PRECIOUS METAL INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 4ยง\
skill applied to the extraction of the metals from their ores. It forms the final step in the progression from the rnde pan washing of the placer worker, through the Little Giant and riffle-boxes of the hydraulic miner, to the more or less complicated crushing by stamps or pulver.izers and subsequent amalgamation, with or without the addition of chemicals, and aided in special cases by various lixiviation processes. But, without the aid of metallurgical processes, carried on in a scientific manner and aided by large capital, the greater bulk of the ores that have been reduced within the last decade wcnld never have been extracted from their rocky beds.
$he decade has been one of great commercial prosperity in our country. Capital has been abundant, and has gone freely into "new enterprises. It is only in such times that mini;ig flourishes; for, on account of its hazardous nature, it is the last sought by capital. On the other hand, the investment of capital in railroads and smelting plants is a permanent one, which can not be withdrawn without great loss, and which therefore encourages the investment of other capital in tributary mines to make profitable that which is already invested. It is evident at a glance, therefore, that general industrial conditions have been such as to stimulate mining enterprises during the decade, especially such as require large capital.
Beside these broad general causes, there are in the physical and geological conditions of our various mining regions other causes which have influenced locally the relative production of these metals, and which, if accurately known, might aid in foretelling to a certain degree the probable future of either. In the succeeding pages the writer will endeavor to trace out these underlying causes by giving a summary statement of such general facts in each State or region as available data will afford.
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In the first table is given the production of gold and silver for the several States and Territories, as furnished by the reports of the Tenth and Eleventh Censuses, respectively,which, though not absolutely cor;tect, shows sufficiently well the aggregate increase or decrease of either daring that period. In this table, on account of the geological unity of their deposits, the products of tflie States of Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, have been grouped under the general head of Appalachian States, while the as yet comparatively unimportant products of Michigan and Texas are given together as "other States." Later, and at the end of the paragraphs treating of eUch of these general divisions, are given tables showing the production of each year from 1880 to and including 1892, which have been taken from the reports of the Director of the Mint. Although this segregation is based on estimates that are necessarily not entirely accurate, it gives
the best available approximation, (a)
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a Throughout this paper figures of production are given in coinage, not in commercial values the coinage values are $20.67 per ounce ibr gold and $1.2929 for silver so that the equivalent weight can readily be calculated.
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