tss
worn away and been lost .t TO- ed
world forever. 1t CANNOT NC sort Of
off and reclaimed. 1t is p pa over
tho treasure that has vanished WV
the centuries.